Conversion

conversion

Temple Sinai is committed to welcoming all who seek to be part of our community – those who began their Jewish journeys at birth, those who find their Jewish souls later in life, and even those who are "Jewish-adjacent", meaning people of other faiths, or no faith, who journey with us because they live with and love Jewish people and embrace our community. We seek to help all members of our congregation build Jewish homes and to celebrate the beauty of Jewish life.

If you love Judaism and you are thinking about becoming a Jew - we welcome you and we are here to help you on your journey.

We know it can be really hard to convert to Judaism; and we are not a proselytizing religion. In fact, we welcome all individuals exactly as they are.

If you are interested in learning more, and/or finding out if Judaism is right for you - we welcome your interest. We do think Judaism has something special to offer the world. If you want to learn more about Judaism or you’re considering becoming Jewish, we are here to share the journey with you - wherever it might lead.

Overview of the conversion process 

1. The person declares his or her intention to become a Jew and to live in a Jewish way. At this stage, in order to convert, the person must prepare by studying Judaism and participating in the Jewish community.  This usually requires working closely with ordained clergy. Here at Temple Sinai, this step requires taking an introductory class and then working with Chazzan Cliff Abramson one-on-one. 

2. When Chazzan Abramson​​​​​​​ believes the potential convert is ready, we work on constructing a narrative to be presented to the Beit Din, a rabbinical court of three observant Jews. This narrative should tell of your Journey to Judaism and offer your understanding of what principles of Judaism guide your life and how.

3. The Bet Din is held. A rabbinical court examines the person by asking questions to ascertain their commitment to living as a Jew--according to Jewish ritual and also in the Jewish community, as part of the Jewish people. 

4. If the person is male, he undergoes a circumcision. Historically, it was not common for men who were not Jews or Muslims to be circumcised. Now that the majority of adult men in the US are circumcised in infancy, some converting rabbis do another ritual on men to give a previous medical circumcision Jewish religious significance. This ritual, called hatafat dam brit or shedding of covenantal blood, involves shedding a single drop of blood from the site of the circumcision cut.

5. The person performs a ritual immersion, a tevilah, in a ritual bath called a mikveh to mark becoming a Jew.

6. Here at Temple Sinai we also celebrate by concluding the day of conversion with a short ceremony in front of the ark.