This law would make US Jews lose all faith and loyalty toward Israel. Better think real hard how you vote on this. If passed I fear the concequences.

READ THE TORAH and THEN you'll find out that a convert IS A JEW. It's actually quite funny, the non Torah-abiding Jews always seem to know the best.. NOT! Many of them, don't see sincere converts as Jews.

Sincere converts come to convert BECAUSE they already have either a spark of a Jewish soul, or a Jewish soul that is "encased" in klipah and needs to be cleansed and brought home. This is according to the ORTHODOX Rabbis such as the Arizal, the Ranban, the Ramchal, etc. In fact they say that it is impossible to make a non-Jew into a Jew - the convert is ALREADY a Jew in his soul, but needing repairs before he can come home. Are you going to say they are liars? A convert's soul is NOT non-Jewish, it is Jewish. He does not react to daily life problems and discussions as a non-jew because he has never BEEN a non-Jew, furthermore, an Orthodox convert has spent a long time in an Orthodox community to teach him how to once again react and think like a Jew. Your arrogance and hatred towards converts has broken ORTHODOX Torah law in about 40 places. In fact, such arrogance and hatred of the convert can only come from such a one who doesn't have a Jewish soul, themselves. Look in the mirror, Charles, and see what your hatred is showing you.

I find your comment insulting, plain wrong and totally contrary to the Torah. I actually converted myself so I do have rather a good idea of what I'm talking about. Although descended from a Jewish family several generations back on my father's side that did not make me halachically Jewish, nor was I entitled to make aliyah. However, before I even began the official process I found that I could only live in Israel; my soul was too connected here and outside the Land the very air felt harsh, heavy and oppressive. Every moment, once my Jewish spark inside awoke, I was longing to be in Israel and was avidly learning all I could about Judaism. You have no idea of the immensity of the spiritual journey I undertook, the incredible help of Hashem who literally and directly showed me in many incredible ways that He saw me as someone who was supposed to be Jewish, culminating in an unbelievable experience at the Kotel. Yes I most certainly did receive a new soul at the mikvah, after literally reaching the end of my emotional resources in fighting my way there and experiencing acute agony every moment of every day for months on end that you cannot begin to imagine. As for Jewish thinking and acceptance, I am now happily married to a born Jewish orthodox rabbi, have some wonderful born Jewish stepchildren and am fully integrated into my Jewish life. A genuine convert essentially IS Jewish already, but for reasons known only to Hashem has to go through great suffering before finally coming home as the Jew they are supposed to be. I am still recovering to some extent from the huge trauma I was forced to endure before I could come home, even several years on. Was it worth it? Yes, as a fully observant orthodox Jew I am home, more whole than I was ever before in my life, and most importantly my soul is finally at peace. Read the Torah: again and again we are commanded to love the convert. By insulting me and all other converts by what you said you are actually breaking some deeply important commandments of the Torah.

Torah laws are for religious people . I can love you as an Human being , regardless of your faith , being a convert or not . I have not to love you because you are a convert , but because you are a Human being . There are wonderfull people anywhere in the world , be they Jewish or from any other faith . I'm only looking at the way how a person behaves .

If you feel insulted by my comment , i'm sincerely sorry . Wrong ? i can't agree with you . Contrary to the Torah , possible , but i'm a NON believer , so Torah laws , not for me . I can and have to love you as an Human being , not because you are a convert . I can love you in the same way i love and appreciate other Humans , Jews and Gentiles alike . You , contrary to the two other reactions , gave me a GOOD impression of you , But you live in Jerusalem , they begalut . I made Alyah to be at HOME , my Historiccal home בבית.. But to have this feeling you need a Jewish Soul . Again , i'm sorry if you feel insulted by my comments .

I do appreciate your apology, Charles, but the whole point I am making is that I do have a Jewish soul. I am just as Jewish as anyone who was born halachically as a Jew. In fact all Jewish converts have usually gone through a great of suffering simply to become the Jews they find they were always supposed to be. To discriminate against a converted Jew (except for where the Torah says I would not have been allowed to marry a kohen) is completely contrary to the Torah. Because a convert has usually suffered much and has left much behind and does not normally have a Jewish family to give support, he or she is much more vulnerable to how he or she is treated by other Jews. Hence a convert is put into a similar category as a widow or orphan in the Torah whom we are especially commanded not to oppress or to hurt their feelings. We are also commanded again and again to love the convert, because as Jews we were all strangers in Egypt. All Jews are ultimately descended from converts, because converts are what the Jewish people originally was thanks to the revelation at Sinai. Ruth herself, an ancestor of King David and eventually of the Mashiach, was a convert. The third clause of the Bill referred to in this article would oppress and hurt the feelings of converts and hence completely transgress the Torah by preventing converts from making aliyah, which given what a convert has usually gone through would be appalling unjust. It would be like knocking an injured person when they are down. If you are Jewish too, then the bottom line is that whether you personally accept the Torah or not, you are actually still liable to keep what it says. That's not dependent on what I or anyone else believes; that comes from Hashem, and whether you think that is fair or not, ultimately it is with Him you will have to argue.

I know and understand the suffereings a convert has endured to become a follower of the Jewish faith . Certainly very difficult to be accepted by your biological family . Regarding your "soul" , maybe a religious one , not more . You haven't endured what we have during generations , you and your parents were NOT persecuted , you can't have the same "soul" as generations long Jews have . I'm 100 % Jewish , documented for around a 20 generations on my father's side , and certainly 5 or 6 on my mother's side . I am NOT liable to the Torah laws , i can't believe in a "god" , for me INEXISTING . Sorry if this hurts you , but i'm only repeating what i said already more than once on this site . Regarding the third clause , would it oppress the feelings of Halachically converts ? or only those who converted "tchic tchac" by not Orthodox Rabbnanim ? I knew such a "convert" , who did it to get married to a very assimilated Jewish man . Even if i appreciated this woman very well , even if we were good friends , my family and she and her husband , i NEVER saw her as being a Jewish Woman . Their children got outmarried , nothing Jewish anymore . As i'm a non believer , please don't bring in religious arguments , no value for me . Sorry .

Reform " converts" also immerse themselves in a Mikvah and men are submited to Brit, and that does not make them Jews before orthodox Jewish vision.Nu? By the same token,an orthodox conversion can be annuled(in my opinion as of now)when there was cheatery in the intentions. Covinct Christians willing to preach their point from inside,from our very core,are not Jews.They are people trying to cause desunion among Jews. That´s how I understand things,up to when I will be convinced of the contrary. Read attentivelly talkbacks written by these who call themselves Jews and try to draw Jewishness in them and then show me please.

As long as I know there are 2 types of converts: 1)A " lost" Jewish soul returning to his/her people. 2)A non Jew who wishes with all his/her soul to become part of the Jewish Nation. They are different,but both are supposed to follow Jewish Laws much more strictly than one already born Jew.(and not go against them or confront them)

Redears bashing your eventual non political correctness have scared you? Now,you only post convert flatters? No more criticism? Or have you had your ears pulled by some authority demanding you to keep quiet?Is that it?

Actually I can trace my Jewish family tree back several generations. I am a direct descendant of anousim from Spain and Portugal who endured much for their faith, and so I am a physical descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob too, as well as a spiritual one, and my return to the Jewish people I guess may be a tikun for my ancestor who married out. But what is important is my Jewish soul. That came from Hashem. Everything I do as a Jew connects me to Hashem. Just because I converted does not make me any less Jewish than anyone born halachically Jewish, nor do I have any less right to express my opinions. Nor is there any requirement of a convert to be stricter than any other Jew in observance. Guess I take my Judaism seriously and I love Hashem, which is why ultimately I found I needed to convert. Everything I do as a Jew connects me to Him. Certainly if you met me in person you would have no idea that I actually converted, as have many other Jews you may meet. Thanks to my family bloodline, some of my relations actually look more authentically "Jewish" than many Jews that I've met!

the borders of Isreal are our Spiritual Borders.

How do you know that you are a descendant from Anoussim ? In my family there was a "holy book" that was given from fathers to sons . Everyone who received this book , wrote his name and place of living in it . Sadly disappeared during the Shoa when my uncle , the oldest of my grandfather's sons , was taken to a death camp . Only one of his daughters could escape to Switzerland and she told me our History . How can you trace your family ? [ i believe you , but am curious ] There are differences between us , you are a believer in the Jewish faith , the same as all the others , i'm Jewish , a secular one . You live a religious life , everything that you do , connects you to your belief . Much of what i do , my hobby , connects me to my Jewish people . As an Human being , you have the right to express your opinions , certainly in the way you do it . Regarding your observance , act as you think and have learned . How does a Jew looks like ? As an Ethiopian ? a North African ? A Yemenite ? what is authentically "Jewish" ?

A mittelmensch is said in Yddish , in youyr tongue : geen kleine stommerik , geen grote slimmerik . Well , by Torah a convert is Jewish . It's not you who can teach it to me , i know it . But i'm not a "blind" Torah follower , i'm a HUMAN who thinks by himself , who has met converts and has drawn my conclusions : there are some generations needed to become a Jew .

...,all I can say to your ego is :congratulations. Apart of your proud ego,I must tell you to ask to your husband ,that you say is a Rabbi,to confirm my words in what you are wrong : "Nor is there any requirement of a convert to be stricter than any other Jew in observance. " Converts *do* are required to be stricter than a born Jew. But ,I will not keep discussing with you as long as you don´t speak about the colours of your former church ,or what ever similar,to us all.We are just not interested.Not at all. If you are happy,that´s good for you. But don´t forget:Modesty is a great value for Jews,and that´s required specially in the Orthodox world.

You are overlooking a very basic fact: these decisions are with regard to granting CITIZENSHIP. This is not a debate of who is considered a "proper Jew", but of who should be granted citizenship of the state of Israel. This country exists for reasons that you must be aware of. Most of these reasons stand true regardless of denomination within modern Jewry. Denying some Jews inclusion and protection because their views are different is what I would call stupid. Furthermore, the people which you propose to exclude are actually the MAJORITY of modern Jews, and of the Israeli populace. What you suggest is an Israel consisting entirely of Haredi Jews. Do you honestly think such an Israel could survive a single decade?

I converted Reform. I have 100% full citizenship, and consider myself 100% patriotic to God, Country and family. To think that certain principles or statutes in a world of change do not change is insane. Even the Mishnah itself changed, which is why it had to be written down in the first place! It is funny how individuals in the land feel that their birth gives them more entitlement or makes them feel more JUST in whatever it is they think or do; unlike us regular mortals.

Go back to school. What a stupid thing to say. You don't know the first thing about the neshama and conversion.