Wanted: Converts to Judaism

Today, the great majority of Americans believe that people not of their faith can go to heaven and engage in authentic worship of God—an unprecedented degree of tolerance that is likely both a cause and effect of the high rate of movement among faiths. In other words, people are not converting for the sake of achieving salvation. Given that a third of Americans are married to someone of another faith, few people seem compelled to convert purely for the sake of matrimony either.

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Converts, like other members of American religious communities, are in search of salvation in the here and now: They desire meaning profound enough to live for, ethics and values to live by, causes and communities larger than themselves, and truths to hold on to in a fast-changing and frenetic world. Converts testify to the special joy that comes of fulfilling responsibilities undertaken voluntarily and of the added strength brought to their families by shared conviction born of love.

At a time when religion—like nearly everything else in our culture—is a choice more than an obligation we are born into, stepping into age-old rituals and walking well-trodden paths are gifts appreciated as never before. Converts to Judaism have committed to a process of learning and living that culminates in a religious ceremony where immersion into an ancient ritual bath creates a new religious identity. These have been essential elements for conversion for more than 2,000 years.

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