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In Judaism, a ger (Hebrew: "stranger" or "convert") or ger tzedek ("righteous convert" or "convert of righteousness") is a gentile who has undergone religious conversion (giur) to Judaism by fulfilling the ritual requirements for such conversion accepting the obligations of Jewish religious observance.
History
In Biblical Hebrew, the word ger can denote either a convert (and is usually interpreted as such by the Talmud) or a non-Jewish inhabitant of the Land of Israel who observes the seven Noahide Laws and has repudiated all links with idolatry. The word ger tzedek was used to denote a full convert. In post-Talmudic times, the word ger has become synonymous with ger tzedek; Ger is commonly translated by the Greek word "proselyte", and has come to mean a convert to Judaism.
Motivations for conversion A mystical interpretation of conversions to Judaism is that there a convert is someone with a Jewish neshamah (soul) who is simply trying to find his/her way home.
In general terms, anyone who commits to living a religiously observant life is an acceptable candidate for conversion. For a variety of reasons, rabbis have traditionally discouraged people from converting to Judaism, and most will insist that the candidate for conversion demonstrate his/her commitment in word and deed before the conversion is undertaken.
A number of reasons for converting exist: some have theological convictions consistent with Judaism; others are attracted to elements of Jewish religious life; some wish to belong to a particular Jewish community. A significant portion wish to convert because they want to marry someone who is Jewish. While the latter category is often met with skepticism, the Jewish community is aware that the reason may be a valid one.
Traditional requirements The requirements under halakha for conversion to Judaism are that a beth din witnesses and approves: - Circumcision (Brit milah) for men
- Immersion (t'vila) in a mikveh (ritual bath)
- Understanding and acceptance of the obligations of being a religiously observant Jew.
After confirming that all these criteria have been met, the Beth Din issues a Shtar Giur ("Certficate of Conversion"), certifying that the former gentile is now a Jew.
Variations and controversy The requirements for conversion to Judaism are intended to avoid any uncertainty about a convert's true status. The certification by a beth din was based on events the completeness of which were carefully defined.
The Reform movement has relaxed some of the requirements for conversion, notably by making brit milah optional, only encouraging t'vilah (immersion), and requiring that converts commit to religious standards set by the Reform movement.
Both the Conservative and Orthodox movements require that all halakhic requirements be met, but they differ on what constitutes a competent beth din. Orthodox rabbis generally do not accept the authority of Conservative (or Reform) rabbis and will therefore not accept conversions under Conservative auspices.
Since the Orthodox movement is not organized in a unified way, Orthodox rabbis will not automatically accept each other's authority. This has led to a general reluctance in the Orthodox communities to prepare and perform conversions.
Consequences of conversion Once undergone, a religious conversion to Judaism is irreversible, unless there are grounds to believe that the convert was insincere during the conversion process. In such cases - which are rare - a Beth Din may annul the conversion.
Place in religious life Halakha forbids reminding a convert that he/she was once not a Jew and hence little distinction is made in Judaism between "Jews by birth" and "Jews by choice." According to halakha, converts face a limited number of restrictions, e.g. they cannot marry Kohanim. Converts can become rabbis (and some have).
See also
External links - Conversion to Judaism homepage (http://www.convert.org/) - information on conversion within all branches of Judaism in North America
- Conversion to Judaism (http://www.itim.org.il/bin/en.jsp?enDispWho=CeremonySuperTopic%5El6&enPage=BlankPage_E&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enZone=CeremonySuperTopic&enInfolet=viewObject_E.jsp) on the Itim site (practical information on Orthodox conversion through the Israeli Chief Rabbinate and conversion in the diaspora).
- Intermarriage and Conversion Reading List Introduction (http://shamash.org/lists/scj-faq/HTML/rl/int-intro.html)
- Frequently asked questions:
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