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As both symbol and expression of the profound change required of a convert to Judaism, the mikveh (mikvah) is often a deeply emotional experience.

With the ritual bath's echoes of sexuality and its demand for self-abnegation, the prospect of immersion can create some trepidation for the prospective convert.

According to some Hasidic thinkers, human free will is an illusion; God causes all human actions.

While the early Reform movement presented selected universal, liberal moral teachings as the core of Judaism, the contemporary Reform movement is rediscovering many particularistic Jewish practices.

Orthodoxy maintains a strict legal approach to conversion, while Conservative Judaism has responded pragmatically rather than ideologically.

Medieval commentators suggested justifications for God's hardening Pharaoh's heart.

Kaddish Yatom, an Aramaic prayer glorifying God, is recited by mourners.

Excerpts from the Reform Movement's Guidelines for Working with Prospective Converts

Excerpts from June 2001 Conference

Conversion requires such a big life change that the motivations must be genuine and psychologically well grounded.

In the Middle Ages, Jewish thinkers struggled to reconcile God's knowledge of the future with human choice.

Israel's responsibilities toward converts begin with equal protection, but ultimately require the full integration of the convert into the family of Israel.