My wife converted to Judaism through an orthodox conversion in the US. While there are many mitzvot, not all born Jews obey them, but they are accepted as Jewish anywhere. All Jews should strive to follow them, but I dont understand why we cant encourage conversion and help increase the number converted every year, as long as the individuals are sincere, we shouldnt be putting up roadblocks, but making it easier to study and practice and be welcomed to our people.

Membership into the Jewish people is not like that of some big country-club or college fraternity. We are the people of G-d, chosen by Him to show the world there is but one omnipotent G-d, to observe His commandments and to teach the world ethical behavior. We are instructed to study and teach His Torah. Someone who wishes to share in this mission is welcome, but only if he or she commits to this ideal. Anyone who wants in for any other reason has no place among the faithful. He is a mere unwanted nochschlepper. Let it be clear, but we are not after mere numbers. We only want committed, sincere converts. Otherwise, don't apply. The concept of a "secular" conversion is totally absurd. Secular is meant as a rejection of G-d and a denial of the need to observe His commandments. It really means "free from obligation". That is the antithesis of Judaism.

Why not just give them their right and forget about your racist Israel!!

and, to my knowledge, isn't required for citizenship...at least I didn't have to convert

Judaism is a leligion. Now you want to make cecular person a Jew? Are you retarded? Tell me if I want to be a chineese do you recommend a plastic sergery ?

The easier the conversion, the less is the value. 200,000 Slavic Russians imported in the 1990's by the desperate Sochnut are not interested in converting NO MATTER HOW EASY.

To be an Israeli one shouldn't have to be Jewish just as there are American citizens of multiple faiths. Judaism is a religion and therefore the concept that one can adopt a religion not to practice is worse than ridiculous. It is tragic that some secular Israelis have adoped a form of anti-semitism as their new religion and are attempting to separate the Jewish people from their traditions. This has been attempted many timses in our history but our adherence to the Torah will thwart this newest attempt.

As for Arab invaders to the land. They can go to Arab part of historic Palestine, which is Jordan Palestine. For that matter, the racist side, since no Jews are allowed citizenship, unlike Israel that HAS Arab citizens.

These people will hate Jews very much. Each time they will see a Jew with kippa they will hate him. This article is very strange. Some Jews who are atheists hate Jewish traditions, holidays, etc. But you can't believe how the Russians (non-Jews) hate Jews, some even became Nazis. The granting of citizenship by Kadima was a first step in granting citizenship to Arabs from Arabia, and believe me the courts and Kadima people know this very well.

People with bonified jewish connections should have a leg up in regard potential citizenship... as for definition of who a Jew is the question is too complex to enshrine in the laws of modern state... If some unsuspecting young woman(g-d forbid) wanted to marry into Reuven Brauner's family it would be a private matter whether she may or may not need a conversion but... that has little to do with whether she should be entitled to share the Jewish fate in the land of the Jews and its citizenry.

Judaism is a religion and there needs to be a benchmark, no question. However, a system where Ilan Pappe, Moshe Zimmerman, the Olmert kids, the Roses in England, Hannah Mermelstein in Boston, and of course the ever popular Noam Chomsky and Norman Finkelstein in this country, not to mention Daniel Machover along with way too many others are considered Jews by Halacha. But a kid who immigrates from Russia with a Jewish father and a gentile mother and FIGHTS for Israel has all sorts of problems. Something is wrong with that and not only does conversion need to be changed I also think we need some sort of excommunication process.

Jewish law was given on Har Sinai, and passed on through the masorah. Neither Korah, Ahab, the Saducees not the Israeli govenment can change it. They can create more Israeli citizens, but not Jews. The self-destruct mode, having few Jewish children, and removing as much Jewishness from the state as possible, may create another Arab state, but the observant Jews in Israel and the diaspora will follow the Torah, not some secular non-jewish state (majority Arab, fake converts etc)! The state may become like American reform, which used to have a majority of Reform jews, now a majority of Reforn NON-Jews, as their jewish descendants intermarried, and assimilated, their membership became a majority of fake converts, patrillinial etc, and they are becoming identical to the unitarians!

Jews in the land of Israel have never required a convertion as a pre-condition to live there and should not start now!! As for Reform conversions. It is specifically because you are granted Imidiate citizenship upon converting that Israel should not allow this farce. The rabanut is restricting even orthodox conversions unless the rabbi is registered in Israel to do such. Not a bad idea. Back to Reform... If it is allowed than the new Jews (Cristians) should also be recognized.

what the hell is he saying How do you convert a secular. There is nothing to convert. He was and still is secular. Can you convert a secular to be a secular Christian or secular Moslem.

For the sake of the Jewish people, Israeli MUST remain a Jewish state. That means that, even if the majority of Jews in Israel do not subscribe to the mitzvot and agree with the Talmudic criteria for Jewishness (G-d forbid), the state of Israel must maintain these pillars of our religion. When it comes to leniancy in these areas, it's a slippery slope: a few exceptions can quickly turn the only Jewish state into another secular democracy. Please remember that that Jewish character--that distinct Jewishness even secular Jews desire to preserve--is inextricably entwined with Torah, which , obviously, is based on the Divine sanctity of our Jewish Laws. Please, for the sake of future generations (and all of the past generations that died praying for the Return of A Jewish Nation and Homeland), do not start editing halakcha.

It sounds silly. What Friedman should have suggested is that the orthodox-controlled rabbinate in Israel should recognize Reform and Conservative Judaism as well as Reform and Conservative conversions. That is long overdue

Secular conversion? That's like ... asking to convert to black or Chinese or something. Not saying Judaism (religious or not) is a race, but honestly here. You can't become a secular Christian and you can't become a secular Buddhist. I suppose maybe you could convert as a secular Muslim, except that Muslims come from all walks of life these days. YOU have got to be kidding me.

one - is whether reform conversions are valid two- what is an israeli citizen As for convertions, as many have already posted, to have it reform is to have no convertion at all, because the newcomer will have a totally different set of rules and philosophies to abide than mainstream judaism. It will make more damage than repair, cause in the end G-d forbid, we will have to split in two religions. Period. No halachic jew will marry any of these "converts" or their offpring. In a couple of generations, specially if they are recorded as jews by the state of Israel, no one (jew) would even marry halachic jews amongst them out of "mishmash who's who". Today with computer databases it would be no problem to keep a detailed register of jews, as distinct to state's one. Remember it will bring about two religions. The second point is the "conveniency of having everyone in Israel Jewish". for that purpose it seems ridiculous at best to me to convert people, because of demographic interests. conversion should be made out of love for Gd and judaism. Period. Could you tell this is what foreigners or their children really believe in? This weird situation in which goyim with jewish ancestry come to Israel and fight and die for Israel is painful. BUT the problem does NOT LIE IN THE TYPE OF CONVERSION. The problem is what the hell are they doing here to begin with. And here the ones to blame are SOLELY the problematic law of return and the lack of demographic handleing of Israel ' s population. If any goy with a jewish father comes here, of course he will not fit in. There is even a problem where he will be burried. The state of Israel cannot SHOULD not bring these goyim (I dont mean foreigners) for two reasons. One they tilt the jewishness of this state to the wrong side, secondly they are put trough an almost imposible situation of how to live in the same state that does not provide with real absortion possibilities. They wont have much partners whom to marry, not a place of burial, . So they convert out of convenience purely. If you add them the possibility of a reform convertion, what kind of a "jew" do you think you'll get ??? It is more unfair to the non jews to be offered citizenship than we might think of. People in general and seculars in particular should have it clear : ISrael is the and only jewish state , as declared in the declaration of Indepence, not a state of Jews. If it were not for the law of return this wouldnt even be an issue. That these goym with jewish parantage need fair solution, that's 100%, but massive and wrong conversions will bring about two religions.

This guy is honest. He simply knows well that "conservative" or "reform" are the cod words for atheists. He knows very well that Reform/Conservative conversion is the same as a "secular" conversion. They just want more Arab voters. Every Arab will show a certificate and the court will support him and his 4 wives.

Since when is there a secular stream of judaism.Of course we all have the freedom of choice to observe our religion or not.But those who choose not to follow their religion are not living a new form of judaism.Cultural judiasm doesn't constitute a jew.It may be good enough for citizenship.Here in the U.S.A race doesn't play a role in citizenship. This may solve your problems in Israel. Just change the law.

I am not Jewish. My father is but no bar mitzvah and he is Jewish by way of my grandmother, who survived the Holocaust (and had not mentioned anything about Judaism until much later in life) Now, I have for teh last few years been interested in Judaism and even am contemplating an orthodox conversion so that I may be fully Jewish (after all, religious rites or not, I have Jewish ancestry). The second prong is that I would like to go and live in Israel. However, it seems to me there is alot of opposition to 'my kind' entering Israel. Well at anyrate, its in Gd's hands, I will get back to you guys on what I decide to do

If you want more information on making aliyah with your status and undergoing a conversion, send me an email and I may be able to help you along a bit.

-Was Ben-gurion secular? -was Golda Meir? -was Moshe Dayan? -secular does not mean irreligious. -Israel was founded on zionism. -Secular. -Reform. -Does not mean irreligious. Stop hegemonizing the debate with religion and "blacker than thou" speak. One can only imagine that the divisive element of these questions will continue until it is a battle between orthodoxies. "my hat is blacker than yours" They are 12 tribes, but a few more have been added in 2000 years. its more like 24. one for each hour of the day. whatever happend to the romance we Jews used to share about it all? Get a perspective and stop telling each other that "their" choice is wrong. Live and let live.

ORTHODOX....the rest are not Judaism. Stop trying to redefine Judaism just because it's not convenient to your lifestyle. One can chose to live a "Jewish" life or not to live a jewish life. But don't try to change the religion to fit your lifestyle and then try to impose your new religion on everyone else. That's how Christianity and Islam started. That's how the christian church split into so many different religions, same with Islam. With only 13 million jews in the world today, i dont' think there is even justification for so many redefinitions of what Judaism is.

Anyone who has learned a bit of Jewish History knows that many sects of Judaism existed. Pharesees, Sadducees,Essenes, Samaritans were all part of what was called jewish, at that time. Today there are no Sadducees or Essenes , a small group of Samaritans do exist. Today there are sects with other names which are slowly intermarrying and soon will disappear as well. I'm not concerned. The Torah is the constitution of the Jewish people. Those who abandon that constitution are to be pitied.

The writer has to be a joker. There are no rules to a secular conversion, just make them up as you go along. However if you want to convert to Judaism, then it has to be by the Halacha. Now what’s with this boring repetitive Orthodox bashing again? Like it or not the Orthodox are the only ones adhering to the Halacha so what exactly are they supposed to be guilty of this time? Lets see, ah adhering to the Halacha.