On Converting to Judaism: Orthodox Jewish practice does not encourage conversions to Judaism — and we actually discourage conversion — because Orthodox Judaism focuses on the goal of guiding our own people, Jews, to live more wholesome, righteous, ethical Torah-based lives.Non-Jews, likewise, can and do live deeply … “And how does ‘converting Orthodox’ differ from converting with a Conservative or Reform Rabbi? Your children, when you have them, will have to attend a yeshiva day school. Henry II? You not only must learn judaism but you must internalize the torah lifestyle for every day of the rest of your life. For us, the “conversion process” is not an avenue for funding. If the “significant other” will not live the lifestyle, then there can be no “conversion.” If the couple cannot live within walking distance of a Shul, then they cannot possibly attend Shabbat services at Shul every week in a manner that conforms to halakha. If you are interested in an easy, simple and quick orthodox conversion, and you understand that our service is costly and expensive, please complete the contact form regarding yourself and your situation. . Los Angeles, CA 90035: Torat Hayim (O/Iranian-Sephardic) (310) 652-8349: 1210 S. La Cienega Blvd. The brief answer is: It is not that simple, but it also is the journey of a lifetime . The Bayt Din makes that decision in consultation with your mentor and with your sponsoring Rav. Every three months or so thereafter, you travel to Los Angeles, and you again meet with the Bayt Din. My mentor and Rabbi is Rav Moshe Sternbuch who is one of the greatest poskim (Halachic Decisors) in our generation. There are no short cuts. Maybe a bit longer. You memorized the kings of France and England, the dates of their wars. Rabbi Avi S. Olitzky is a senior rabbi at Beth El Synagogue in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. You would tell him that you have met with Rav Dov Fischer in Irvine, who laid out the process for you. With the aim of building a community Mikvah, The Mikvah Society of Los Angeles was founded in January 1974. I can share insights with you, and you can emerge better informed of what it means to become a Jew – really, authentically, to become and live as a Jew as that term and lifestyle have been understood for thousands of years. .and more. It does not change. . Will you be living what you were taught? As noted above, I sponsored five conversions to completion during the six years between 2005 and 2011, only one to completion between 2008 and 2011. Non-Jews, likewise, can and do live deeply meaningful and righteous lives, and there is no need for a non-Jewish person to feel an imperative to adopt Judaism. Any Orthodox rabbi may serve as a Sponsoring Rabbi. It is not about passing a test after taking a 6-month or 12-month class, but about honestly making the shabbat, the kosher dietary rules, the rules of heightened business ethics and personal honesty, and even the laws of sacred home life a part of your life and that of your family. If a potential candidate does not live in an Orthodox community he or she must move in to one as part of the conversion process. Your attendance at my weekly Tuesday night Chumash-Rashi-Halakhah class will continue, week after week. And one must go to Shul. Los Angeles, CA 90035 We will learn. There is no question but that our standards and requirements reduce the number of people who opt to pursue a “conversion” course in our ranks. . You memorized everything there was to know about the amoeba or the paramecium. American immigrant Nicole and her Israeli fiancé, Zohar. I teach my weekly Chumash-Rashi-Halakhah class anyway to the many members of my congregation who look forward to attending that Torah class. If you do opt to pursue an Orthodox “conversion” from a residence based in Irvine, I would be honored to act as your sponsoring Rav – the Bayt Din’s representative in Irvine – guiding you and your mentor, overseeing your progress, teaching you, and welcoming you into my congregation’s life. Conversion to Judaism: Orthodox Jewish Conversion. You begin every morning by reciting certain prayers. 42 talking about this. Will you be reciting the blessings thanking G-d for other foods? But today you are a doctor, and you don’t know the “Wars of the Roses” from the “War of the Roses.” The Hundred Years War? Just as the United States maintains rigorous standards for accepting new citizens, even as it continues to honor the citizenship of those already blessed with that status even when such citizens act as  miscreants, so it is that Orthodox Judaism — Torah-true Judaism — sets rigorous standards for accepting newcomers under the umbrella of Torah, even as we continue honoring the Jewish status of all Jews, Orthodox and non-Orthodox, no matter how detestably they may present themselves. Often, Ellen and I will invite you to join us with other of our invited guests for a Shabbat or Yom Tov (Holiday) meal. The Jewish News of Northern California. Haredi Judaism (Hebrew: חֲרֵדִי ‎ Ḥaredi, IPA: ; also spelled Charedi, plural Haredim or Charedim) consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism characterized by a strict adherence to halakha (Jewish law) and traditions, as opposed to modern values and practices. Los Angeles, CA 90035: Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations (Orthodox) (310) 777-0225: 9075 West Pico Boulevard, #105 Los Angeles, CA 90035: Yeshiva of Los Angeles Beis Midrash (Orthodox) (310) 772-2485: 9760 W. Pico Blvd. How many Johns were there? On Shabbat. Los Angeles has two Orthodox rabbis with a record of doing many of the things above. Some will take some time assimilating into your view of “rest.” When you are invited to a “wine and cheese” social, you will be concerned whether the wine is kosher and whether the cheese is kosher – so, typically, you will not attend wine-and-cheese events sponsored outside your new faith community. Tell me your story.Through my offices, as your sponsoring rabbi, I will guide you as you begin the process that culminates in your living an absolutely Torah-true life, observing the Shabbat according to its laws, eating strictly kosher in and out of the home, etc.You will not be alone. You will be expected, within no more than six months, to be residing within a half-mile’s walking-distance from your sponsoring Rav’s Orthodox synagogue. Rav Sternbuch fully endorses my program and I consult with him on any questions I have … I cannot adequately emphasize that last sentence. There are twelve Coptic Orthodox Metropolitans/Bishops serving in the United States as of June 2020: Serapion (b. The American courts are in major cities like New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. Blessed Name Day to Metropolitan JOSEPH! If the information on this page sounds too demanding for you . From several years’ experience, however, I learned that most people in Orange County, California, who inquire about conversion to Judaism do not understand what Conversion-to-Judaism means, how an authentic Orthodox Jewish conversion differs from the practices and processes presented more commonly among the local non-Orthodox congregations here. As noted above, it is a process that can take maybe two years, maybe three – well transcending a year of study . If we cannot afford to live within walking distance of a Shul in Irvine, then we find another community, more affordable, and live within walking distance of that Shul. One is in charge of a conversion program and one no longer is ( Abner Weiss ). In Orthodox conversions of women, the judges are poolside at the mikvah and the woman enters wearing a loose-fitting robe. Info@Orthodox-Conversion.com. We are Orthodox. Orthodox leaders in Los Angeles ridiculed the ruling, warning that it will ultimately threaten Jewish unity by introducing lower standards for conversions and other practices. Rather, an authentic conversion — a giyur according to halakhah — is about adopting a new personal way of life for the rest of your life. Otherwise, how can I observe and celebrate your growth and evolution, invite you occasionally for Shabbat meals spontaneously, and assure you are plugged into other avenues of Shabbat meal invites? Rather, you will have to live the laws and lifestyle — for the rest of your life. You will take the test. Conservative and Orthodox Jewish groups remain vehemently opposed to the bill. After the conversion we can assist you to get married in Israel (with an extra cost) under the supervision of the Rabbinical of Israel. More like two years. Half are in the United States. All rights reserved. The Mission of The Orthodox Church in America, the local autocephalous Orthodox Christian Church, is to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” The Orthodox Church in America. In a Reform conversion, the judges may stay in an anteroom while a mikvah attendant witnesses the immersion. Within walking distance of us, and within our Eruv, there are apartments to rent at Parkwest Apartments. In all, you will find that the “conversion” framework is not viewed as a meaningful source of funding within the Orthodox Torah community. Many people whom I have met during my six years in Irvine have expressed concern whether certain rabbis do conversions as a financial enterprise. By contrast, there is no “maybe” in an Orthodox “conversion.” Your program will last longer – much longer. John I? When you study for “conversion” outside an Orthodox Torah framework, your teachers will have a curriculum for you, and they will teach you. For some, it means leaving L.A. and moving to Seattle or Portland or Cincinnati. Not a public school. Copyright © 2021 Rabbinical Council of California. Sometimes even longer. Details about our program may be found within the online application. . Jewish conversion application – adult. and more. and for the World to Come. Nor do the Jewish People seek a dilution in the concentration of our People’s commitment to the Torah by engaging in an adventure to increase our numbers superficially. Deeply moved by those concerns, I simply have decided not to charge or accept any remuneration, payment, or other gift or emolument for time I devote to your “conversion” process as your sponsoring Rav. Remember that high school course in which you scored an “A” on your final exam and report card – but whose substance you barely remember today? Even as you study a comprehensive curriculum with your assigned same-gender mentor, meeting once every week, you also will be required to attend my weekly Tuesday night class on Chumash/ Rashi commentary/ Contemporary Halakhah (Jewish Law and Practice). I am not the same-gender mentor. Shalom and Welcome to The Institute for Halakhic Conversion where you can find information and resources for converting to Judaism. By contrast, immigrants who wish to naturalize – essentially, to “convert” to Americans — must meet a higher, longer, more demanding, pure standard. For the rest of your life, you will wait several hours after eating meat or poultry before you may eat something dairy. Welcome to the Diocese of Los Angeles and the West, part of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. . But there is so very much more. Maybe six months. We typically average fewer than a conversion a year anyway. In the end, therefore, the time devoted to such meetings is not well invested on either side: the inquiring person is not ready for an authentic Giyur (halakhic or Orthodox Torah-true conversion), and the time devoted to the meeting is not well invested. Bishops and Dioceses. Antiochian Women - a women's ministry of the Antiochian Orthodox Church - we are the Diocese of LA & the West Rather, it is one more way we humbly endeavor to help repair the world — by helping you on your journey, guiding you, teaching you, breaking bread with you, and eventually counting you and your future generations as “MOT”s — full “Members of the Tribe.”. You may want to “Google” them and contact them. Specialties: Judaism by Choice has classes,monthly Shabbat Dinners, Shabbat Morning services, Wine and Cheese social parties, and an annual trip to Israel for Jews and non-Jews and those considering conversion to Judaism in order to learn… Average cost of conversion: $1,500-$2,000, includes tutoring, administrative fees and mikvah fees. True to form, they are all Orthodox, many of them haredi. 1324 s. normandie ave. los angeles, ca 90006 | 323.737.2424 The list, published Nov. 21 on the Chief Rabbinate’s website, includes dozens of rabbinical courts throughout the world, half in the United States. That is an average, over a decade’s time, of fewer than one conversion per year. . Others have expressed concern whether certain temples could survive financially without the conversion/intermarriage aspect of their operations. LOS ANGELES — When Sandra Caplan, a Jew-by-choice, was dying, her husband promised her that he would work toward a unified conversion process for the Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist movements. Average timeframe: 1-2 years. . John II? But – five years later – will you be reciting the blessing thanking G-d for water before you drink a cup of water? Maybe. Because there are so few Orthodox rabbis in Orange County, most Orthodox conversions are done in Los Angeles, according to Rabbi David Eliezrie of Chabad of Anaheim. Many Orthodox Jews by choice, including some in Los Angeles, have similar tales of confusion and frayed nerves. as the period of study also begins the period of practice, and it can take some two or three years of practice until it becomes really internalized within you – keeping and observing Shabbat properly, keeping kosher in-and-out of the home, living the Torah life.In that next stage, then, you meet personally with that Rav, and – if he emerges persuaded that your candidacy is rooted in a sincere readiness to take on a Torah lifestyle (along with your significant other, if there is one) – he assigns you books to read. The Orthodox Union supports the Orthodox Jewish community around the world through Jewish teen outreach, Kosher food certification, Orthodox Synagogues, social action, public policy and community development programs. Details about our program may be found within the online application. It is decidedly not a solicitation of conversion — and, as the numbers evidence, the rigors of converting to Judaism under Orthodox auspices ultimately see fewer than one person annually successfully doing so in Orange County. When she’s ready to disrobe, the judges turn away and a “mikvah lady” witnesses the actual immersion. You grow, and you evolve. We help people worldwide and in each conversion we will go with you to the Orthodox Beit Din to supervise the process and make sure that the process will be easy and simple. The list, published on the chief rabbinate’s website on November 21, includes dozens of rabbinical courts throughout the world. My name is Rabbi Chaim Coffman and I have been learning Torah intensively for the last 20+ years. The Rabbinical Panel typically includes that Rav and two other prominent Rabbonim (“rabbis”). Welcome to The Mikvah Society of Los Angeles. Becoming Certified Lists & Guides Kosher Alerts Cedars, Financial Arbitration & Din Torah Jewish Conversion Jewish Divorce/Get Marriage Services Halachic Documents Shiurim(Lectures) Wills & Inheritance Mediation Services, Community Services Gamachs LA Eruv Useful Websites, 3780 Wilshire Blvd #420 Los Angeles, CA 90010 Phone: 213.389.3382 Beth Din Fax: 213.234.4558 Kashrut Fax: 562.286.5235 View Full Directory. For those of us who are bound to our Torah-true heritage, the Word of G-d is His eternal Word. Thus, in the nine years since Rav Fischer moved to Irvine in 2005, he has sponsored only four RCC conversions to completion and presently is sponsoring three more. Will you be at daily services, donning tefillin, praying the services daily? What motivates your query. ... Los Angeles, CA, 90035 310.229.9000. You not only will learn the curriculum, but you will live it – every day, every meal, every Sabbath, every holiday. You may learn a great deal. Two or more months later, when you feel you have read and mastered the assigned volumes and have absorbed their essence, you again would call the Rav at the Bayt Din and ask that he set an appointment for your initial meeting with the 3-rabbi Bayt Din panel. That’s a whole bunch for an opening paragraph. But we are really a wonderful group to encounter along the way of your journey of a lifetime . Several times every year, I am approached by individuals or couples in Orange County who would like to know more about converting to Judaism. If not, then this is not for you. At my newer Irvine shul where I have been Rav since February 2008, we have celebrated another Giyur while turning away or otherwise saying farewell to several others who inquired but were not ready to become Jewish according to Torah law.The thing is, I can sponsor a “conversion” only when the prospective convert (and the significant other, where there is a couple) undertake unequivocally to live a fully Torah-directed life, which means in short time – observing Shabbat (including attending worship services on Shabbat, but no driving on Shabbat, no turning lights on and off, no TV on Shabbat, no money, not using the phone, etc. A ballpark estimate of 2,500-3,000 converts per year worldwide is cited by the head of the movement’s Rabbinical Assembly, Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, a figure based on an extrapolation from the 350 people the movement says convert every year under its aegis in Los Angeles. Some of my most meaningful relationships have arrived from this role. He is a nationally recognized expert on intermarriage and conversion issues who has taught classes for Jews, non-Jews and those interested in converting to Judaism for over 25 years. Residents of Latin America who wish to convert do so before a rabbinic court in the United States, or – if the convert is eligible for aliya status – in Israel. . There are condominia to rent or buy at Rancho San Joaquin Apartments. At that meeting, again at the Bayt Din’s Los Angeles offices, they get to know you, too. well — then it probably is. 1951), Metropolitan of the Holy Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California & Hawaii & Abbot of the Monastery of St. Anthony in California (1995). And, for that matter, Phillips? And you will be inspired by meeting and interfacing with others who live that honest, authentic jewish lifestyle. Kosher Directory What is Kosher? Orthodox Conversion Programs In Los Angeles Working Well Posted on December 12, 2009 by Luke Ford According to what I hear, all of the Orthodox conversion programs in Los Angeles boast better than a 90% success rate (when success is measured by its converts staying Sabbath-observant after becoming Jewish). “Conversion therapy was born in sin and its place is outside of the law and the public norm,” he tweeted, according to the BBC. LOS ANGELES - Officials are warning that simply leaving home is a high-risk activity in Los Angeles County as coronavirus deaths surpassed 11,000 for the first time Tuesday amid a dire holiday-season surge.L.A. The Diocese of Los Angeles is led by His Eminence Archbishop Joseph and includes more than 30 churches and missions in Arizona, California, and Nevada. Subsequently, in my congregational role, I worked with three more such couples en route to their Giyur. The Institute can be a valuable aid in obtaining an Orthodox Halakhic conversion to Judaism and in understanding the processes and pitfalls of conversion to Judaism from an Orthodox perspective. I used to sit and meet personally with each inquiring person, meeting with approximately 50 such individuals annually, as each of the 3-4 monthly inquiries seemed to merit its own time. We do not “cut corners.” But every “convert” in our Torah community becomes a Jewish person in the truest sense of the word because, once you are accepted in Giyur, you not only talk the talk – but you walk the walk. Despite the step towards the ban, LGBTQ advocates in Israel are hesitant to call the movement a success. . Why you would want to take on such a life. I have created this page, therefore, much as Rav Maurice Lamm and others among my more esteemed rabbinical colleagues have written books explaining Becoming a Jew, in an effort to lay out the basics of halakhic conversion under my sponsorship and to help better focus the investment of everyone’s time. The mitzvah of Taharat Hamishpacha is central to the Jewish people and its observance brings holiness and purity into our family lives. Shalom! And for that reason, your conversion will take quite a bit longer than the other kinds of programs. When you convert to Judaism, your entire lifestyle changes – forever. America does not strip citizenship. Engaged in … Will my children be accepted as Jewish?”. Areas and locations in the United States where Orthodox Jews live in significant communities. At least a year. Number of Orthodox conversions done in LA annually: approximately 50-80 (based on anecdotal data) Applicants who are accepted into our conversion program are taught and prepared by private tutors as they integrate into observant Jewish life. The American courts are in major cities like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. If you are male, you not only must pray three times daily, but you must don tefillin every morning for the rest of your life (except for Sabbaths, Biblical festivals, and one modified rule on a specific Fast Day) – and you must worship daily in a minyan service at synagogue. greek orthodox cathedral. Maybe it was biology class. Ellen and I found that, when we arrived in Irvine in August 2005, there already were at least 15 couples in the Orthodox community in which a spouse, typically the wife, had converted to Judaism, while the Jewish-born spouse, typically the husband, had become Torah-observant en route. However, because so many non-Jews in Orange County contact our Shul to inquire about converting to Judaism, and because so many of those contacts come from people who previously converted to Judaism outside of a recognized Orthodox process, leading to their subsequent regrets that they had never first inquired about the very process of converting to Judaism according to the Orthodox practice recognized by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, this page is intended to provide information.

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