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Jewish Denver
--> Conversion to Judaism |
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Conversion to Judaism |
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"You shall
love the convert" |
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--
Deuteronomy 10:19 |
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You want to
convert to
Judaism? |
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Orthodox Judaism does not actively
seek converts. That is because
Judaism
teaches that the righteous of all nations and peoples have a share
in the World To Come.
The purpose of this page is not to
explain how a conversion is done, but to bring up points for you to
consider.
You want a spiritual meaning to
your life and you have chosen
Judaism.
Now what do you do? A convert may face some incredible
challenges. Your standard will be different than someone born
Jewish.
Time - This will not happen overnight
How long will this take?
Before this question can be
answered, you need to answer the basic question is Judaism for me
and what does conversion to
Judaism
mean. |
Maybe, your first step is to think
this through and ask yourself plenty of questions. Get a piece
of paper and write down your thoughts or better yet keep a journal.
- Is this for me?
- If you are married - your spouse
must also want to convert. You need to know if he/she is
willing to go through conversion.
- Do you have children?
- Where are you going to send them
to
School?
- How is this going to effect your
children and your relationship with your spouse.
- How will this effect your
Parents, relatives and other important friendships?
Most converts find NO family support in conversion to
Judaism.
Ask your Rabbi doing the conversion, in future if my brother or
sister or other family members are getting married can I
enter the church and be a part of the ceremony.
- Can you let go of all other
religions, including Christianity and it's beliefs?
- Will this effect how I earn a
living?
- What do you know about Jewish
History? As good as the United States is - How do you think you
will be treated as a Jew?
Things to consider...
If you are considering an orthodox
conversion to Judaism - there are no Rabbis at present doing
conversions. You will have to seek a Rabbi out side of Denver.
These are not issues you have to do
now, but will be future issues, nonetheless you have to weigh if
this is for you to decide if you should go forward with conversion
-- You can not work from Friday sundown till Saturday sundown.
This also applies to all Jewish holidays no matter what day they
fall on. Outside your home you can only eat at
kosher homes and kosher restaurants. Family and friends homes
you once ate at - you can no longer eat at unless special
arrangements are made. There are family purity laws and upon
death you can only be buried in a Jewish cemetery. From the
Simple to the Complex traditions in American culture* that
you accept on an every day basis will have to be changed to
accepting the
613 commandments of the Torah.
If you have children here are just a
few things you need to be aware of -
Jewish schools are very expensive. If you send them to
public schools - they will be placed in a setting that puts
pressure on them to conform [from the way you dress to dating].
Schools will be closed on non-Jewish holidays and open for Jewish
holidays and Friday evening and Saturday school functions. In
Denver Boys after the 8th grade can be sent to the Yeshivah.
You must be aware at the Denver Yeshivah boys must live in the
Yeshivah dormitories [there are no exceptions].
Have you looked at the
7 Laws of Bnai Noach
* Jews are required by Jewish Law to
obey the laws of the land he/she lives. |
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How much will this cost you?
Conversions Classes may have a fee.
Some Rabbis do NOT charge any fees for
conversion. While other Rabbis charge for conversion classes. You
should plan to budget between $100 and $350 a month for a family and
the classes can run from 1 year to 2 years.
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| Plus the Rabbi
that heads the Bais Din may have a fee |
| Plus Ritual Fees
at the time of conversion: [Mikvah and Mohel] |
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Plus traveling expenses - Which may include two trips to the
east coast to meet with |
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the head of
the Bais Din. |
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| Misc fees, books
and other expenses. |
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Ritual Items after conversion:
Tefillin is approx $500 for each
male over the age of 13. |
| Kashering your
kitchen |
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Mezuzot
for each door way in the home approx
$33 per door. |
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| A family of 5 or
6 should budget approx $6,000 and be prepared to spend as much
as $10,0000 for a conversion in Denver. |
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| Jewish School
[tuition] approx $6,000 to 12,000 a year for each child. |
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What should be your first step...
There be may several opinions on what
you should do first. One of the very best things you can do is
- find books on the subject. Go to the library and research
the subject. Search out books written by Orthodox Rabbis.
"To Be a Jew", by Rabbi Donin is a very good start. |
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I have read the Bible....
Just because you have read the Bible
isn't even enough to answer the question is conversion for me.
I can't stress this enough and also why you need an Orthodox Rabbi. |
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Why do you need an Orthodox Rabbi?
Reasonable people can differ on
opinion. Since you came to this page looking for advice - this isn't
a matter of this group is wrong and this group is right.
Conversion is serious - it is about
you and your eternal soul. Ask questions and find out about the
Rabbi who will do the conversion. Some of the question you
should ask are:
- Will my conversion be recognized
throughout the world?
- Can my children attend any
Jewish Schools?
Over the years I have had people
come into the book store and ask me about conversion. One of
my favorite questions to ask them is would you go a doctor for an
operation because he read a few books on the subject? Of
course they said, "NO". Would you take your children to
them? Again, the answer is, "NO!" They wanted a knowledgeable
and reliable doctor.
Just because this is a religious
issue don't think there aren't frauds out there that will take your
money and your soul. A doctor can make a mistake and kill you
in this world, but a religious leader can kill you into the next.
So if you won't let a Doctor operate on you just because he read a
few books on the subject, how much more important is it to find a
knowledgeable and reliable Rabbi? |
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Yes, Judaism is for me....
Contact a reliable Orthodox Rabbi.
See if you can meet with him and if he does conversion.
If he says, "no" then ask him to recommend an Orthodox Rabbi who
does conversions. |
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Once you have scheduled an appoint to
discuss conversion it is good to have plenty of questions ready. |
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You must be honest
Be prepared to tell the Rabbi your
complete background.
Nathan and Temima Feldman came to
Denver’s Orthodox Jewish community, a youthful couple professing a
search for deeper, more meaningful Judaism; evincing a commitment to
the radical lifestyle changes that comes with the decision to live
according to Jewish law, or Halachah. Later it was found that these
two people had lied about being Jewish and were in fact Christian
missionaries. |
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A true convert can not be pushed
away... Be ready and
understand that any Orthodox Rabbi is going to "try" to push you
away. It isn't because he doesn't like non-Jews and don't take
it personally. There is a reason for this - and you will
understand in time. |
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This will be a step by step process...
Once you find a Rabbi who will do the
conversion, listen and learn from him.
We
will be more than happy to get the books he has recommended you
read.
Finally, reasonable people can differ
on opinion...
You may have friends that will tell
you different but remember the Rabbi is your teacher. You are
no longer dealing with opinion but what is in your best interest in
you becoming a Jew. |
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