Wednesday 8 October 2014

10 questions about Jewish conversion you want to know but are afraid to ask | Jewish Telegraphic Agency

http://www.jta.org/2014/10/06/life-religion/10-questions-about-jewish-conversion-you-want-to-know-but-are-afraid-to-ask-1

«If someone converts to Judaism but then ceases to live a Jewish lifestyle, can the conversion be revoked?

Orthodox: "We recognize that we can't predict the future," says Rabbi Yona Reiss, who oversees Orthodox conversions for the Rabbinical Council of America and is head of the Chicago Rabbinical Council. "If there was a proper commitment at the time of the conversion process, of course the conversion is valid."

Conservative: "The predominant halachic position for centuries with which the Rabbinical Assembly concurs is that conversions cannot be retroactively negated," says Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, executive vice president of the Rabbinical Assembly.

Reform: "If a Jew leaves Judaism by adopting another religion, that individual is regarded as outside the boundaries of the Jewish community," says Rabbi Stephen Einstein, co-chair of the Commission on Outreach, Membership, and Sacred Community of the Union for Reform Judaism and Central Conference of American Rabbis. "Of course, s/he could choose at a later time to return."»

Kol Tuv,
RRW

1 comment:

micha berger said...

This is of a piece with Reform's position on patrilineal descent, where they say that a child with one Jewish parent -- mother or father -- who was raised Jewish does not require conversion.

They are defining Jewishness as accepting a belief system, not joining a people. Therefore, someone can convert out and need conversion back, a child is judged by which parent's religion they were taught, etc...