Rethinking Conversion

Right now, it can seem almost comically difficult to be Jewish. We’ve seen worse times, obviously, but the last year has brought us murders in Pittsburgh and in Poway, Cal., a substantial spike in anti-Semitic graffiti and hate crimes, and a painful internal debate about new members of Congress who seem, to many of us, anti-Semitic. Meanwhile, Jewish literacy is paltry, and birth and marriage rates are, except in the Orthodox community, low. In such a time as this, Judaism can feel like a fraternity nobody would ever want to join. Some of us were born into it, and we’re glad. But why would anyone else want to go through the rush process?

It may seem surprising, then, but conversion—born of the desires of thousands of people to become Jews—has become the fierce battleground joining Reform, Conservative and Orthodox Jews today, in the United States and in Israel. Orthodox Jewry won’t recognize non-Orthodox conversions, the Israeli rabbinate won’t recognize conversions done by some American Orthodox rabbis. Converts everywhere face discrimination, like comments from fellow Jews that they aren’t “really Jewish.” Instead of welcoming new Jews from every possible quarter, we have made a mess of how we treat aspiring Jews, even as we need them more than ever.

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