AboutRabbi Barry Dov Lerner Expertise Write to me with questions about Jewish customs and law, history,
philosophy and tradition for answers from a Conservative perspective or conversion. I am a graduate of The Jewish Theological Seminary and a member of the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly. Having served in congregational pulpits since 1970, I now am President of the Foundation For Family Education, Inc. a non-profit educational endeavor. I established it to create new formats of hands-on programs and provide free educational downloads at www.jewishfreeware.org. In addition to general informational questions I welcome your questions about programs for social action, outreach to dual-faith families, inter-faith clergy projects, healing services, education for conversion, adult education for the congregation and the community. If you have questions about Informal and Formal Education I am ready to share my extensive experience with Youth Activities, Camping and Religious School/Hebrew High School on a congregational, community and national/international level.
Experience I have served on the National Youth Commission for more than 25 years and serve on the Boards of the Conservative Zionist movement MERCAZ and the World Council of Synagogues. I have always dual-families and taught candidates for conversion with a great sense of fulfillment. I am very proud of 25 years on the Jewish camping staff of Camps Ramah. My greatest source of pride is my family! Ask me about them, please!:-)
Question I am reading a book called Turbulent Souls by Stephen J. Dubner. It describes his family's history. His parents were born Jewish and both converted to Catholicism before they married and had children. Stephen Dubner himself rediscovered Judaism and practices it. My question: since his parents renounced Judaism before he was born, is Stephen (their son) considered a Jew or would he have to have converted to be considered Jewish?
Answer Dear Dave,
Thanks for writing about a very complicated question.
On the one hand, traditional Jewish law has held that even if a Jew converts out of Judaism, that Jew is regarded as a "sinning" Jew but one who remains technically a Jew. Hence, even if a Jewish woman converts to another faith, technically her child would be born as a Jew and not require formal conversion, even if raised in another faith.
My own response is respectful of technical Jewish law but would encourage - at the least - a complete Jewish education as would be given to anyone converting to Judaism.
If one is born to a Jewish woman who lives as a Catholic, raises that child as a Catholic and educates that child in Catholicism, it would be follish to believe that the child could "switch faiths" as one switches a light on or off.
Instead, when such an occasion has occurred in my career, I have encouraged the individual to live as a Jew for a year, study Judaism for that year, learn Hebrew sufficient to participate in home and synagogue Jewish worship and rituals, Jewish history, begin the study of traditional texts such as Bible and commentaries, survey Jewish theology - and there is more than one theology, learn the content of the Jewish life cycle and the Jewish calendar cycle and celebrate those days meaningfully, affiliate with the Jewish community, etc.
Afterwards, I offer that person the opportunity to use the immersion in a mikveh which is also a tradition for a convert but here to celebrate returning to their faith as a Jew. If it is a male, I would guide that person to either a ritual circumcision or the symbolic brit milah.
Thus, while accepting the traditional notion of descent from a Jewish mother, the most important element is affiliation with a Jewish community, study of the Jewish heritage and then have sufficient information and experience with which to declare themselves "returned" to the faith of their ancestors.
The final act is for them to attend a service at which the Torah is read and accept an aliyah (honor) for the reading, recite the appropriate blessings in Hebrew knowledgably and in this fashion know that s/he has truly been welcomed back into the Jewish People.
I hope that this is adequately responsive to your wonderful question.
