Can you help a non-Aussie?

Hello,

I'm a Canadian living in Asia, nowhere near a non-Orthodox Jewish community, and am highly interested in learning more about (progressive) Judaism in support of a possible conversion in the near to mid-future. It appears you have online Intro classes.

My questions are obvious. Do you take non-Australian tutees residing outside of Australia? Also, are there any significant differences between your presentation of Judaism and that presented by the Reform movement (in Canada, in case that's a significant point)?

Thanks,

Sarah

Hi Sarah,

The basic answer is yes - we certainly welcome students from outside Australia, and Progressive Judaism as taught on our course is a 'close sibling' of US/Canadian Reform (we are all members of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, wupj.org).  The US/Canadian movement covers a spectrum from more traditional to very liberal, and we tend to be towards the more traditional in practice and learning, but more liberal end in terms of beliefs etc.

The more complex answer is that ours is an 'Introduction to Judaism' course.  It would prepare you well to complete conversion in Canada (or with us).  But to convert, it is necessary to have a developing relationship with a congregation, so you can attend shabbat and festival services and become part of a community.  It is very hard to be a Jew on your own - and virtually impossible to convert on your own.

We had an excellent student from deepest New Zealand - she completed the course and attended our December open weekends in Melbourne twice running several years ago.  But she then decided to move to Melbourne six months ago and has become involved with the community and attending several times weekly - and went to the Bet Din (Jewish Court) and was accepted last month.  

I hope this is a useful response. If you have not already done so I would refer you to https:// progressivejudaism.blogspot.com to read my responses to a range of other queries, and to http://pjv.org.au/education/introduction-judaism-online

where you can do two free trial introductory sessions and then get registered and started if you wish.

If you could give me a bit more background about yourself, family/partner, where exactly you are located to see if we have a community in the vicinty etc, it will help me give you better guidance.

Shabbat Shalom (the greeting leading up to shabbat)

Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black

I've started - can you help me finish?

Dear Rabbi . I have been in touch with a colleague of yours in the Union for Progressive Judaism as I am living in Australia.

They advised me to get in touch with you re conversion requirements.

I have done an on-line course with an organisation based in the U.S.A but I don't know if it's the real thing.

I haven't been before a bet din (Jewish court) there or been to a mikva (ritual bath), but I have done all the study modules.

Sorry to trouble you but I am anxious to convert in a way that will be acceptable and allow me to become an active member of the Jewish community in Australia.

 

Hi Jessica,

Can you send me the overview of the modules and study that you have done?

Also have a look at the questions I have sent you.  If you feel you can answer these confidently then it would suggest you have done the basic 'academic learning' we require. If not, we'll need to arrange some topping up.  If you'd like to try to answer them as best you can, using work and learning you've done, plus books and internet, then I'm happy to review them to identify what we'd need to do.

In particular it would be useful for you to get an overview of progressive Jewish concepts in our region, for which I recommend our course book 'A Judaism for the Twenty-First Century'  which I adapted from the British Progressive movement. You can get it on line from Amazon or I can get one sent to you for Au$25 plus postage (call the office to order by credit card +61 3 9819 7160).

Before you go before the Bet Din you will also need to take an 'Inventory' for which you'll need to go in to one of our congregations and complete a paper without books, internet etc.  There is no pass mark for this but it does give us an idea of how much you actually have retained in your mind as opposed to in notes - for example what is the Hebrew year; what is the next main festival?

And before this, you'll also need to be able to read hebrew - hebrew gives access to Jewish ritual such as blessings.  This is because the Inventory asks you what certain blessings are for - easy ones, except that it writes them in hebrew, so you won't be able to answer unless you can decipher them!

I assume that you learned to read hebrew as part of the American course, but if not you'll need to find a Hebrew course, or else I have written a self-teaching, self-checking hebrew primer called 'Hebrew from Zero'.   Again you can get this on-line or we can send it to you for Au$20 plus postage, or if you get both books we will waive the postage charges.

Before the Bet Din you will also need a relationship with a congregation, and to have attended regular shabbat services as well as festivals, and in particular the main ones including Passover Seder and High Holydays.  You will need your own copy of our prayer book (Siddur) called Mishkan T'filah - World Union Edition. You will be able to get this from the congregation if you do not yet have one.  It costs $65.

I do apologise that this looks like a list of extra costs - that is not my intention and I have minimised the costs as much as possible.  What I am trying to do is to assist in completing your conversion by a recognised and reputable Bet Din in the shortest appropriate time frame.

You might also be interested to know that we hold a Shabbat weekend in December here in Melbourne, specially aimed for those going through the Introduction to Judaism course.

Please feel free to contact me with further questions. 

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Jonathan