How to Find a Rabbi to Convert You

Some conversion ceremonies might involve traditional Jewish garb.

Converting to Judaism should be done with the utmost of sanctity and respect for the Jewish religion and its people. According to the Jewish Federations of North America, some individuals convert to Judaism because of romantic relationships leading to marriage, while others seek to convert as part of their spiritual quest or journey after researching the Jewish religion. After some initial research on your own, one of the next steps is to find a rabbi for the conversion process.

Instructions

1. Decide which of the four main branches of Judaism you want to participate in. This will lead you to search for a rabbi that is most compatible with your goals, purposes and reasons for converting to the Jewish religion. Finding a compatible rabbi will also allow you ask any specific questions you have concerning the Jewish faith and the conversion process. In the US, the four main branches are Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist.

2. Ask friends, neighbors or family members about their knowledge of local synagogues or Jewish community groups where you might obtain more information about the conversion process and finding a rabbi. Even if you find a synagogue of a different Jewish movement than the one you wish to join, the rabbi there may be able to direct you to a synagogue which is most appropriate for you.

3. Contact a local board of rabbis or community Jewish groups for help in finding a rabbi that is most appropriate for you. Ask for a rabbi of the particular Jewish movement that you are interested in joining. Use a telephone book to search for Jewish religious organizations or synagogues within your community.

4. Call the synagogue and ask to speak with the rabbi, explaining that you are interested in converting to the Jewish religion. Some more traditional Jewish rabbis follow the ancient practice of turning away a candidate for conversion three times to test the sincerity of the would-be convert. Continue to follow-up on the rabbi. If after three or four tries to initiate a conversation about converting to the Jewish religion, you have not succeeded in moving forward, contact another rabbi of the same movement.

Tips & Warnings

• Orthodox Judaism represents the most traditional form of Jewry that upholds the tenets of ancient Jewish Law.

• Conservative Judaism seeks to apply Jewish Law and its faith to modern society through newer historical methods of study and interpretation.

• Reform Judaism seeks to subject the religious law of the Jewish faith to human judgment, separating the principles of the Torah from the historical perspectives of the day of ancient Judaism.

• Reconstructionist Judaism rejects the historical account of the Torah's origins at Mount Sinai and views the Jewish religion as a continually evolving movement.

References

• The Jewish Federations of North America: The Conversion Process: Lawrence Epstein
• Being Jewish: Becoming Jewish
• Jewish Outreach Institute: Intermarriage Q&A

Resources

• The Jewish Federations of North America: Conversion to Judaism Contacts
• Something Jewish: Converting to Judaism