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Category Archives: Conversion
I Didn’t Convert To Judaism To Be Comforted
I spoke the other day to a reporter about the conversion crisis in Israel. I said that the religion I joined was exclusivist and elitist and that I expected it to challenge me. Judaism and Jewish community can be as … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion, Personal
Tagged conversion crisis, crisis in israel, jewish community, Judaism, nature of the beast
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Taking The Jewish Thing Seriously
I email a friend who’s just moved to LA: You should live in Pico/Robertson or Fairfax/La Brea if you want to do the Jewish thing… If you end up having to drive to shul on shabbos, it is a very … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion, RCC
Tagged Aish HaTorah, birthright israel trip, jewish gates, jewish journey, orthodox shul, religious jews
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Claiming Your Jewish Identity In Israel
Orthodox rabbi Seth Farber writes: As Anna Gostamelsky shattered Israel’s national swimming record for the 100-meter freestyle on Sunday evening in Beijing, once again demonstrating her incredible endurance, I couldn’t help thinking about another battle she has been fighting, this … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion, Israel
Tagged athens olympic games, jewish religious law, meter freestyle, orthodox rabbi, rabbinical courts, seth farber
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Rabbi Chaim Druckman Interview
Elliot Resnick writes for The Jewish Press: Much uncertainty remains in the wake of Israel’s High Rabbinical Court ruling in May that voided all conversions performed by Rabbi Chaim Druckman since 1999. Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar promises … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion, Orthodoxy
Tagged chief rabbi shlomo amar, conversion controversy, knesset member, rabbi chaim, rabbi shlomo amar, religious zionist
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Israel’s Conversion Controversy Comes Down To Money
From Haaretz: Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar has paused the appointment of 22 new Jewish conversion court judges, further delaying reforms aimed at easing the difficult and lengthy conversion process. Last week, Amar reneged on his decision to approve the appointments … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion
Tagged chief rabbi shlomo amar, civil service commission, conversion controversy, jewish conversion, rabbi shlomo amar, religious court
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What Do Converts Have To Do To Get Accepted?
This post by Toby Katz mirrors my experience: "In all the articles and comments about whether Ba’alei Teshuva are fully accepted in Frum from Birth communities, one major factor I haven’t seen mentioned is the character of the individual BT. … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion
Tagged frum, orthodox community, rsquo, teshuva, uncaring
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Modern Orthodox Rabbis Try To Run Around Israel’s Chief Rabbinate
From Haaretz: Orthodox rabbis from the United States and Israel intend to set up an Orthodox court system as an alternative to Israel’s rabbinical courts and to the rigorous norms for conversion to Judaism imposed on U.S. rabbis. Rabbi Marc … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion, Israel, Modern Orthodox
Tagged chief rabbi shlomo amar, chief rabbinate, conversion crisis, rabbi shlomo amar, rabbi shlomo riskin, rabbinical council of america
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Converts Have Nothing In Common
I was talking to somebody today about converts to Judaism. He asked me to assess their role in American Judaism and whether they were becoming more accepted on the Jewish street. "Converts to Judaism have nothing in common beyond the … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion
Tagged american judaism, chink, converts to judaism, different religions, orthodox judaism
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Chaviva Edwards – Jewish Blogger, Shul Hopper
Libby Ellis writes: Chaviva may be on the CTA at this very minute Chaviva Edwards is a super-blogger with a really long commute. The Buena Park dweller takes the CTA down to the University of Chicago where she works … Continue reading
Posted in Chaviva Edwards, Conversion
Tagged city of ghosts, libby ellis, nobel prize winners, tea drinker, thing to do in chicago, university of connecticut
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Frightened By The Conversion Controversy
Frightened posts to Cross-Currents: Again, there is an issue in that the court abolished ALL of the giyur done by R. Druckman and R. Avi-Or. The apologeticists and attackers keep framing this debate in terms of extremes, in which a … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion
Tagged controversial cases, conversion controversy, female offspring, rsquo, yeshiva student, yeshivot
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