As a convert to Judaism, I hear from a lot of people who are also interested in converting to Judaism.<\/p>\n
Among the many reasons they list for their love of Judaism, excitement over the many demands of Jewish Law is never one of them.<\/p>\n
Instead, they list things such as meaning, ethical monotheism, elevating the mundane, joining God’s chosen people who have their own country, etc.<\/p>\n
When these people convert to Judaism, they quickly find that the only Jewish group that takes Judaism seriously is the Orthodox whose own idea of taking Judaism seriously is commitment to fulfilling the many demands of halacha (Jewish Law). Letdown is inevitable. The mature then grasp that the best way to fulfill the abstract ideals that inspired their conversion is by acting on the daily demands of their new religion (the Orthodox conversion program tends to be so rigorous that it weeds out those who aren’t committed to the program).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As a convert to Judaism, I hear from a lot of people who are also interested in converting to Judaism. Among the many reasons they list for their love of Judaism, excitement over the many demands of Jewish Law is … Continue reading