Welcome to 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
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The Schmooze Is Azealia Banks Jewish now?
Hip-hop artist Azealia Banks proudly posted her engagement ring on Instagram Monday, announcing conceptual artist Ryder Ripps had proposed to her. Unlike most women, who might be showing off a large rock, Banks’ finger was adorned with a chunky gold ring featuring a relief of a menorah. The photo was captioned “I’m Jewish now. MAZEL…
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Fast Forward Madison Cawthorn has tried to convert Jews to Christianity
Madison Cawthorn, the newly elected congressman from North Carolina who was criticized for selfies he took at Hitler’s vacation retreat in Germany, is a zealous Christian. And the 25-year-old firebrand conservative and part-time preacher is trying to convert Jews and Muslims. In an interview with Jewish Insider published Monday, Cawthorn said he has read through…
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Community As a new convert, I thought it was okay to use the word ‘schwartze’ when talking about Black people
The moment is seared in my memory: It’s 1990, and I’m carpooling to the University of Connecticut Storrs campus with my new best friend Adrienne, whose mother is Jewish and from Oslo, Norway, where I grew up. We are sitting at a light on Albany Avenue in Hartford, Conn., and I use the word schvartzes…
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Life Let’s talk about the imposter syndrome that follows converting to Judaism
We don’t really talk about the imposter syndrome that comes after converting to Judaism. I identified as being Jewish since a very young age. Very young. Be it born with a Jewish soul, or lost Jewish lineage in my family tree wanting to be finally heard, I always knew that I was a Jew before…
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Fast Forward For those in the process of becoming Jewish, the pandemic means delayed, altered conversions
(JTA) — Renee Godinez had completed nearly all the steps to becoming Jewish before the coronavirus pandemic descended earlier this spring. She had studied extensively with Rabbi Rick Winer of Temple Beth Israel in Fresno, California, and adopted Jewish practices in her life. All that was missing was a ceremony to mark the end of…
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The Schmooze Karlie Kloss: Converting To Judaism Before Marrying Joshua Kushner Wasn’t ‘Weak’
The Talmud states that this is the first question the beit din — the group of rabbis sitting in judgment — should ask of a person seeking to convert to Judaism: “Why should you wish to convert — do you not know that the people of Israel at the present time are persecuted and oppressed,…
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Opinion My Black Children Are Jewish. Why Don’t Jews Treat Them That Way?
I thought I knew what being Jewish meant, until I had kids. Suddenly, here they were, these tiny balls of wonder, bouncing from one place to another faster than I could breathe. It was like my heart had split in two, plunged out of my chest, and started innocently bumbling into every danger imaginable, as…
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Fast Forward Brazil Holds World’s First Summer Camp For Heirs Of Forcibly Converted Jews
(JTA) — At the world’s only summer camp for descendants of forcibly converted Jews, young Brazilians had numerous first-time experiences, including seemingly mundane activities like studying the Bible in a group or singing at synagogue. But they were among the most memorable moments from Yeshiva Camp. There are multiple layers to the mission of bnei…
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News Scoop: Heritage Foundation plans to ‘identify and target’ Wikipedia editors
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Fast Forward Their Pacific Palisades synagogue is standing, but all three rabbis lost their homes
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News ‘Do you have the Torahs?’ Synagogue races LA wildfire to rescue its past and future
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Opinion Why is Netanyahu poised to OK a ceasefire that’s favorable to Hamas? One word: Trump
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Fast Forward 6 Chabad tunnel defendants plead guilty
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News Lipstadt has ‘hope’ Trump team will build on her antisemitism work
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Fast Forward A lost film about Jewish immigrants on the Lower East Side returns to the big screen in NYC
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Opinion ‘The rabbis did disaster pretty well’: Amid wildfires, LA Jews cope with regret — and rancor
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