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Are people who have converted to Reform Judaism recognized as Jews by the Conservative movement?

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    To VTCers: We’ve discussed this before on Meta, but sometimes people need a reminder. Questions about Reform and Conservative Judaism are on-topic.
    – DonielF
    Commented May 27, 2020 at 2:26

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See this teshuvah by R. David Novak, adopted by the Rabbinical Assembly in 1982.

To quote from its conclusion (emphases mine):

I find no cogent basis in halakhah for accepting, even ex post facto, converts who did not undergo specific tevilah for the sake of conversion, unless it can be shown that they are strictly observant Jews, particularly scrupulous in the use of a mikvah. The fact that they may have been taken to be Jews by themselves or by others does not change the need for tevilah for the sake of conversion. The fact that most of these conversions have been conducted under Reform auspices makes the matter especially difficult because of the cordial relationships which exist between Conservative and Reform rabbis and lay people. Nevertheless, this halakhic requirement is not meant as a public rebuff to the Reform movement. If a Reform rabbi conducts giyyur kehalakhah, I accept his converts as bona fide Jews.

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  • Thanks for the quick answer.
    – Harel13
    Commented May 26, 2020 at 10:33

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