"Wherever you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people are my people, and your God is my God; where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried." (Ruth 1:16-17). For thousands of years, Ruth and others have been joining themselves to the Jewish people, accepting both our history and our destiny as theirs. The details of joining the Jewish people have changed over the centuries, but the general procedure remains the same since the time the rabbis first discussed the issue in the Talmud. To become a Jew, a person must act not for any ulterior motive; rather, one must accept Judaism as his or her exclusive religious practice and the Jewish people as his or her nation.

The beginning of the procedure requires exploring the Jewish community. At our synagogue, this means attending both our Reform and Conservative services the evening and morning of Shabbat, and getting to know the rabbis and other members of the congregation. In addition, an individual should explore other synagogues in Sydney and meet the rabbis there as well to discuss with them their approach to conversion. Attendance at education courses and reading of basic background books, both fiction and non-fiction, is also required. Because becoming a Jew is more than accepting a faith - it is adopting a history, observing the mitzvot (commandments) and traditions in a daily way of life and connecting to a nation with a particular destiny - the process of conversion takes at least one year.

At the end of the period of study and internalisation of tradition, the person desiring to convert will answer certain questions before a Bet Din (a court of three rabbis) regarding belief and practice. Males must be circumcised, and both men and women immerse themselves in the mikvah (the ritual bath) as part of conversion.

We look forward to welcoming you at Emanuel Synagogue.

For further details, you may download the following documents: