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Preparing for the Mikveh

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.

How to Pick a Hebrew Name

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.

The Mikveh’s Significance in Traditional Conversion

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

Choosing a Hebrew Name

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

Jewish Business Ethics 101

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

The Rabbinic Conversion Ceremony

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

The Problem: Token Conversions for Interfaithless Marriages

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

The Beit Din (Rabbinic Court) and Conversion

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.

The Free Will Problem: Early Solutions

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

One Solution: A Pluralistic Outreach-Inreach Program

The author proposes that only an active program that combines inreach to "faithless" Jews and outreach to unchurched spiritual seekers can revitalize the Jewish community.

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