How to Go About Converting to Judaism

Have a Conversion Ceremony

• It's one year later, and the rabbi thinks you are ready to officially convert. There are four main parts of a conversion ceremony:

  1. Facing a religious court

  2. Immersion

  3. Circumcision

  4. Picking a new name

  All of the parts of the ceremony do not occur at the same time or even necessarily in the same month. It depends on your time schedule and what the rabbi wants. But all four steps are part of the official procedure of Jewish conversion.

  Facing a religious court: The first part of the conversion ceremony is to face the religious court (in Hebrew, it's called a Bet Din). The court consists of three people, of whom at least one must be a rabbi. (Often, all three will be.) The court will ask you questions about Judaism to make sure you studied well. It's not a graded test, and the rabbis are not trying to trick you. This is not the SATs where there are little traps for people who get confused easily. The rabbis are just making sure you still want to convert, and that you're ready. Think of the whole thing as getting a really easy word in a spelling bee: Everybody knows you know the answer, but to win, you still have to stand up there and give the right answer. Sample questions might be about Jewish beliefs in one God, the significance of the Sabbath or the reasons that Jews celebrate Yom Kippur.

  Immersion: You've passed the court. Now it's time to immerse the candidate in a mikveh or the ritual bath. The mikveh is a special religious pool made specifically for converting to Judaism. You go into the pool, the rabbi says some prayers and you come out Jewish. Yes, we know it sounds a little bit like a baptism, but it's not. It's a mikveh.

  Circumcision: Men who were not circumcised at birth must now. Furthermore, he can't get circumcised by just anyone. It must be done by a surgeon or doctor who has been deemed circumcision-worthy by a temple. (This special kind of doctor is called a "mohel," pronounced "MOY-yell.") Don't get too panicky, though: Reform and Reconstructionist rabbis usually do not require a circumcision. If you were already circumcised and you want to convert to Orthodox or Conservative Judaism, you still must give a drop of your blood as a symbolic circumcision.

  Picking a new name: Have you always hated your name? Well, after getting past the Bet Din, you will have the chance to pick a new Hebrew name. Talk to the rabbi about picking a name that you like; however, you probably passed by some nice names during your days of study. Many choose a name based on a biblical figure that they admired in their Judaic studies. Popular names include Abraham, Samuel, Sarah and Ruth. This Hebrew name will not replace your old one, but it will be added as a second middle name that is referred to at important religious events, such as your wedding or your funeral. Once you pick your name, a prayer will be said, and--bam!--you have a new identity.

  And that's all there is to it. While the process differs depending on the rabbi and religiousness of the sect you'd like to enter, this is the bare-bones guide to what to expect when converting to Judaism. And here's a last bit of good news: Once you convert, you're just as Jewish as anyone who was born into the religion. There's no "half-citizenship" or anything, so revel in your newfound Jewish-ness.