Evergreen

Conversion History: Middle Ages

In the face of persecution and legal restriction, codifiers of Jewish law chose survival over proselytization.

Going to the Mikveh: The Day After

As both symbol and expression of the profound change required of a convert to Judaism, the mikveh (mikvah) is often a deeply emotional experience.

Going to the Mikveh: The Day Before

With the ritual bath's echoes of sexuality and its demand for self-abnegation, the prospect of immersion can create some trepidation for the prospective convert.

Why Some Holidays Last Longer Outside Israel

Israelis and liberal Jews observe fewer days for some holidays than traditional Diaspora Jews.

The Denial of Free Will in Hasidic Thought

According to some Hasidic thinkers, human free will is an illusion; God causes all human actions.

The Influence of Non-Jewish Thinking on Jewish Thought

Jewish thinkers have both embraced and directly reacted to foreign ideas and philosophies.

Jewish Thinkers & Thought 101

It is difficult to speak of a single or official Jewish worldview, theology, or philosophy. Instead, we must speak of Jewish theologies and philosophies: the various and varied religious worldviews articulated during Judaism's long history.

Conversion History: Secularization of the Jewish Mission

While the early Reform movement presented selected universal, liberal moral teachings as the core of Judaism, the contemporary Reform movement is rediscovering many particularistic Jewish practices.

Conversion History: Orthodox and Conservative Understandings

Orthodoxy maintains a strict legal approach to conversion, while Conservative Judaism has responded pragmatically rather than ideologically.

Free Will in Judaism 101

Jewish tradition assumes that our actions are significant.

Advertisement