The Ceremony - The Rabbinical Court

Introduction
The conversion ceremony consists of several steps which concretize your transformation into a Jew and formalize your role in the covenant between the Jewish people and God. Each of these steps requires you to actively engage your bodies minds and hearts. The first step is your interview by bet din and your affirmation of commitment to the mitzvoth. The second step, required of males, is circumcision. The third step is immersion in the mikveh and a reacceptance of the mitzvoth. In the time of the Bet Hamikdash, a convert would also bring a sacrifice. In the rabbinic tradition, this same process was undertaken by the Children of Israel just after the exodus from Egypt.

Preparing for Your Interview by the Bet Din
After a period of study and many changes in your life (and, for some, a long waiting period), your day in bet din has finally arrived. You are undoubtedly, nervous and excited, busy reviewing what you have learned in ulpan, and anticipating what you will be asked. The following section will attempt to make this moving day both pleasant and fruitful by providing information about what will take place in bet din, and suggestions on how to prepare yourself properly.

Preparing Yourself Intellectually
In the two to three weeks before your scheduled interview before bet din, you should set aside time each day to study and practice the various mitzvot you learned in ulpan. Review the basic laws of Shabbat, kashrut, and family purity, the blessings before and after eating, and the morning prayer service.

Review also the main tenets of faith that you have learned. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself somewhat with the Torah readings of the recent Shabbatot, and to know the Hebrew date and upcoming or recently celebrated Jewish holidays.

Preparing Yourself Emotionally and Spiritually
You will be questioned in bet din not only about practical law but also about your emotional and spiritual state, goals, etc. Therefore, it is important that you spend some time reflecting on the spiritual journey that you have taken. Try to clarify and articulate what impelled you to convert. Consider what life-changes you have already made, and what changes you plan to make in the future. And be prepared to talk about your plans for future study.

Choosing a Hebrew Name
If the bet din decides to approve your conversion, the dayanim (judges) may well ask you to choose a Jewish-Hebrew name for yourself at the conclusion of your interview. Alternatively, you may be asked to choose your new name only after circumcision or mikveh. It is best to decide in advance what name to pick. If you had adopted a Hebrew name previously, you probably will not need to change it, but can accept that name officially at the time of your conversion.

One of God's first creative acts was providing names for His creations. Adam demonstrated the creative power of humanity by giving names, as well: 'And Adam gave names to all cattle and to the birds of the air and to every beast of the field' (Genesis 2:20). In choosing a name for your new self you join God, as it were, in an act of creation. Many of the 'converts' mentioned in Torah - Abraham, Sarah, and Jethro, for example - also changed their names when they converted, as a sign of their new identity.

You should like the name you choose - what it means and how it sounds - and it should be appropriate for the new value system you are now accepting. You may choose the name of a Jewish relative or friend whom you wish to honor and/or remember, or perhaps of a hero or heroine in the Bible or Jewish history. You could choose a name whose literal meaning expresses an idea which you like, or one that sounds like the name you were given at birth. It would be appropiate to look at the Torah reading of the Shabbatot just before/after your scheduled interview, or at the holiday calendar for additional ideas. There are, of course, hundreds (thousands?) of names in the Jewish heritage. Many are considered modern today, but some sound old-fashioned to Hebrew speakers. Check with an Israeli friend before you decide.

Please click here for a list of Hebrew names.

Technical Preparations

Who should come?
Though not officially required, it is advisable to have a close relative or friend with you in the waiting room, for support and encouragement before you appear before the dayanim and afterwards, as you await their decision. You should be accompanied by traditionally observant people who played significant roles in your conversion process, so that they can testify on your behalf. These 'character witnesses' may be your adoptive family who hosted you occasionally, your friends or rabbi from your synagogue, a teacher who taught you in the ulpan, or even religious friends, neighbors, or relatives. If you are married or engaged, your partner must accompany you, even if he is Jewish. (Warn the people who are good enough to come with you that they should to be prepared for long waits.)

How to dress?
Modest dress is one of the issues that the bet din will discuss with you. The dayanim will naturally take notice of the manner in which you are dressed and draw conclusions regarding your lifestyle. Make sure, therefore, to dress in modest, dignified, and respectful clothing.

Where to go?
Your interview in bet din will generally take place in the room adjacent to the registrar, where you opened your conversion file. Interviews are held in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Kiryat Shmoneh and Merkaz Shapira.

What to bring?
1. Your identity card including the sefach (addendum), or your passport.

2. Written recommendations that speak well of your conversion process. You must bring a letter from your adoptive family; without it, you will not be able to complete the conversion process. Even if your adoptive family accompanies you to bet din, it is best to bring a letter from them for your file. Try to bring additional recommendations from the rabbi of your synagogue or from religious neighbors and family members with whom you have developed a connection.

The Interview in Bet Din
When you arrive at bet din for your scheduled interview, you will probably meet other conversion candidates in the waiting room. Some may even be classmates from your conversion course. Although interviews are generally scheduled with thirty minutes allotted for each, and even though you show up in time set for your particular interview, the whole process could take several hours.

When you enter the interview hall, you will see before you three religious men, sitting as dayanim (rabbinic judges) in bet din (court). Their role in this court is not classically judicial; they do not arbitrate legal disputes or interpret laws. Rather they serve as faithful representatives of the Jewish community. The av bet din, the senior dayan sitting generally in the center, will conduct most of the interview with you. The representative of bet din with whom you met and/or the ulpan teacher with whom you studied will also be there, either of whom will represent your interests. Some of the interview halls are very austere, much like an official court room, with a raised platform on which the judges sit. Others are set up informally, with just chairs and tables. The interview is not open to the public, so no outside observers will be present. Occasionally, with the consent of both the conversion candidate and the dayanim, certain professionals or members of the press may attend. The interview is conducted as a direct, non-intermediated conversation, and not as an exam or interrogation. The atmosphere is usually warm and encouraging.

Before you enter the interview hall, the dayanim will have studied the documents in your file and heard the recommendation of the bet din representative or the teacher sitting beside them. Your file will most likely include your original application, a receipt of payment of the necessary fees, a photocopy of your identity card, your resume, a written report of your meeting(s) with the representative of the bet din, and recommendations from your ulpan teacher(s), adoptive family, and others. The dayanim will now ask to see your identity card and any documents or additional recommendations that you wish to present (eg. an updated letter from your adoptive family). The interview will then begin. If you have a spouse or children who are also converting, they will either be invited to the interview with you or immediately afterwards. If you are uncomfortable conversing in Hebrew, the interview can be conducted in a language you prefer, as long as there is an officer of bet din or an ulpan teacher who can translate.

The Questions
During the interview, generally takes 30-60 minutes, the dayanim will ask about the process you underwent in the previous year, your thoughts, beliefs, and way of life. Children are asked questions appropriate to their age. The questions you will be asked will fall into the following five categories:

Your motivation for converting:
The bet din will want to hear about your past and what prompted your decision to convert. Some of you will have been drawn by the Jewish tradition, its holidays and commandments. Others among you seek to return to Jewish roots, while yet others wish to convert because of a romantic relationship with a Jew or for purposes of social identification and acceptance. You should be aware of three halachic issues that will have bearing on your interview by bet din:

1. Improper motives for conversion: The bet din knows that many converts initially become interested in converting because of a Jewish partner or out of the desire for social integration. This is acceptable as long as the bet din can confirm that the prospective convert has developed a personal connection and commitment to Jewish tradition. The dayanim will want to hear whether, now that you have learned all about Judaism, your desire to convert has transcended your original motivation and you are interested in conversion for its own sake.

2. The intensity of your desire to convert: Occasionally the dayanim will attempt to dissuade you from converting or suggest that you postpone your conversion. This is not due to a negative impression that you have made upon them, but is rather a halachic directive that dates back to the time of the Talmud, regarding the correct manner in which to address potential converts: "When a person comes to convert in our days, we say to him, what impelled you to come to convert? Don't you know that the Jewish people in our days are wretched, oppressed, downtrodden, and exiled, and subject to afflictions? [In other words, it is difficult to be Jewish]" (Tractate Yevamot 47). The bet din will also outline Jewish doctrine regarding reward and punishment. According to that doctrine, a non-Jew is obligated in very few commandments. Should he choose to observe more, he is rewarded. He is not, of course, culpable if he chooses not to observe them. By converting, however, a person obligates himself in hundreds of these commandments, and now becomes culpable for their transgression. The bet din will want to hear whether, despite these challenges, you are still interested in becoming part of the Jewish people.

3. A Jewish father: Even though one's Jewish status is determined according to matrilineal and not patrilineal descent, it is of great significance to the bet din if the convert is the child of a Jewish father, as it views positively the return of the offspring of Jews to their Jewish roots. The same holds true, to a certain extent, regarding Jewish grandparents and relatives who lived through the horrors of the Holocaust.

Your religious world view:
The bet din will also be interested in your spiritual state, your beliefs and views. They will ask about your belief in God. (Do you believe in God? Where is He? How do you know He exists? Does He answer your prayers? How old is He?), the oneness of God (What are the differences between Jewish and Christian doctrine? Does Jesus have power? Can he help Christians?), about anthropomorphism (Does God have a form? How could He lack form? How did Moshe see Him?) reward and punishment (theodicy - why do bad things happen to good people?), the World to Come, Moshiach, redemption, personal Providence. Don't worry. The dayanim do not expect you to have mastered all of Jewish philosophy. They simply want to get an impression of your beliefs and views, particularly if you had formerly observed a different religion.

Your Jewish lifestyle:
The bet din wants to confirm that your Jewish knowledge is not purely theoretical or academic, but a 'living knowledge' that comes from the practicing a traditional lifestyle. For experienced people like the dayanim, the distinction is readily apparent after a short conversation. Don't try to fake a high level of observance. On the other hand, there is no need to worry even if you are not yet completely observant. You are not expected to be more familiar with Jewish life than is reasonable to expect given your particular personal history. You will be asked questions about regular religious practice (For example, how many times do you wind the tefillin straps around your arm? What is the structure of the prayer service Shabbat morning? When in the prayer service does one bow or take steps forward or back? When does Shabbat begin? How does one heat up food on Shabbat and festivals?). You will also be asked to recite by heart certain prayers in which fluency is expected of a someone who regularly says them. Thus, for example, you may be asked to recite certain blessings before food, the paragraphs of Shema and a few paragraphs from the Grace after meals.

Are your community and home conducive to a religious lifestyle?
The bet din will want to determine how feasible it is for you to live a Jewish life. The dayanim will, therefore, question you regarding: the neighborhood in which you live, the local synagogue, your parents (how will you explain to your mother that you can't eat her food? If your sister gets married in a church, will you attend the wedding?), your roommates, your adoptive family, and if you have children, how do you plan to give them a religious education? If your spouse is converting with you - s/he will also be questioned regarding her/his halachic knowledge, religious beliefs, and Jewish lifestyle changes - in order to ensure that s/he is ready to make the changes in her/his life, which will allow you to live a Jewish life together.

Your knowledge of halacha and tradition:
The bet din will want to ask you questions on different Jewish topics that you studied in your conversion course. You should not be concerned if you forget something - the bet din does not expect you to know everything. If they correct you or expand on your answer, you should not take this as a bad sign. The bet din simply wants to see that you have amassed a significant amount of Jewish knowledge, and they are happy to help you answer and give you hints when necessary. The bet din will ask you questions related to the following basic topics:

Shabbat - its positive and negative commandments, special prayers, and observance. For example: How does one eat hot food on Shabbat? Is it permissible to go for a walk on Shabbat? May one take a picnic along? What is muktzeh? How many times does one recite kiddush on Shabbat? How should one prepare tea on Shabbat? Is it permissible to apply makeup? What bracha is recited on the candles? How many 'forbidden labors' are there? What is the weekly portion?

Holidays and festivals - their laws, the historical event they commemorate, the nature of each day. The bet din will generally focus on recently observed or upcoming holidays. Typical questions include: How many days is Rosh Hashana? What is the date of Pesach? How many candles do we light on Chanuka? What is Tu Bishvat? How many fast days are there? What do they commemorate? What is Rosh Chodesh? Who are the heroes of Megillat Esther? What is today's Hebrew date?

Kashrut - koshering food, separation between milk and meat, and kashrut supervision. For example: How do we kosher chicken, fish, liver, lettuce? How do we determine whether we may eat in a particular restaurant? How much time should one wait between a hamburger and cheese or between chocolate and chicken? What laws pertain to new dishes or utensils?

Tefilla and blessings - the blessings recited before and after food, and the prayers of weekdays and of Shabbat. For example: What is the first thing we do in the morning? What are birchot hashachar? What bracha does one say before eating an apple? wine? bread? rice? What bracha does one recite after eating chocolate? bread? cake? a fruit from the seven species? What brachot does one say when receiving an aliya to the Torah? What is inside a mezuza?

Tanach - key stories and personalities in Tanach. For example: Who are the three patriarchs? Who was Rachel? Where did Moshe grow up? When was Adam created? How old is the world? What was given at Mount Sinai? Name some Jewish prophets. Name some Jewish kings.

Jewish history - Significant historical events. For example: When was the first Temple destroyed? When was the second Temple destroyed? To where were the Jews exiled? Who was Maimonides? In what year was the modern Jewish state established? What is the ingathering of the exiles?

Mitzvot and morality - Jewish values. For example: What is the proper way to treat a poor person? a convert? List some mitzvoth between man and his fellow man? What is the most important mitzvah (there is no one right answer)? What is your favorite mitzvah? How many mitzvoth are there? How must one dress? What laws apply to a married woman?

Once the dayanim feel that they have sufficient data to evaluate both your Jewish knowledge and the nature of your intentions, they will ask you to leave the room so that they can confer among themselves. If your adoptive family or other 'character witnesses' have accompanied you, the dayanim will invite them in on their own to convey their opinions and impressions. Occasionally, the dayanim will want to speak by telephone with one of your teachers or individuals involved in your conversion process. It is important to recognize that though the dayanim possess a vast knowledge of halacha and of the halachic sources which relate to conversion, Halacha grants great latitude to the dayanim to form personal impressions and to arrive at conclusions based on their impressions.

The decision regarding the conversion of minors who are not of age to give halachic-legal consent (girls under 12 and boys under 13) is made 'al daat' (through the guardianship and with the responsibility) of bet din and their parents or legal guardians who bring them to bet din, based on the premise that conversion to Judaism is a zechut (a merit) for these children.

After a brief consultation, the dayanim will ask you to enter. You generally will not have to wait more than a few minutes to receive their decision.

The Bet Din's Decision and Your Acceptance of Mitzvoth
The Bet din almost never rejects converts outright. In general, its decision will be one of the following:

1. If the bet din decides that you are not yet ready to convert, it will tell you so, highlight the areas which need improvement, suggest how to make improvements, and offer to schedule a new interview a few months hence. Sometimes, you will be given certain study assignments for the interim period. You may be allowed to complete other requirements during this period, such as brit milah, with the consent of the bet din.

2. If the bet din decides you may convert, it will inform you that 'we have decided to accept you', wish you 'b'shaah tovah', and 'welcome to the Jewish nation'. This is generally a very emotional, and sometimes tearful moment. In some instances, you will be asked to stand and make the following declaration of your loyalty to the Jewish religion and your commitment to observe the commandments:

I, hereby, accept upon myself to observe and fulfill all the commandments of the Torah, all the commandments of the Sages, and all the valid customs of the Jewish nation, and I believe in the one God. "אֲנִי מְקָבֵּל/ת עַל עַצְמִי לִשְׁמֹר וְלְקַיֵּם אֶת כָּל מִצְוֹת הַתּוֹרָה,
אֶת כָּל מִצְוֹת הַחֲכָמִים וְאֶת כָּל הַמִנְהָגִים הַכְּשֵׁרִים שֶׁל עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל
וְאֲנִי מַאֱמִין/נָה בְּהַשֵּׁם אֶחָד".

If you prefer, you may recite this declaration in a different language, assuming there is a suitable translator present.

Afterwards, the bet din will ask you to cover your eyes with your right hand, as you do during prayer, and declare the unity of God:

"Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One" (Deuteronomy 6:4) "שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֲדֹנָי אֶחָד" (דברים ו 4).

Receiving a Jewish Name
The bet din will ask you to choose a Jewish name for yourself, which it will write on the referral form for the brit milah and mikveh.. If you did not choose a name in advance, the dayanim will suggest different possibilities. If you want to postpone your decision regarding your new name until your ritual immersion, you may ask the dayanim for permission to do so.

The dayanim will sign the certificate of conversion, and the court officer will give a man a referral form for brit milah or hatafat dam brit (a symbolic taking of a drop of blood) and a man or woman a form for tevilah, along with explanations and directions. The first part is now behind you.

Mazal Tov and welcome!

Tell a friend

Conversion

The Ceremony - The Rabbinical Court