Conversion to Judaism

Under Your Wings: A gathering to celebrate, support Israel's converts to Judaism

The evening offered a rare chance for converts to come together, share their stories, and celebrate the blessings of their journeys.

|ByBATSHEVA SHULMAN
Converts share their stories in a discussion circle at the Under Your Wings event.
ANGELA BUCHDAHL in 2013. She was ordained as a cantor in 1999 at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion before going on to become a rabbi.

'Yes! I am Jewish’: How a Jewish Korean princess was ordained as a rabbi - review

In her book Heart of a Stranger, Buchdahl tells the story of her life. She ends each chapter with a homily applying a sacred text to contemporary faith, values, and behavior.

|ByGLENN C. ALTSCHULER
HOMES ARE severely damaged after the Hamas October 7 massacre in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. ‘Since October 7, many of my friends and colleagues here in Israel have wrestled deeply with their Jewish identity,’ says Orah.

When did Israel become so stringent with Jewish converts? - opinion

One organizer told a rabbi in her conversion interview: "You can’t force me to stop being Jewish any more than I can be forced to convert to Christianity or Islam.”

|ByJONATHAN LIEBERMAN
READING FROM the Torah in synagogue: Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Ten Commandments. These commandments, like the Torah, offer stories, insights, values and actions as ways in to God

Shavuot's special significance: Recognizing those who converted to Judaism

This identification of Israel with the Almighty is so profound that Shavuot was transformed into the concept of a spiritual marriage between God and the Jewish people.

|ByNEVILLE TELLER

Let’s show more appreciation to Jews-by-choice

We as Jews need to do far more to welcome Jews-by-choice into our midst and show them a level of appreciation and esteem for the courageous path they have undertaken.

MAY 27, 2020ByMICHAEL FREUND
CELEBRATING ON Kibbutz Ga’ash in 2019. On this festival we honor the sacrifice of Ruth the Moabite in tying her fate with the Nation of Israel.

The state of conversion in Israel

The Conversion Authority is reluctant to perform conversions.

MAY 27, 2020BySHERYL ABBEY
A CANDIDATE for conversion, having successfully passed, tearfully recites the ‘Shema’ prayer.

The Giyur K’Halacha option

Giyur K’Halacha has become Israel’s leading alternative conversion court network.

MAY 27, 2020BySHERYL ABBEY
YAEL BELENKY, manager at Giyur K’Halacha

In Ruth’s footsteps: Israeli converts tell their stories

The Magazine and Giyur K’Halacha, Israel’s leading nongovernmental conversion court, present personal stories of Israelis who have recently converted to Judaism.

MAY 27, 2020BySHERYL ABBEY
FORMER JEWISH Agency chairmain Natan Sharansky speaks at an ITIM Annual Conversion Conference with Rabbi Nahum Rabinovitch (to his right) and Farber (to his far right).

Increased numbers of non-Jews attending synagogue services

This trend is particularly interesting considering “the long history of antisemitism in Germany and Poland" said Ohr Torah Stone President

JANUARY 31, 2020ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
LR: Rabbi Yehoshua Ellis (Warsaw); Rabbi Oriel Zaretsky (Warsaw); Rabbi Yehoshua Grunstein, director of Training and Placement at the OTS Straus-Amiel institute; Rabbi Avigdor Bergauz (Munich); Rabbi Eliahu Birnbaum, director of OTS Straus-Amiel institute; Rabbi Yehuda Pushkin (Stuttgart); and Rabbi

To be a rabbi: How one Abayudaya hopes to help his community

‘We want recognition so we can say we are part of the Jewish nation’

NOVEMBER 19, 2019ByILANIT CHERNICK
Asiimwe Rabbin Rivbin hopes to serve as a rabbi in the Abayudaya community in Uganda.

Conversion in Israel: The real story

Dispelling myths and highlighting the real issues of the conversion process in the State of Israel.

JULY 24, 2019ByRABBI DR. RAPHAEL SHUCHAT
ISRAEL’S CHIEF Rabbinate Council, 1959. At its helm sit Ashkenazi chief Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog (center, at left) and Sephardi chief Rabbi Yitzhak Nissim (at right).

Karlie Kloss: Converting to Judaism wasn’t just about Josh Kushner

The couple dated for seven years before marrying.

JULY 3, 2019ByMARCY OSTER/JTA
Joshua Kushner and Karlie Kloss at the Met Gala, May 6, 2019

Bennett: Break Chief Rabbinate monopoly to solve conversion ‘time bomb’

New Right leader says those who are overly stringent on performing Jewish conversion ‘are causing massive damage to Israel and Judaism, blames ‘haredi’ Chief Rabbinate for the problem.

JUNE 24, 2019ByJEREMY SHARON
Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett speaks during a reception hosted by the Orthodox Union in Jerusalem ahead of the opening of the new US embassy in Jerusalem, May 14, 2018

Supermodel Karlie Kloss confirms converting to Judaism to marry Kushner

Supermodel said in interview she has 'joined the tribe.'

MARCH 18, 2019ByAMY SPIRO
Model Karlie Kloss poses after the Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2019 collection show for fashion house Dior in Paris, France, January 21, 2019