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The evolution of Israel as a nation into Judaism as a religion was paralleled by a move from assimilation of strangers to a more formal idea of conversion.

Jewish attitudes toward conversion began to change as spouses of non-Jews remained loyal to Judaism and more converts chose Judaism.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

Medieval commentators suggested justifications for God's hardening Pharaoh's heart.

Kaddish Yatom, an Aramaic prayer glorifying God, is recited by mourners.

Excerpts from the Reform Movement's Guidelines for Working with Prospective Converts

Excerpts from June 2001 Conference