Questions tagged [conversion-to-judaism]
Conversion to Judaism. This entails acceptance of the mitzvos, tevila (immersion), and for men, bris milah (circumcision).
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How long is Orthodox Conversion?
How long is the conversion process into Traditional Orthodox and Modern Orthodox? What is the minimum time period in most cases? I know converts can spend years preparing until they actually finalise ...
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What is a ger toshav?
I read in the Book of Isaiah (Is. 56:1-8), about the foreigner joining Hashem. I asked my Rabbi briefly about this passage. He explained that the passage is probably neither about a gerut conversion ...
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My Adult Conversion
I’m seriously interested in converting from Baptist to Judaism. I am aware of the local synagogues in my area, but I’m unsure on which to approach and any protocols.
For example; should I go during ...
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Does a ger (convert) say Yizkor?
A convert's biological parents are not their parents in a halachic sense. In some senses the converting beis din is "responsible" for the convert in the way of parents. In name, at least, the ger's ...
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What is "ol mitzvot" for a convert?
A convert is suppoed to accept the ol mitzvot, the burden of halacha but does this mean an explicit intent to follow the mitzvot or simply the acceptance that there is a punishment if the mitzvot are ...
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How does a giyur lchumra differ from a regular conversion? [duplicate]
I may be Jewish by matrilineal descent - my great, great, great grandmother was Jewish and was buried in a Jewish cemetery. Subsequent generations of my family were Catholic. I understand that if the ...
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How long have Jewish Converts been adding "V'Sarah" to their Hebrew names? Is this Proper? Expected?
At Shul I notice that some converts have names such as "Yoseph Ben Avraham V'Sarah" and some have just "Yoseph Ben Avraham". Are both correct? Is this something new (ish)?
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Are children whose mother converted after bearing them Jewish?
If a Jewish man and non-Jewish wife have a child, and the mother completes her Orthodox conversion to Judaism after the child is born, must the child also convert to be considered Jewish, if they were ...
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Can a convert become a synagogue president? Why or why not?
I understand that the National Council of Young Israel has a rule that women and converts may not be elected president of a Young Israel synagogue. I think I saw a gemara -- or a comment to a gemara -...
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Can a Minor Convert Effect Yayin Nesach?
Per the answer to Are children adopted by Jews Jewish? a child that is adopted by Jewish parents when they reach adulthood (13/12) are given the choice of remaining Jewish.
If I know of a child that ...
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Why does a convert receive bris milah before the mikvah?
Why does the convert have his bris before the mikvah rather than afterwards as a Jew? Seemingly the bris done before is not a mitzvah so why not have him do bris milah after the mikvah?
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Audio shiurim/podcasts for beginners or geirim?
I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a podcast (or shiurim by a particular speaker) that would be relatively easily available (i.e. on iTunes, YUTorah or something similar) that would be helpful for ...
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How should a modern non-Jew interpret commandments in the Torah that they perceive to command individual violence?
If a non-Jew is interested in Judaism, how should they approach commands in the Torah like Exodus 21:17, Exodus 31:14, Leviticus 20:13? Should these passages be seen not just as command not to do the ...
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Can convert siblings marry each other?
I understand that there's a concept of גר כקטן שנולד דמי (not sure I got the words 100% right) - that a convert (ger) to Judaism is halachically considered to have no family.
If that is the case, ...
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Jewish man serve on Beis Din for woman he's dating
Shalom everyone, I'm just curious, if a Jewish man is dating a woman who is converting I assume it wouldn't be appropriate to serve on her beis din, but is it prohibited halachically?
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How can the child of a convert know/find out if the conversion was valid?
A non-Jewish woman converts to Judaism, marries a Jewish man, and has children. She has told her children that she was converted by an Orthodox beit din, to be sure that her children are all ...
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Homebrewer then converts; are there leniencies that allow him to drink the beer he made?
Suppose a gentile is a homebrewer who later converts to Judaism. Fermentation and aging can be long-running processes, so even if he knew to anticipate the problem and ceased homebrewing activities ...
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Can a male convert to Judaism descended from King David potentially be Moshiach?
A male Jew is the direct patrilineal genetic offspring of King David, and he marries a non-Jewish woman. Then their son converts to Judaism. Could their son potentially be Moshiach? If not: why not? ...
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Abraham's converts.....to what?
Assuming the view that Avraham was not a Jew (see here and here1), "ha-nefesh asher asu beCharan" (Gen. 12:5) that Rashi explains were converts, what did they convert to?
To give credit where credit ...
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Can a convert (ger) become a chabad shliach?
"A convert may not hold a position of Jewish communal authority." (Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Melachim 1:4)
The Tzitz Eliezer ruled that a convert may not serve in a lone communal position but he may ...
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The ban on conversion to Judaism in Argentina
In 1927 the rabbi of a Syrian-Jewish congregation in Buenos Aires banned all conversions to Judaism in Argentina forever ("ad kol yemei olam"). The ban is still in effect today. Candidates for ...
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Is there a halachic preference for milah over hatafas dam bris?
While hatafas dam bris is clearly valid for a convert who is already circumcised, is this considered bedieved? Suppose a man who is not already circumcised intends to convert.
Suppose he is also ...
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Field owned by nobody?
I feel like I should have seen this discussed somewhere, but I have no memory of it.
If someone dies with no sons and his daughters inherit his fields, one of the daughters marries a convert, and ...
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Did Israelites who stayed in Egypt become halachically Jewish?
Some sources indicate that not all of the Israelites left Egypt during the Exodus. On the other hand, the initial "conversion" of the Israelites to Judaism occurred at Matan Torah at Mt. Sinai during ...
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Can someone convert to "Messianic Judaism"?
Is "Messianic Judaism" considered to be a legitimate sect of Judaism? Could someone (gentile) convert to "Messianic Judaism"?
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Does the gentile seeking conversion have more obligations than a Noahide Person?
I am a gentile seeking to convert to Judaism, but I can't make a contact with a Beit Din since there is no Rabbi in my country neither an active Synagogue. But I am very serious toward conversion and ...
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Why are Converts required to use "Ben Avraham" instead of "Ben Ysrael"?
If converts become part of Israel and the Jewish people, then why are we required to go by "_______ Ben Avraham"? Wasn't Esau a "Ben Avraham"? Wasn't Ishmael? Does "_____Ben Avraham" mean we are less ...
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Circumcision for conversion of someone whose male genitalia have been removed
Let's say a non-Jewish male has had his genitalia removed through some accident or medical procedure (e.g. for the purpose of gender transition).
If that person later decides to convert. How is bris ...
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How do most Rabbis justify teaching Torah to conversion candidates?
According to the Rambam (Shoftim ~ Melachim uMilchamot ~ Chapter 10 ~ Halacha 9), a non-Jew who studies Torah is obligated to die and a non-Jew should only study his Seven mitzvot. I reason that it ...
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Ensuring that a community is mainstream
A newcomer to Orthodox Judaism may not have a feel for what is mainstream and what generally considered beyond the pale of normative Judaism. How does one find and join a Jewish community without ...
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"But Rahab the harlot ... dwelt in the midst of Israel, unto this day"
This is from Yehoshua' 6:25.
Assuming she was a harlot and not, as some suggest, an innkeeper, what exactly does this mean? Did she convert? Did her conversion remove the stain of being a harlot from ...
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Is a female convert "bas Avraham" or "bas Sarah"?
...Or, I suppose, "bas Avraham v'Sarah?"
What is the most authoritative name to use: 1) In tefilo? 2) On a document such as a conversion certificate or ketubah?
If this varies by community, please ...
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Advantages of converts (in spiritual terms)
I've heard before that the Ari Zal says the neshemas ("souls") of gerim (converts) comes from the highest places. Is there any source for this? Where is this brought down?
As well what other "...
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Non-Orthodox converts and Olam Ha-Ba
Would a Gentile who converted through a non-orthodox movement be judged as a Gentile or a Jew in Olam Ha-Ba?
In regards to the judgement, would his/her action of converting and living a "Jewish" ...
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If a convert's parents convert to Judaism, do they become his halachic parents?
If a convert's parents convert to Judaism, do they become his halachic parents? I understand that a ger is thought to be "reborn" upon conversion to Judaism; therefore, his birth parents are not ...
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Can a convert (ger tzedek) serve on a beis din to annul a non-convert's vows?
If I understand correctly, there are certain cases where a convert can't serve on a beis din judging a native-born Jew. Yet when we break into groups of three for hataras nedarim (annulment of vows), ...
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Statistics regarding how many people convert yearly
What are the statistics for the last 50-100 years as to how many people convert and become Geirim yearly?
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Is a convert's biological son obligated in "kibud av' (honoring his father)?
This is the reverse of this question, in a sense.
Suppose that a Gentile intermarries and he has a son who is Jewish. Later, the Gentile converts. Is the biological son ever halachically obligated to ...
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Retroactive psak and conversions
B"H
I constantly read about Orthodox conversions which are retroactively nullified by the Israeli Rabbanut, sometimes affecting multiple generations. I am not writing this question to express nor ...
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Is there a gentile Mamzer?
Gentiles were commanded on 6 types of Arayos (forbidden relationships) Rambam Melachim 9,5.
What is the legal status of a child from those relations between two gentiles.
If he converts convert would ...
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Can a Gentile Convert to Judaism AFTER the Coming of the Moshiach?
As a non-Jew, I have been wondering whether or not it would be better for me to convert to Judaism or to keep the seven mitzvot. This decision is a difficult one for me. On the one hand, I can remain ...
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Embryo adoption and status as a Jew
My wife and I we are Gentile, and we will adopt a (frozen) embryo, probably in Israel.
If the ovocyte of the embryo comes from a Jewish woman, and later my wife gives birth to this baby, can the ...
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Why did Hillel not turn a convert away three times, not even once. And convert them straight away?
Why did Hillel not turn a convert away three times, not even once?
And why did he convert them straight away, when if seen by todays standards, they're the most terrible candidates.
They were ...
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When would a convert affix the Mezuzah in the diaspora?
The Halacha is (as stated in the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch סימן יא - הלכות מזוזה) that when renting a house in the diaspora one is exempt from Mezuza for the first 30 days. For the first 30 days a rental ...
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Is a Ger first or almost last for assistance?
The Pri Megadim in OC Siman 156 Ashel Avraham Sif-Katan 2 (it's a long piece) cites from the Rambam in Hilchos De'as Perek 6 Halacha 4 that the Mitzvah of Ahavas HaGer (loving a convert) is really 2 ...
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Why can a convert say mikra bikkurim but not viduy maaser?
Maaser Sheini 5:14 says that a convert can't say viduy maaser because he doesn't inherit a portion of the Land and can't say ואת האדמה אשר נתת לנו. We follow this mishnah.
Bikkurim 1:4 says that a ...
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Did converts (ger tzedek) in ancient Israel own land? [duplicate]
Sources like Exodus 12:48,49 lead me to believe, that righteous converts/ proselytes(ger tzedek) became full-fledged citizens and members of the nation of Israel.
On the other hand, I know that the ...
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Do people who are Jewish by ancestry but are descendents of apostates need to convert? [duplicate]
Suppose a Jewish woman converts to Christianity. Her children find out about their Jewish ancestry and decide that Judaism is right for them. Do they have to go through a conversion process? Does it ...
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Do you call a yid who's had a giyur LECHUMRA "Ben/Bat Avraham Avinu"?
Do you call a yid who's had a giyur LECHUMRA "Ben/Bat Avraham Avinu"?
So basically if a yid grows up with the Hebrew name Shlomo ben Chaim or something like that then finds out his yichus is ...
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If a man converts to Judaism, does his already-Jewish son have to follow the custom his father decides to follow?
If a man converts to Judaism and follows Sephardic customs, and his son (who is Jewish-by-birth or has already converted) follows Ashkenazic customs, does the son have to follow his father and also ...
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