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
-
Life How Anthony Lake Became a Jew — First in Others’ Eyes, Then Officially
Speaking before an audience at New York University’s Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life — where he was boosting the presidential bid of Barack Obama — former Clinton administration national security adviser Anthony Lake related the amusing story of how he was often mistaken for a Jew, sometimes allowed others to think he was a…
-
Life Israeli Rightist: Conversion Is Existential Issue
The debate over conversion has been heating up, here in America and in Israel. Last week, the left-wing Israeli daily Ha’aretz weighed in with a searing editorial urging the rabbinate to stop obstructing the conversion of the masses of immigrants from the former Soviet Union who are not considered Jewish under halacha. This week, it’s…
-
Life Who’s Your Messiah?
“If you believe that a dead man is the messiah, does that disqualify you from converting to Judaism?” That’s the question raised in a Jerusalem Post article about an immigrant from the former Soviet Union who came to Israel under its Law of Return and was interested in converting to Judaism. While the rabbis were…
-
Life The Rabbis Said Choose: You Can Be an Olympian or a Jew — But Not Both
Benjamin Ish-Shalom, head of Israel’s Joint Conversion Institute, recently gave an interview to The Jewish Week that should makes one’s blood boil. Ish-Shalom’s institute is the product of a collaboration between different streams of Judaism that has worked to help facilitate the conversion of the large numbers of immigrants from the former Soviet Union who…
-
Life Ha’aretz: Stop Blocking Conversion of FSU Immigrants
An impassioned editorial in Ha’aretz rails against the Orthodox rabbinate for erecting barriers to the conversion of hundreds of thousands of immigrants from the former Soviet Union who were brought to Israel under the Law of Return: Bitter infighting, saturated with political power plays, deal-making of the lowest form, and strong-arm tactics driven by personal…
-
Life Adlerstein vs. Angel on Conversion
Last month, Rabbi Marc Angel, rabbi emeritus of New York’s historic Congregation Shearith Israel, penned an impassioned critique of the adoption of new — and, he argued, needlessly restrictive — conversion policies by the Rabbinical Council of America, an organization he once served as its president. The article generated plenty of discussion in the Orthodox…
Explore
Most Popular
- 1
News A pioneering Reform synagogue makes way for a booming Iranian Jewish community
- 2
News Hampshire College closure reverberates for alumni who treasured a Yiddishist hub
- 3
Opinion Who’s responsible for deadly antisemitism? Everyone will hate the answer
- 4
News Iran’s regime is obsessed with Jeffrey Epstein
In Case You Missed It
-
Fast Forward Pete Hegseth compares media to the Pharisees, ancient Jewish sect derided by Christians
-
Fast Forward Jewish groups urge Trump to prioritize Americans held in Iran during ceasefire talks
-
Fast Forward Trump’s antisemitism envoy says US will bar World Cup attendees tied to antisemitism abroad
-
Fast Forward Prince Harry, Meghan Markle meet with survivors of Bondi Beach Hanukkah shooting in Sydney
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
