Can non-Jewish people convert to the Jewish religion?

Question

I know this guy in the marketing department at work who if you got to see him you would just know that he's Jewish. I checked and his Christian name is European but his surname is Jewish. However, he is a completed Jew because I see him reading the entire Bible on his lunch break.

Can a European convert to Judaism or do you already have to be Jewish ethnically? For instance my ethnicity is English and Welsh and my race is Caucasian. Would I be able to join the Jewish religion? What if I married a Jewish woman? After reading the entire Bible it would be difficult to throw away half of God's word so this question is only hypothetical.

I wanted to know because most people think of Jewish as a race or bloodline so I was wondering if someone that isn't linked by his parentage could join since in Christianity we accept people outside of the EURO community.

Answer 1

Yes, you can but why would you want to give up your faith for half? Even King Solomon would have chosen Christ over no Christ! I know many people that are of the Jewish heritage and have a Jewish family name but practice the full faith in Christ.

They are really nice people and it is a shame that their families don't talk to them just because of their faith in God.

Answer 2

Anyone can convert to Judaism- but in Orthodox Judaism it is heavily discouraged. Why?Simple really, we don't believe that everyone has to be Jewish. After the flood there were seven laws binding on everyone (the Noachide Laws), and as long as a non-Jew observes those laws- they are considered righteous.

Jews, on the other hand, have 613 laws, and those have sucategories to their subcategories! So in essence, while following the 613 laws has the potential for greater spirituality- it is a far more difficult path than following only 7 laws. As such, Judaism does not seek to convert people as changing them from needing to obey only 7 laws to needing to follow 613 is seen as a possible contravention of the commandment "Do not place a stumbling block before the blind"- in plainer terms, don't tell someobody to do something when the chances are they won't!

For this reason, getting into a conversion programme (at least in Orthodox Judaism- I don't know about in conservative and reform) is not a simple matter. You have to convince the Rabbis running the course that you are sincere and will follow the halacha (Jewish law). Once in- it takes most people a minimum of 2 years- and some as long as five years to complete the syllabus for the conversion which gives a grounding in hebrew (so you can pray and understand it, read the Torah etc), the prayers, the festivals, the Sabath, Kashrut etc. After that- if you are a man you need to be circumcised, and both men and women are then immersed in a mikveh and a beis din (rabbinical court) of a minimum of three judges act as witnesses to the conversion.

About Messianic Judaism/"Completed" Jews/Jews for Jesus
All of these are deemed as nothing more than Christian sects using deceitful means to convert Jews. EVERY Jewish denomination denounces these sects as Christians and nothing more. However, by Jewish law, once a Jew, always Jew- whether born or converted. Thus once a person is Jewish they are always judged by Jewish standards, and if they revert/convert to a different religion they are still considered Jewish by Jewish law. BUT, someone practising a religion other than Judaism is considered outside of the community, may not be a member of the community, receive any community honours, be a representative for the community, be buried in a Jewish cemetary, marry a Jew or be treated as a Jew for the purposes of the laws of mourning. However, since they never stop being a Jew- they merely have to repent, return to Judaism and go to mikveh in order to once again be a full member of the community.

Answer 3

Ger Tzedek

A "Ger Tzedek" (true convert) is a gentile who became a Jew out of a sincere and deep conviction in the truth of the Jewish religion, without any other motivation whatever. Indeed, this is the only kind of conversion that the Torah recognizes.

For all such converts to Judaism it has always entailed supreme sacrifices; breaking off family ties, relationships with friends, giving up an easier life, perhaps also a promising future in the former society -- all in order to embrace a religion that has often been despised and persecuted by the world at large, and to join a people that has always been a small minority in a hostile world. In former days, throughout the Middle Ages, converting to Judaism meant risking one's very life. Yet despite all of this, there have been Gerei-Tzedek throughout the generations who freely chose to join the Jewish people, because they came to realize that it is truly "A Kingdom of G-d's Servants and a Holy Nation," and decided to become a member of this Nation and lead a life sanctified by the Divine Torah and Mitzvos.

Avorhom ben Avorohom, the Ger Tzedek of Wilno, who readily went to his martyred death, being burnt alive on the second day of Shovuos, in the year 5509 (1749).

Answer 4

I am a convert to Judaism.

Anyone can become a Jew by converting to Judaism. It is a misconception that you have to be born into it. Conversion is also more common than you might think. The oft-quoted statistic is that one out of 37 American Jews is a convert to Judaism. There are more converts to Judaism now than in any time in modern history. One explanation for this could be that because of today's open society, the people of the world are discovering Judaism now when before it would have been unavailable to them. My personal conjecture is that the large number of converts are being used to replenish the numbers of the Jewish people after a third of Jews living at the time were killed in the Holocaust.

One reason conversion to Judaism is not as common as conversion to some other religions (notably Christianity) is that we Jews have a tradition not to proselytize (try to convince other people to adopt our religion). Those who convert are acting on their own initiative.

To convert to Judaism, one needs to renounce any other religion, including Christianity. For me, this was easy, since although I identified as a `cultural Christian', I never bought into Christianity, anyway. I later learned that the things I did like about it were derived from Judaism.

Answer 5

Let me add a few things: 1) There is no such thing as a "completed Jew". This is a euphemism for a Christian. Period. 2) Judaism is a religion, it's not an ethnicity. 3) Judaism is a religionk it's not a race. 4) Marrying someone Jewish doesn't make *you* Jewish; you'd have to convert; 5) My entire Bible does not contain the "New Testament", so nothing gets thrown out.

Answer 6

Yes, a non-Jew can convert to Judaism. There are no ethnic/racial qualifications. Because Jews don't proselytize like many other religions do, however, converts to Judaism are pretty rare.

Answer 7

yes you can be jewish you have to ask a rabbi about your conversion.. many europeans were converted to judaism during the middle ages when the jewish arrived to this continent, they got married with them.. in the middle east

Answer 8

yea they could. You gotta like go to these water and cleanse yourself. then accept the laws and you only naturally jewish if yo mother is

Answer 9

You can be non-judaist and convert to judaism.

Answer 10

Yes you can the ancesteral tree of Jesus Christ as recorded in the bible has gentiles in it.
http://www.carm.org/doctrine/100truths.htm