This is the Forward’s coverage of conversion, the process by which those of other faiths adopt Judaism. Most streams of Judaism, unlike many other religions, do not evangelize.
Conversion
The Latest
-
Opinion Who Can Be a Jew?
The shocking revelations last fall that a respected Orthodox rabbi spied on and exploited women studying for conversion led to two concrete outcomes: The rabbi, Barry Freundel, is serving more than six years in prison, and the Orthodox rabbinical group that should have stopped his shameful behavior is trying to reform itself. In a report…
-
Fast Forward 78% of Orthodox Converts Are Women and 12 Other Things About Conversion
(JTA) — There’s some tantalizingly interesting material in the final report of a committee charged with reviewing the way the Rabbinical Council of America, the country’s main Orthodox rabbinical association, deals with conversion. Much comes from a survey of 439 Orthodox converts that provides the first-ever statistics about American Orthodox converts. Some comes from a survey…
-
Fast Forward Orthodox Rabbis Plan Conversion Reform After Barry Freundel Scandal
(JTA) — After facing criticism for its handling of inappropriate behavior by a convert-supervising rabbi who turned out to be a mikvah-peeping voyeur, the country’s main centrist Orthodox rabbinical group has released key guidelines aimed at preventing abuses during the conversion process. The Rabbinical Council of America is recommending that would-be converts be given a…
-
Fast Forward Rabbinical Council of America Conversion Panel Issues Recommendations
A committee established by the Rabbinical Council of America to review its conversion processes has submitted its report featuring recommendations in nine areas of the process. The review was put in place nine months ago after one of the RCA’s leading conversion rabbis, Barry Freundel, was arrested on voyeurism charges. Freundel was sentenced to 6…
-
Fast Forward Jewish Agency To Create ‘Conversion Courts’ for Immigrants
The Jewish Agency for Israel plans to establish special overseas courts for people wishing to convert to Judaism. The group’s board of governors overwhelmingly voted in favor of the plan at a meeting in Tel Aviv Wednesday. Under the plan, the agency will send rabbis to work with the courts and help local rabbis ensure…
-
The Schmooze 7 Jews Who Made It Big In Porn
Last week, the news surfaced that “Queen of Porn” Jenna Jameson . Jameson, who has been married twice before, is engaged to Israeli Lior Bitton (who works in L.A.’s diamond business and has been charged with stealing merchandise from his stores). Jameson’s Instagram page is filled with photos of challah and other kosher dishes she’s…
-
The Schmooze Is Porn Queen Jenna Jameson Joining the Tribe?
Jenna Jameson may soon go from ‘The Queen of Porn’ to the queen of Shabbat. The twice-divorced entrepreneur and (mostly retired) adult film star has been cooking up a kosher storm on social media. Could she be joining the Tribe? When a Twitter follower asked her when she started cooking Kosher, she wrote: I started…
-
Fast Forward Court Upholds Ban on Gay ‘Conversion’ Therapy
(Reuters) — A federal appeals court on Monday rejected a fresh challenge to New Jersey’s ban on so-called gay conversion therapy for minors, saying the prohibition does not violate the rights of either children or their parents. By a 3-0 vote, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the ban did not infringe the…
Explore
Most Popular
- 1
Culture ‘My mayor Muslim, my bagel Jewish’ — the Knicks chant capturing New York’s soul
- 2
Opinion Cultural boycotts of Israel just reached peak absurdity
- 3
Opinion The Iran war ended terribly for the US, and even worse for Israel
- 4
Theater ‘Dirty Dancing’ be damned. A new musical shows another side of the Borscht Belt
In Case You Missed It
-
Opinion Trump may be making a classic error in seeking peace with Iran
-
Fast Forward Trump-backed Oklahoma congressional candidate supports Israel — and says the Antichrist will be Jewish
-
Fast Forward UK appeals court upholds ban on Palestine Action as a terrorist organization
-
Fast Forward Trump says he plans to talk to Hezbollah amid Iran peace efforts