Answers to
Frequently Asked Questions
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I might
be interested in converting to Judaism. What is the process?
My
sponsoring rabbi says that I’m ready to convert. I’m excited and a bit nervous.
What happens now?
What do
we talk about during the bet din
session?
After the
bet din, what happens next?
Can the bet din and the mikveh immersion
be done during the same appointment?
I’ve
never been in a mikveh. How will I know what to do?
Who will
help me on the day of my conversion?
I’m a
male. What does milah involve?
I was
circumcised as a baby. What do I do?
I am not
circumcised. What can I do?
Does the
mohel give me a certificate?
I have
children. Can they be converted?
Do I
receive a conversion certificate?
Will
American rabbis accept my conversion as valid?
Will my
conversion be recognized as valid in Israel?
Will my
children be Jewish if I am converted before they are born?
What do people
say about their experience with the Sandra Caplan Community Bet Din?
I might be interested in converting to Judaism.
What is the process?
The process
of becoming a member of the Jewish people is well established. The Sandra Caplan
Community Bet Din (SCCBD) asks that you follow these steps as you journey
to full membership within the Jewish people:
Study. Attend an
Introduction to Judaism course and/or learn privately with your (sponsoring)
rabbi.
Connect with a rabbi who is willing
to serve as your sponsoring rabbi. Most congregational rabbis are very happy to
help you on this path. If you don’t yet have a rabbi, we will help you find
one.
Choose a Hebrew name for
yourself, in consultation with your sponsoring rabbi.
Meet with the Bet Din and discuss
your wish to become Jewish.
Immerse yourself in
a kosher mikveh.
For males
only:
fulfill the mitzvah of milah (ritual
circumcision).
My sponsoring
rabbi says that I’m ready to convert. I’m excited and a bit nervous. What happens now?
Mazal tov!
Congratulations! If you and your rabbi decide that the Sandra Caplan Community
Bet Din is best for you, we will be glad to help you.
A
bet din for conversion is a kind of court, made up of three committed
Jewish leaders. In the case of the Community Bet Din, this means three rabbis,
one of whom will be your sponsoring rabbi. The Community Bet Din will authorize
your conversion to Judaism.
Download
the application form here and mail it to the Community Bet Din office as soon as
possible. Call us to discuss your unique journey and to schedule your
conversion.
What do we talk about during
the bet din session?
Meeting
with the Community Bet Din is an opportunity for you to discuss your decision
to become a Jew with three welcoming rabbis. They want to be sure that you are
converting freely and that you understand what it means to live as a Jew.
Technically
speaking, yes, but it rarely happens. Your sponsoring rabbi will meet with the
other rabbis briefly before they meet with you, to tell them about your journey
toward Judaism. The other rabbis rely heavily upon your rabbi’s recommendation.
After the bet din, what happens next?
The
next step is to immerse in a ritual pool of “living” water, called a mikveh.
Can the bet din and the mikveh immersion be done during the same
appointment?
Yes!
The Community Bet Din usually works in coordination with the mikveh located
at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles. You may meet with the Bet Din
and then immediately go to the mikveh. The two parts, bet din and
mikveh, generally take two hours. Alternatively, you may meet with the
Bet Din in a different place and go to the mikveh on the same or another
day.
I’ve never been in a mikveh.
How will I know what to do?
The
administrator of our Bet Din will send you information and answer any questions
you may have. Just email or call our office.
Who will help me on the day
of my conversion?
The
mikveh administrator will give you a
brief orientation and teach you what to do. She will help you with the prayers
and enable you to immerse in the mikveh in a very modest, comfortable,
and holy way. Most people experience their immersion as a deeply moving
spiritual event.
The
services of the Sandra Caplan Community Bet Din are free, although donations to
our assistance fund are happily accepted. The owner of the mikveh charges a fee to use it. For an adult, the cost is $360. For
a child, it is $250.
I’m a male. What does milah
involve?
Men
and boys are able to join the covenant of the Jews with God in a special way
through ritual circumcision. Jewish male babies are circumcised eight days
after birth, health permitting. In this way, Jewish people follow the ancient
holy commandment given to our father Abraham when he became the first Jew.
I was circumcised as a baby.
What do I do?
There
is a ceremony for you. It is called hatafat dam brit. You meet with a
trained specialist called a mohel, who is generally a medical doctor. He
uses a tiny thin needle to take a minute drop of blood. Some men barely feel
anything. Most experience a mild sting, like when a single hair is pulled from
your head. It is not at all the same as a blood test. The mohel will
explain. He will be deft and gentle.
I am not circumcised. What
can I do?
You
will have to be circumcised. This is done by a mohel, with you under
anesthetic in a medical office or hospital. Specific blessings are said. There
may be some discomfort for a little while, but medications help. Most men and
boys are surprised to find that they completely recover very quickly.
Does the mohel give
me a certificate?
Yes.
You must fax or send a copy of it to the Community Bet Din office before your
appointment. Please bring the original with you when you meet with the Bet Din.
I have children. Can they be
converted?
Yes,
children under the age of 13 may become Jewish according to the traditions of
our people by entering the mikveh in the presence of a bet din.
Children do not have a formal meeting with the Bet Din, but their parent(s)
will meet with the Bet Din before the child(ren)’s immersion. Male children
must fulfill the requirement of ritual circumcision. The mikveh ceremony
emphasizes modesty and sensitivity, and it is tailored for each individual
child. Children and babies respond well to the spirituality of the mikveh.
They also enjoy the clear, warm waters of the little pool.
Do I receive a conversion
certificate?
Yes.
Beautiful documents attesting to your conversion are crafted especially for you
in English and Hebrew. They provide details of your given name, the Hebrew name
you choose and the date of conversion. The documents specifically mention each
part of your conversion; that is: study, meeting with the Bet Din, and
immersion in the mikveh, with the added circumcision requirement for
males. The rabbis of the Bet Din sign all these documents.
Will American rabbis accept
my conversion as valid?
Conservative,
Reconstructionist, Reform, and transdenominational rabbis will accept you. At
this time, few Orthodox rabbis will accept any conversion, other than the
conversions that they or their Orthodox rabbinic colleagues authorize.
Will my conversion be recognized
as valid in Israel?
The
Israeli government will recognize your conversion so that you will be accepted
as a citizen if you wish to make aliyah. In addition, the rapidly
growing number of Conservative and Reform congregations will be delighted to welcome
you into their midst. However, the official religious and rabbinic authority in
Israel may not accept you as a Jew.
Will my children be Jewish
if I am converted before they are born?
Yes.
What do people say about
their experience with the Sandra Caplan Community Bet Din?
• “I
was glad to have rabbis from three movements on the Bet Din at my conversion. I
feel that I have embraced and been welcomed into the entire Jewish community.”
• “Everyone
was so kind. I was surprised at my emotions.”
• “I
feel like a whole new person.”
• “I
have always lived a Jewish life and I didn’t think the process was for me. Now
I am so grateful to have done this. It was good.”
• “The
entire experience was amazing, beyond words, like nothing I have ever felt
before. I’m happy my rabbi could be with me.”
• “At
long last, I am home where I belong among my people.”
