Converting to Judaism

[Anonymous]

They don't want you. Don't do it.

[Anonymous]

Why don’t Jewish people want converts?

My daughter converted when she married a Jewish man and everything seems fine? Am I missing something?

[Anonymous]

This is an obvious point but Judaism is not a religion (like Islam or Christianity) that encourages conversion. It's very difficult to convert and even then you won't be fully accepted because you will lack the ethnic/heritage piece. If you are male you will need to be circumcised if you are not already. If you are already circumcised, you will need a ritual that involves drawing blood from your penis. I'm not kidding on the last point. It's not like saying the shahada (in Islam) or getting baptized (in Christianity) and you're in

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t Jewish people want converts?

My daughter converted when she married a Jewish man and everything seems fine? Am I missing something?

Have you ever heard of a Jewish missionary? Did Judaism spread throughout the world to convert people the way Islam did? They obviously don't want converts. They accepted your daughter's conversion because they want the kids to be raised Jewish and don't want to lose them. There's a lot of intermarriage and mainstream Jews accept that it's better to convert a spouse if it means retaining the kids. But they would prefer Jews marry other Jews and the state of Israel doesn't even recognize your daughter or her kids as Jewish. Believe me, your daughter won't ever be fully accepted as Jewish my many Jews.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t Jewish people want converts?

My daughter converted when she married a Jewish man and everything seems fine? Am I missing something?

Have you ever heard of a Jewish missionary? Did Judaism spread throughout the world to convert people the way Islam did? They obviously don't want converts. They accepted your daughter's conversion because they want the kids to be raised Jewish and don't want to lose them. There's a lot of intermarriage and mainstream Jews accept that it's better to convert a spouse if it means retaining the kids. But they would prefer Jews marry other Jews and the state of Israel doesn't even recognize your daughter or her kids as Jewish. Believe me, your daughter won't ever be fully accepted as Jewish my many Jews.

The state of Israel barely recognizes most American Jews who were born to generations of Jews as Jewish these days, but that's more a comment on the Israeli Orthodox movement than it is on Jews in general.

[Anonymous]

There is a difference between not proselytizing and not welcoming people who do convert.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t Jewish people want converts?

My daughter converted when she married a Jewish man and everything seems fine? Am I missing something?

Because, Judaism is an ethnoreligious group.
This means that their shared identity is based on shared history , cultural traditions and religion.
Basically Judaism can be simultaneously a religion, a nationality and a culture.
Your daughter is adopted to the community by marriage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is an obvious point but Judaism is not a religion (like Islam or Christianity) that encourages conversion. It's very difficult to convert and even then you won't be fully accepted because you will lack the ethnic/heritage piece. If you are male you will need to be circumcised if you are not already. If you are already circumcised, you will need a ritual that involves drawing blood from your penis. I'm not kidding on the last point. It's not like saying the shahada (in Islam) or getting baptized (in Christianity) and you're in

Jew here and wrong.

Converting to reform no one is drawing blood.

You have no idea what you are talking about.

And yes it is similar to baptisms except unlike Mormons it is not done in secret.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t Jewish people want converts?

My daughter converted when she married a Jewish man and everything seems fine? Am I missing something?

Have you ever heard of a Jewish missionary? Did Judaism spread throughout the world to convert people the way Islam did? They obviously don't want converts. They accepted your daughter's conversion because they want the kids to be raised Jewish and don't want to lose them. There's a lot of intermarriage and mainstream Jews accept that it's better to convert a spouse if it means retaining the kids. But they would prefer Jews marry other Jews and the state of Israel doesn't even recognize your daughter or her kids as Jewish. Believe me, your daughter won't ever be fully accepted as Jewish my many Jews.

The state of Israel barely recognizes most American Jews who were born to generations of Jews as Jewish these days, but that's more a comment on the Israeli Orthodox movement than it is on Jews in general.

This 100%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t Jewish people want converts?

My daughter converted when she married a Jewish man and everything seems fine? Am I missing something?

Have you ever heard of a Jewish missionary? Did Judaism spread throughout the world to convert people the way Islam did? They obviously don't want converts. They accepted your daughter's conversion because they want the kids to be raised Jewish and don't want to lose them. There's a lot of intermarriage and mainstream Jews accept that it's better to convert a spouse if it means retaining the kids. But they would prefer Jews marry other Jews and the state of Israel doesn't even recognize your daughter or her kids as Jewish. Believe me, your daughter won't ever be fully accepted as Jewish my many Jews.

Jew here.

Chabad is basically Missionaries. The bat and bar mitzvah anyone who just shows up.

The Jews that do this are in cults ie Hasids and Chabad. My family belongs to these cults. And right now as far as I am concerned they are not Jews. They support NAZISM at this point in time politically. Well no JEW should ever do that. NEVER FORGET. Yet they have.

Reform Jews accept non-Jews on their bimahs in some places. In NC a non jew ran our hebrew school for years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is an obvious point but Judaism is not a religion (like Islam or Christianity) that encourages conversion. It's very difficult to convert and even then you won't be fully accepted because you will lack the ethnic/heritage piece. If you are male you will need to be circumcised if you are not already. If you are already circumcised, you will need a ritual that involves drawing blood from your penis. I'm not kidding on the last point. It's not like saying the shahada (in Islam) or getting baptized (in Christianity) and you're in

Jew here and wrong.

Converting to reform no one is drawing blood.

You have no idea what you are talking about.

And yes it is similar to baptisms except unlike Mormons it is not done in secret.

Hakafat dam (drawing of blood from the penis) is absolutely the rule for circumcised males converting to Conservative Judaism. Go ask a Conservative rabbi.

[Anonymous]

Mormon baptisms (for the living) are not done in secret. Go to any chapel on any weekend and see for yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t Jewish people want converts?

My daughter converted when she married a Jewish man and everything seems fine? Am I missing something?

Have you ever heard of a Jewish missionary? Did Judaism spread throughout the world to convert people the way Islam did? They obviously don't want converts. They accepted your daughter's conversion because they want the kids to be raised Jewish and don't want to lose them. There's a lot of intermarriage and mainstream Jews accept that it's better to convert a spouse if it means retaining the kids. But they would prefer Jews marry other Jews and the state of Israel doesn't even recognize your daughter or her kids as Jewish. Believe me, your daughter won't ever be fully accepted as Jewish my many Jews.

Jew here.

Chabad is basically Missionaries. The bat and bar mitzvah anyone who just shows up.

The Jews that do this are in cults ie Hasids and Chabad. My family belongs to these cults. And right now as far as I am concerned they are not Jews. They support NAZISM at this point in time politically. Well no JEW should ever do that. NEVER FORGET. Yet they have.

Reform Jews accept non-Jews on their bimahs in some places. In NC a non jew ran our hebrew school for years.

Chabad are missionaries to other Jews. They want to make Jews more Jewish. THey're not trying to convert goys.

[Anonymous]

So why do Jewish people not want converts? Do they think non-Jewish people who want to be Jewish won’t fit it ever, completely?

Do Jewish people not welcome converts? My daughter’s Jewish FIL is polite and kind, but her MIL can be prickly. They attend worship services together (not absolutely sure what “kind”) and daughter loves her husband and their faith. Will their children be accepted by Jewish people in America as full Jewish or less than perfect Jewish people?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So why do Jewish people not want converts? Do they think non-Jewish people who want to be Jewish won’t fit it ever, completely?

Do Jewish people not welcome converts? My daughter’s Jewish FIL is polite and kind, but her MIL can be prickly. They attend worship services together (not absolutely sure what “kind”) and daughter loves her husband and their faith. Will their children be accepted by Jewish people in America as full Jewish or less than perfect Jewish people?

Don't listen to that poster who is a self-appointed authority on Jewish people (or "they", as the poster refers to Jews). Jewish people are not monolithic. There are different Jewish denominations that vary in terms of how observant/traditional/progressive etc. they are. While Jewish people do not proselytize and convert outsiders, there are many synagogues here that wholeheartedly welcome families of intermarriage (very common). I'm sure it's the same for others with a sincere interest in Judaism. I wouldn't generalize about Jewish people any more than I would say that all Christians are the same.