Advice for converts (the post-Rabbi Freundel edition - when people actually might pay attention)

[marlowe1]

Rabbi Freundel in Washington D.C. has been arrested for putting cameras in mikvah and re-enacting the creepiest scene from Revenge of the Nerds. Amidst the allegations against Freundel is the revelations that he used his position as a rabbi to manipulate and harass converts. Surprisingly, this time the allegations that converts are being treated

Comments

[quietann]

This is really interesting; thank you. I'm already Jewish but have a lot of friends who are converts of various kinds (a lot who "wouldn't count" because they aren't Orthodox, and a couple who "might count" because they had Orthodox conversions but fell off the derech pretty hard when they discovered that Orthodox Judaism is not as wonderful as they thought it might be, and not the answer to all of one's problems.)

[marlowe1]

Yeah, that's one of the ironies. Since Orthodox Judaism only recognizes Orthodox conversions but stays with the belief that a halachic Jew is always Jewish, the non-Orthodox converts would not count in an Orthodox minyan, while the OTD Orthodox Jews would count.

I actually know quite a few OTD Jews living near Yeshiva University. One of my friends even helps to run Footsteps which helps Brooklyn Chasidic and haredi Jews get on their feet when they leave those communities.

But yeah, Orthodox Judaism makes such a big deal out of only recognizing their conversions but then make their conversions into hoop jumping experiences.

[yonihamagid]

It's been a long time since I was involved in Jewish communal processes, but #2 reminded me of what I was told a long, long time ago (high school, I think). It was mentioned that someone in the process of conversion is obligated to recognize his or her not yet being Jewish by not entirely observing Shabbat in some way each week. I don't remember if "don't use them as a Shabbos goy" was explicitly stated, but I do remember that it was presented as THEIR obligation, not ours, and it wasn't our prerogative to "help" them accomplish this. Specifically, that they were expected to do so in their own homes, just flick a light switch or something.

[marlowe1]

carry a piece of string in their pocket. And then when you remind them that there is an eruv, they are required to reply "I don't hold by the eruv."