Evergreen

Kabbalat ol ha-mitzvot (acceptance of the commandments) combines faith and action with an intent to evolve as a practicing Jew.

Plan ahead to enhance the spirituality of the immersion experience; a mikveh or mikvah, a ritual bath, tends more toward the functional than the spiritual.

One of the joys of being "like a newborn baby" after the conversion is that you get to pick a Hebrew name--which is easier than you may think.

Immersion in the mikveh actualizes the transition between the convert's old identity and his or her new one as a Jew.

As with a literal newborn, the convert as a spiritual newborn selects a Hebrew name and adopts Abraham and Sarah as spiritual parents.

Biblical and rabbinic sources emphasize regulation to prevent the weak from being exploited by the strong.

The different layers of the rabbinic discussion of conversion reveal the beginnings of a transformation from a citizenship ritual to a theological initiation rite.

Assimilation has created a profound disconnect between Jews and their religion that deeply disturbs the author and impels him to experiment with new solutions.

Final authority for conversion rests with the three-person beit din, which rules on a candidate's sincerity, knowledge, and potential for success as a Jew.

Biblical and rabbinic sources stress both divine determinism and human freedom.