Welcome to Gaia! ::

Here's something I found: http://groups.msn.com/Jewishorg/conversion1.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=3277&LastModified=4675350673631591037
I didn't write it, but I think it eloquently speaks to why some folks feel that it's difficult to approach the Jewish community, and why it may often seem (especially at first) that they're not really wanted. The thing is, you ARE wanted... once people are sure that Judaism is really right for you. We want you, because if there is really a Jewish soul with your name on it, you are already a member of our family, a lost child whom we want to find and bring home.


Once a person completes the conversion process and becomes a gehr (a Jew by conversion), it is a mitzvah for people to help him/her wherever possible. Several of the 613 commandments in the Torah deal with how to treat a gehr, (a full convert to Judaism). A person who is in the process of converting to Judaism is not a gehr yet, and should not be confused with a person who has already converted for the purposes of keeping all of the mitzvot.

However, it is not a mitzvah for anyone to help a person convert to Judaism. There is not one mitzvah in the Torah that mandates this. Since it is not required, Rabbis are not obligated to work with anyone unless they wish to do so. Likewise, members of Jewish congregations usually will not involve themselves with a prospective convert too much unless the Rabbi who is working with the prospective convert asks them to help in some way.

It is a serious matter for someone to help another person too much in order to convert to Judaism. A non-Jew has only the 7 mitzvot of Bnei Noach to perform. A Jew has 613. If the person remains a non-Jew, the person is not liable for the full 613. The person will have an easier time trying to earn eternal life with only 7 basic obligations. If the person becomes a Jew because people make it too easy for him/her, the person is often not prepared for and cannot keep the 613 commandments that he/she agreed to at the time of conversion. Such a convert will be judged according to all the commandments he did not keep, but which he should have kept. Such a convert may well do much worse in the World to Come than if he/she had not converted in the first place.

In two places, the Torah forbids us from putting a stumbling block before the blind. A prospective convert is "blind" to the full extent of the obligations that all Jews have. These obligations are time consuming and, at times, difficult to accomplish. By making conversion too easy, we do not allow the prospective convert to test his own resolve to become a Jew. We do not allow prospective converts to develop to the point at which the mitzvot can be kept without undue heartache. In short, we do not allow him to develop the tools that will enable him to be a successfully observant Jew. Every prospective convert deserves the strength that the external and internal testing process develops.

Anyone interested in converting to Judaism should expect to be discouraged at least 3 times during the process. This helps the prospective convert discover the strength of his/her own inclination to join the Jewish people.

Keeping the Torah is a full-time and eternal job for each and every Jew. It is not a set of commitments that we can take or leave when it is convenient to do so, or when it suits us in other ways. Conversion to Judaism is an eternal promise to G-d Himself -- an oath taken before witnesses. This oath cannot be revoked once taken. It therefore cannot be embraced lightly.

Yet, with all of that, keeping the Torah is, by no means, impossible. It takes love of G-d, caring, belief, learning, basic effort, and a feeling of oneness with the Jewish people. The Jewish people need to know that a prospective convert knows the score. And, the prospective convert also needs a set of stiff challenges to help him/her determine if a life of Torah is not only what is wanted, but also what is attainable and livable.

I know that our ways on this issue are foreign to many of you born into religions that practice overt missionary activity. Contrary to the claims by our detractors, our intent is not to keep out people because they were born non-Jews. Out intent is, rather, to protect non-Jews from making spiritual mistakes of eternal consequences when Judaism is not the right religion for them. For them, becoming a Noachide is the right path. Our intent is also to help those for whom Judaism is the right path develop solidly to ensure a happy life of Torah and mtizvot.

I am a convert myself. smile

As a former Chassid, I would also highly recommend that if any of you pursuing Orthodox conversions are interested in Chassidism, Chabad-Lubavitch or Breslev are the way to go. The other dynasties tend to be notoriously hostile towards potential converts due to fairly insular outlooks on the Jewish community.

Chabad won't host the Beit Din to confirm you, if that's what you mean. They will assist in all capacities in terms of preparing you, however. And then bring you before an (Orthodoxically) reputable Beit Din. Breslev would do it all themselves, yes.

Let's hope after conversion I'm the best razz