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American Jews wrestle with whether to suggest non-Jewish spouses convert
Boston Herald ^ | 09/21/2006 | Associated Press

Posted on 09/21/2006 4:15:01 PM PDT by Nachum

NEW YORK - Christine Benvenuto embodies a Jewish ideal.

Her kitchen is kosher, she attends synagogue and has read rabbinic writings and Torah.

But for many American Jewish leaders, she has an even more compelling quality. The mother of three, whose husband was born Jewish, is a convert.

“A lot of things attracted me to Judaism,” said Benvenuto, whose book “Shiksa” chronicles her path to conversion and the choices of other non-Jewish spouses. “I grew up in a Jewish neighborhood in New York and my friends were always Jewish.”

As intermarriage continues at a high rate, many community leaders believe the survival of Judaism lies with people like Benvenuto. Over the last year, top rabbis have urged Jews to overcome their fear of offending non-Jewish spouses and suggest outright that they convert.

Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, and Rabbi Jerome Epstein, executive vice president of the United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism, each called for a more assertive approach at national religious meetings of their movements in the last year. Together, their organizations represent about 75 percent of North American synagogue members.

The American Jewish Committee, a leading advocacy group based in New York, released the first major study in nearly two decades of why people decide to become Jewish. Among the central findings is that advocating for conversion works.

Even some Orthodox, who have traditionally discouraged conversion, have joined in.

Rabbi Leib Tropper, who runs a school in Monsey, N.Y., for Jews who lack basic religious education, started Eternal Jewish Family a year ago to train rabbinic courts on proper conversion for non-Jewish spouses. Tropper says hundreds of rabbis have attended the training sessions.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.bostonherald.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: convert; jewish; spouses
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To: Brilliant

funny. but your answer and reactions to some other comments here are the same. Jews dont "send" non-jews to "hell". however, we have serious obligations for ourselves. it is adherence to those obligations which is followed by the ability to ascend to great heights of closeness to G-d. non-Jews have it easy to go to "heaven", you have 7 commandments. we have quite a few more.


21 posted on 09/21/2006 4:51:51 PM PDT by APRPEH (id theft info available on my profile page)
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To: APRPEH

I just realized that Orthodox Jewish couples AVERAGE over six kids. Talk about picking up the slack for everybody else! Good for them.


22 posted on 09/21/2006 4:52:12 PM PDT by two134711 ("To take no notice of a violent attack is to strengthen the heart of the enemy.")
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To: UB355

Hope you have asbestos PJ's

:->


23 posted on 09/21/2006 4:52:40 PM PDT by Fraxinus
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To: Dog Gone

***That's the problem with major religions. They each preach that all the others will go to hell. ***

Not quite! While the Catholic church says that IF YOU BELIEVE IT TO BE THE TRUE church, but do not embrace it, you will be lost, it also says that you must follow your conscience. We all start from different points and have different influences in our lives.


24 posted on 09/21/2006 4:53:32 PM PDT by kitkat (The first step down to hell is to deny the existence of evil.)
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To: Brilliant
Interesting. So what's the point of being a Jew, then?

If it isn't religion, then hot Jewish girls? Where do you sign up? ; )

25 posted on 09/21/2006 4:53:38 PM PDT by Caipirabob (Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: kitkat
a Jew in a "marriage" with a non-Jew is in serious violation of Torah law. the non-Jew, often when this is explained to them in a clear, non-offensive way realizes the danger their spouse is in and comes to a reality that they themselves can make a difference. one must already have a sensitivity to religion in general to make that leap. but i have seen it. this same logic breaks up people when dating as well but should only be used by a competent Orthodox Rabbi who can explain the situation as to the children, afterlife, the mitzvahs, etc...

but once in the marriage, efforts should always be made.

26 posted on 09/21/2006 4:55:26 PM PDT by APRPEH (id theft info available on my profile page)
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To: kitkat

That may be the official position of the Catholic Church, but it wasn't always so. Nor is it the official position of many Protestant branches of the religion.

Nearly all branches claim to be the one true one with various bad consequences for the ones who refuse to agree with them.


27 posted on 09/21/2006 4:56:49 PM PDT by Dog Gone
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To: UB355

Here's what I find curious about a "Christian" "converting" to Judaism. Before the "conversion," the Christian - if he or she is really a Christian - accepts that Jesus is the Son of God. "Converting" to Judaism or any other faith that denies Jesus' standing as the Son of God (and also the Resurrection), means, by definition, denying that Jesus rose from the dead and that Jesus is the Son of God. That's a pretty big 180 for someone to make. If I ever in my life believed that Jesus is the Son of God, to formally, publicly, officially and forever announce that He ISN'T the Son of God (which is what "conversion" in this case, amounts to) would be very difficult, psychologically, to put it mildly.


28 posted on 09/21/2006 4:58:15 PM PDT by churchillbuff
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To: Brilliant

I don't think the Jews believe in hell...


29 posted on 09/21/2006 4:59:57 PM PDT by Stone Mountain
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To: hlmencken3
I went to an all-girl Catholic High School.

1. We were taught that Jews were not baptized and could not enter the kingdom of heaven,

2. that we shouldn't be dating non-Catholics and

3. that a kiss over the count of ten was a "mortal" sin.

The third one always stuck in my mind but I'm a problem solver: Count to nine..feign "out of breath"...start again 1,2,3,4,5, 6,7,8,9. Repeat as necessary!!

I remember this flashing into my head when I was about 30...maybe because he was Jewish...Nevertheless, I found myself counting and burst out laughing...He was very nice about it.

30 posted on 09/21/2006 5:00:07 PM PDT by Sacajaweau (God Bless Our Troops!!)
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To: Brilliant
Interesting. So what's the point of being a Jew, then?

Are you saying the point (or main point) of being a Christian is to avoid going to hell?
31 posted on 09/21/2006 5:00:53 PM PDT by Stone Mountain
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To: Brilliant
Interesting. So what's the point of being a Jew, then?

Jewish laws, traditions and culture focus on life here on Earth. We don't believe in Hell so for us the purpose of religion is not to secure our "afterlife" but to live a good life here and now.

32 posted on 09/21/2006 5:04:09 PM PDT by citizenmike
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To: Alouette; SJackson

ping?


33 posted on 09/21/2006 5:04:12 PM PDT by darkangel82 (Higher visibility leads to greater zottability.)
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To: Dog Gone

***Nearly all branches claim to be the one true one with various bad consequences for the ones who refuse to agree with them.***

What have you been reading, or who have you been listening to? From your posts on FR I know that you are too intelligent to believe that.


34 posted on 09/21/2006 5:04:18 PM PDT by kitkat (The first step down to hell is to deny the existence of evil.)
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel.

also Keywords 2006israelwar or WOT [War on Terror]

----------------------------

I'm sure I'll get some disagreement on this, but even in the Reform community the desireability of conversion is acknowledged. The issue is the sincerity of the conversion, to convert to please one's spouse isn't acceptable. Apologies if someone brougt the topic up. Like many good Freepers I often post first, read the commentary later.

35 posted on 09/21/2006 5:08:18 PM PDT by SJackson (The Pilgrims—Doing the jobs Native Americans wouldn't do!)
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To: darkangel82

sure, thanks.


36 posted on 09/21/2006 5:08:33 PM PDT by SJackson (The Pilgrims—Doing the jobs Native Americans wouldn't do!)
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To: Brilliant
The fact that they have this debate suggests they don't believe their own religion. How could you wilfully sit by an watch your spouse go to hell?

That would not be an issue for the Jewish spouse at least. Non Jews are not consigned to hell.

37 posted on 09/21/2006 5:11:30 PM PDT by SJackson (The Pilgrims—Doing the jobs Native Americans wouldn't do!)
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To: Dog Gone
That's the problem with major religions. They each preach that all the others will go to hell

That isn't true in the case of Judaism, see 37.

38 posted on 09/21/2006 5:12:32 PM PDT by SJackson (The Pilgrims—Doing the jobs Native Americans wouldn't do!)
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To: kitkat
that orthodox rabbis understand that a conversion only to please a spouse is not a true conversion,

Not limited to Orthodox Rabbis. Raising the children as Jews would be a more important issue to the Reform movement. To what extent intermarriage exists in Orthodox/observant congregations/households I don't know. I would think it would be a virtually impossible living arrangement.

39 posted on 09/21/2006 5:15:38 PM PDT by SJackson (The Pilgrims—Doing the jobs Native Americans wouldn't do!)
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To: Nachum
Sounds like the ol' "bait and switch" to me.
40 posted on 09/21/2006 5:17:09 PM PDT by Ghost of Philip Marlowe (Liberals are blind. They are the dupes of Leftists who know exactly what they're doing.)
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