Author Topic: Should Converts only date Converts?  (Read 27987 times)

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Offline mord

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #25 on: May 06, 2007, 09:00:56 PM »
Well i know a few converts and they don'nt celebrate Christmas,theconverts i know are orthodox.One girl i know goes to her father on Christmas he's rich she does'nt sleep or eat by his house she only gos to get a big present a few thousand dollars


:)   What a proud father he must be.
I just think he wishes she would return to being a Catholic but shes so religious for 13 yrs i doubt it.
Thy destroyers and they that make thee waste shall go forth of thee.  Isaiah 49:17

 
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Offline MarZutra

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #26 on: May 15, 2007, 05:31:14 PM »
Just caught the end of this discussion.  Of course converts can be with any other Jew as they are just as Jewish as any of us as per Torah Law and must be respected.  I don't know about this fellow that came on and left.  Oh well.. I agree with both of you Yacov and Mord..
"‘Vehorashtem/Numbers 33:53’: When you burn out the Land’s inhabitants, you will merit to bestow upon your children the Land as an inheritance. If you do not burn them out, then even if you conquer the Land, you will not merit to allot it to your children as an inheritance." - Ovadiah ben Yacov Sforno; Italian Rabbi, Biblical Commentator, Philosopher and Physician.  1475-1550.

Offline Israel7

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #27 on: July 21, 2007, 12:44:49 PM »
There is no bigger oddball on the face of this planet than a black convert to the Jewish nation.
Nobody can convert to the Jewish nation. Convertion is between religions and Judaism isn't a religion and the word for this process is not convertion but Giur. Giur is not convertion.

For example, someone who belongs to the Japanese nation: tomorrow he is saying that the salvation is in the following of jesus so he converted to Christianity. Next week he is saying that Muhamad is the messenger of G-d so he converted to Islam. But he is still Japanese, he didn't change his nationality identity. Judaism isn't a religion like invented dreams that nobody witnessed to them and which are in the oppostie to the words of G-d in the revelation in mt. Sinai, as Christianity and Islam. Judaism is a nation because Jews are descendants of Judah and Judaism is also historic events of an entire nation.

Those who do Giur aren't Jews because Jews are people whos mother are Jewish. Those who do Giur are gentiles who decided to follow the 613 Torah commandments and to live among the Jewish people, they are Ger, therefore they are called Ger Tzedek.

There are also mentioned in the 18 pray.

They can't be Jewish because their nationality is different than the Jewish nationality, just like I can't "convert" to the Japanese nation.

The children of Ger Tzedek will be considered as Jews.
« Last Edit: July 21, 2007, 12:49:40 PM by Israel7 »

Offline MassuhDGoodName

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #28 on: July 21, 2007, 02:29:09 PM »
Re:  "...There is no bigger oddball on the face of this planet than a black convert to the Jewish nation..."

You're just jealous that you didn't have a smash hit with "Candy Man", and sell out Caesar's Palace! (with Mae Britt waiting for you upstairs after the show in Room 422!).

Sounds like one truly blessed "oddball" to me!

newman

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #29 on: July 21, 2007, 05:21:56 PM »
There is no bigger oddball on the face of this planet than a black convert to the Jewish nation.
Nobody can convert to the Jewish nation. Convertion is between religions and Judaism isn't a religion and the word for this process is not convertion but Giur. Giur is not convertion.

For example, someone who belongs to the Japanese nation: tomorrow he is saying that the salvation is in the following of jesus so he converted to Christianity. Next week he is saying that Muhamad is the messenger of G-d so he converted to Islam. But he is still Japanese, he didn't change his nationality identity. Judaism isn't a religion like invented dreams that nobody witnessed to them and which are in the oppostie to the words of G-d in the revelation in mt. Sinai, as Christianity and Islam. Judaism is a nation because Jews are descendants of Judah and Judaism is also historic events of an entire nation.

Those who do Giur aren't Jews because Jews are people whos mother are Jewish. Those who do Giur are gentiles who decided to follow the 613 Torah commandments and to live among the Jewish people, they are Ger, therefore they are called Ger Tzedek.

There are also mentioned in the 18 pray.

They can't be Jewish because their nationality is different than the Jewish nationality, just like I can't "convert" to the Japanese nation.

The children of Ger Tzedek will be considered as Jews.

I'd seek a Rabbinical opinion there Israel7. The whole purpose of a Kosher conversion is to make people part of the Jewish Nation. Are you saying Ruth - mother of David wasn't Jewish? Part of a Kosher conversion involves moving to a Jewish community so one absorbs the culture and not just the religious values.

Non-Jews who choose to live amongst the Jews as righteous gentiles are called Ger Toshav.

Again, I could be wrong but I'd get the opinion of a Rabbi. I've always read that a Kosher conversion actually gives the convert a Jewish soul and makes them "as Jewish as Moshe".

Offline Israel7

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #30 on: July 21, 2007, 07:16:04 PM »
Quote from: newman
I'd seek a Rabbinical opinion there Israel7. The whole purpose of a Kosher conversion is to make people part of the Jewish Nation. Are you saying Ruth - mother of David wasn't Jewish?
Of course she wasn't Jewish because her mother isn't Jewish and I think I talked about it before. Ruth was a Ger Tzedek.

Quote from: newman
Part of a Kosher conversion involves moving to a Jewish community so one absorbs the culture and not just the religious values.
You are using the word convertion, and again I'm telling you that it's not convertion. Giur is not convertion.

Quote from: newman
Non-Jews who choose to live amongst the Jews as righteous gentiles are called Ger Toshav.
So? You aren't telling me anything new. I've already knew that Ger Toshav are gentiles who live in the land of Israel and follow the 7 laws of Noach. They may live near the Jews but they don't have any connection to the 613 Torah commandments that Jews follow. Ger Tzedek is a Ger who follows the 613 Torah commandments. He can live in Israel or outside Israel. What was the purpose in telling me something I've already knew?

Quote from: newman
Again, I could be wrong but I'd get the opinion of a Rabbi. I've always read that a Kosher conversion actually gives the convert a Jewish soul and makes them "as Jewish as Moshe".
Yes you are wrong cause every rabbi (who knows anything about Judaism) will tell you that those who do Giur (what you call "convert to Judaism") are called Ger Tzedek and not Jews (althoug people who don't have knowledge, like me couple of years ago, because I also called them Jews).

I've been told that a cow isn't a horse because the name of the cow is cow and not a horse and same is the opposite. If a cow and a horse would have been the same then they would had the same name.

Same goes for Jews and for Ger Tzedek.

In the 13 part of the 18 pray this is a pray to G-d to have mercy on the house of Israel and and on the Ger Tzedek. Here's another example why they are different. If you put Tfilin each morning you should have known that.


newman

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #31 on: July 21, 2007, 07:19:40 PM »
If Ruth was not Jewish, then King David wasn't either.

Offline Israel7

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #32 on: July 21, 2007, 08:50:37 PM »
If Ruth was not Jewish, then King David wasn't either.
Again you are wrong. She wasn't Jewish and he was.

For the G-d knows which time I'm telling you that she wasn't Jewish because her mother wasn't Jewish, she was a Ger Tzedek. I've already told you that children of Ger Tzedek and their Jewish partners are considered to be Jewish.

You are repeating your misleading words in couple of posts although you got the answers from someone who knows. What do you want to achieve by this silly tactics of yours?

And I find it very funny that non Jews are trying to give lessons of who is a Jew to those who knows a little bit more than them in these kind of issues.

I will not continue this dailogue because I've already made the points couple of times in this thread.

« Last Edit: July 21, 2007, 08:56:54 PM by Israel7 »

newman

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #33 on: July 21, 2007, 08:56:23 PM »
If Ruth was not Jewish, then King David wasn't either.
For the G-d knows which time I'm telling you that she wasn't Jewish because her mother wasn't Jewish. I've already told you that children of Ger Tzedek are considered to be Jewish.

I will not continue this dailogue because I made the points couple of times

Sorry, must have missed it when you sid that.

Not Jewish....Noachide Chassid. I can only go off Rabinnical opinion, which is hard because they differ a lot of the time. Have a look at this Wkipedia article. If it's wrong it should be corrected.


Conversion to Judaism (Hebrew גיור, giur, "conversion") is the religious conversion of a previously non-Jewish person to the Jewish religion and to the Jewish people. The procedure for conversion depends on the sponsoring denomination, and hinges on meeting the ritual and substantive requirements for such conversion. A convert to Judaism is referred to as a ger tzedek (Hebrew: "righteous proselyte" or "proselyte [of] righteousness") or simply ger ("stranger" or "proselyte"). In Russian the terms Gery and Gerami are used for Subbotniks who have adopted all aspects of Judaism. One of the most famous converts to Judaism was Ruth from whom the Davidic line decended. During the reign of King Solomon converts were not accepted. This will also be the case during the Messianic Era.




Offline mord

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #34 on: July 21, 2007, 09:00:16 PM »
I don'nt know if in Ruth's times you had to convert i think you just became a Jew by following the law
Thy destroyers and they that make thee waste shall go forth of thee.  Isaiah 49:17

 
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Offline Israel7

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #35 on: July 21, 2007, 09:01:57 PM »
Quote from: newman
Jewish religion
Judaism isn't religion. I've already talked about that in my posts in the thread about the pope in the save Israel sub-forum.

Convertion is Hamara in Hebrew, and that's not the meaning of the word Giur. In case you are quoting from Wikipedia - Wikipedia is a good source of information but they also make mistakes because the one who wrote the quote you gave has no knowledge at all about Judaism if he calls it in the name of religion.

« Last Edit: July 21, 2007, 09:09:44 PM by Israel7 »

Offline Israel7

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #36 on: July 21, 2007, 09:09:22 PM »
When someone wants to be a Christian he converts to Christianity and from that day he is called a Christian.

When someone wants to be a Muslim he converts to Islam and from that day he is called a Muslim.

When someone wants to be a Realist he converts to Realism (the French "prophet") and from that day he is called a Realist.

When someone wants to be a Jewish he can't be Jewish because his mother isn't Jewish, he is staying the man he was and he keeps his nationality, he isn't called a Jew but a different name, a Ger Tzedek, the meaning of the word Ger is foreigner, and he doesn't do any convertion.

newman

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #37 on: July 21, 2007, 09:13:04 PM »
Quote from: newman
Jewish religion
Judaism isn't religion. I've already talked about that in my posts in the thread about the pope in the save Israel sub-forum.

Convertion is Hamara in Hebrew, and that's not the meaning of the word Giur. In case you are quoting from Wikipedia - Wikipedia is a good source of information but they also make mistakes because the one who wrote the quote you gave has no knowledge at all about Judaism if he calls it in the name of religion.

I won't continue to talk in this thread.

Didn't wish to give offence, Son of Israel. I have NO views about the subject. I only take onboard what Orthodox Rabbis write.

Rabbi Benjamin Blech's two books that I have state that Judaism is a religion and Jewish is an ethnicity or Nation. Your opinion (which I value BTW) is different. Now I have to ask another Rabbi for a clarrification. LOL. At times like this I'm glad I only have to worry about the Sheva Mitzvot. ;)

Offline mord

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #38 on: July 21, 2007, 09:19:14 PM »
Now i have to tell my friend who became a jewish 13 yrs ago she's not Jewish ??? i think anyone who becomes a Jew is a Jew .Ager tzedik is a rightgeous person who is not Jewish who lives in Israel,or just a technical term for a convert who is a real convert
Thy destroyers and they that make thee waste shall go forth of thee.  Isaiah 49:17

 
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newman

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #39 on: July 21, 2007, 09:21:40 PM »
Now i have to tell my friend who became a jewish 13 yrs ago she's not Jewish ??? i think anyone who becomes a Jew is a Jew .Ager tzedik is a rightgeous person who is not Jewish who lives in Israel,or just a technical term for a convert who is a real convert

I'm not going to tell CosmoKramer he's not Jewish.....he'll hit me! :-X

Offline MassuhDGoodName

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #40 on: July 21, 2007, 11:04:47 PM »
Re:  "...When someone wants to be a Jewish he can't be Jewish because his mother isn't Jewish, he is staying the man he was and he keeps his nationality, he isn't called a Jew but a different name, a Ger Tzedek, the meaning of the word Ger is foreigner, and he doesn't do any convertion..."

Who's going to break the news to Mae Britt? :-*

She'll be devastated >:( -- for years everyone congratulated her for her "good fortune" in finding a "Jew" to marry! ;)

I, for one, don't want to be around, when she finds out that "the rich Jew" she thought she married just turns out to be some "shuck & jive" negro singing "Candyman" for rich white folks who bought a ticket to see him!  :o 8) :o 8) :o

newman

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #41 on: July 21, 2007, 11:15:41 PM »
Just to throw the above debate into more confusion:

JEIR (GER) DEFINITIONS:

STUDY THESE (ANCIENT) THREE JEIR DEFINITIONS:

JEIR: (non-Jew/resident-alien/stranger): Most Jeirim (eventually) converted (in olden times), which is why the term Jeir eventually blurred with "convert." However, when the Jeir converts, Orthodox halahah (law) then recognizes him or her as a Jew(ess). The Jew(ess) -- whom Orthodox halahah prohibits from even being reminded of their non-Jewish past -- is then no longer refered to as a Jeir(âh)--other than at important halahic times (i.e.: Marriage and Aliyah) where his/her status is must be known. This is important. A Jeir must be recognized by a Beit Din as learning - and applying as he learns - to become non-selectively Torah observant and integrating into the Jewish community, with the goal of converting (except when circumstances prohibit conversion).

As the widely acknowledged world's foremost expert in Hellenism, Louis H. Feldman, makes clear in his article in the Biblical Archaeology Review (86.09-10, p. 58ff), in both Biblical and Talmudic times, these non-Jews were unconverted proselytes to Judaism called Jeirim.

JEIR SEDDEQ: These were some of the many Jeirim (non-Jews) who, either because they feared circumcision or were married to a non-Jew who didn't want to convert, never converted.

Upon becoming conversant and responsible to the entirety of Torah like a Jew, the Jeir Toshav (see definition below) who didn't convert was then instead recognized as a Jeir Seddeq (who was still not a Jew). This category actually fell outside the category of the confirmed idolater who didn't convert. This term has taken on a totally different meaning in modern times. I believe I've heard it used to refer to righteous Jewish Proselytes. But this could not have possibly been it's original meaning--because they were not Jews and yet they were not idolaters either--because they never resolved themselves to be circumcised in their Jeir Toshav status. But they remain non-Jews.

JEIR TOSHAV: A Jeir toshav is a non-Jew candidate for conversion to Judaism, who had come before a legitimate Beit Din (i.e. in the legitimate Jewish community') and had been recognized as a non-Jew, with probationary status in the Jewish community, committed to learning, and keeping as they learn, Torah and halahah.

Non-Jews never came to Judaism already Torah-observant and satisfying all of the requirements for being converted. When non-Jews became interested in learning about Judaism they required a special status to distinguish them above the Benei Noah (non-Jews who followed the seven Noahide Laws). Upon coming before, and being recognized by the Beit Din as 1) keeping the Noakhide laws and 2) committed to learning and practicing the rest of Torah-observance, these postulants to Judaism were granted the status of Jeir toshav (fem. Jeirah toshevet). In the Talmudic discussion of the requisites for becoming a Jeir toshav, R. Meir is of the opinion that renunciation of idolatry is the only requisite. His colleagues made the acceptance of all seven Noahide laws requisite, and others made the acceptance of all the commandments of the Torah requisite, with the exception of the prohibition of eating non-kosher meat, for which gentiles were seen as being specifically exempted by Scripture.

The Relevant verses are:

"Who is a Jeir toshav? Whoever has resolved to convert and has renounced idolatry but who still has not actually converted. We allow him twelve months to do so. This applies to a Jeir toshav, but as for a gentile it is forbidden for him to dwell among Jews and to work on the Sabbath lest the Jews learn from his deeds" (Tannaitic text published 40 years ago called MRE, sec.20, 374. See P. Yeb 8.1 / Also referenced by the Saadyah Gaon ca. 1000) ** Side note: I have been unable to verify this source though.

"Who is a Jeir Toshav (resident alien)? – Whoever, in the presence of three rabbinical fellows (haberim), obligates himself not to worship idols. This is the opinion of R. Meir. But the sages say whoever obligates himself for the seven commandments for which the sons of Noah obligated themselves. Others say… who is a resident alien? Whoever eats non-kosher meat but who obligates himself to uphold all the commandments in the Torah except the prohibition of eating non-kosher meat." (B. Az 64b. See P. Yeb 8.1)

BEN NOAH vs JEIR:

JEIR: Lit. "resident-alien." In Medieval & Modern Hebrew: "proselyte." In Biblical through Talmudic Hebrew: a non-Jew neophyte


Note that the difference between a Jeir and a Ben Noah is as follows:
the Jeir makes a lifetime commitment to learn, and applies what he learns non-selectively AS he learns (ie: no picking and choosing) 
the Jeir goes before a legitimate beit din which thereafter recognizes him as a geir (or her as a geirâh) / CONVERT to Judaism.
By contrast, the BEN NOAH:
isn't necessarily committed to observe - non-selectively - anything beyond the Seven Noahide laws, and
hasn't been recognized by a legitimate beit din as having made such a commitment and, therefore, hasn't been recognized by a legitimate beit din as a Jeir.
Rambam/Maimonides: commandments concerning righteous converts
 
Postivive command #207:  To love the convert, as it is written "love ye the stranger" (Deuteronomy 10,19).
 
Negative command #252:  Not to wrong converts in speech, as it is written "and a stranger shalt thou not wrong" (Exodus 22,20).
 
Negative command #253:  Not to wrong the convert in buying and selling, as it is written "neither shalt thou oppress him" (Exodus 22,20).
 
Negative Command #256: Exodus 22:22 - Not afflicting the orphans and widows.
Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
 
Negative command #280:  Not to pervert the judgment of converts and orphans, as it is written "thou shalt not pervert the justice due to the stranger, or to the fatherless" (Deuteronomy 24,17).
COMMENT ON ABOVE:

I'm not entirely sure what the suggestion is that you quoted. If the suggestion is that someone who wanted to convert, to become a Ger Tzedek, was first required to undergo a test period as a Ger Toshav before he converted, I would say interesting and, if true, an excellent idea on the part of the tannaim and/or amoraim. If the suggestion is that originally a Ger Toshav was someone who HAD to convert after a period of time, I would say that this is a difficult idea which needs much more proof than offered. I'm not familiar with the MRE. However, the passages in TY Yevamot 8:1 and TB Avodah Zarah 65a seems to support the theory I quoted in an earlier post that a Ger Toshav can accept whichever mitzvot he wishes with a minimum, that is debated by tannaim. The passage in TY Yevamot 8:1 (44a) is difficult to read. The Ridbaz tries to infer from the Rambam's Mishneh Torah how the Rambam read the passage. According to the Ridbaz, all of the cases in that passage are of a Ger Toshav who accepted different levels of mitzvah observance but DID NOT accept to be circumcised. Even if the passage can be read simply (I'm not sure that it can) and a Ger Toshav can accept all of the mitzvot, that still does not equate him with a Ger Tzedek. A Ger Tzedek has the intent to become a Jew and join the Jewish people and immerses in a mikvah for that purpose. A Ger Toshav does not have that intent and therefore remains a gentile. The passage in TB A"Z 65a quotes a tannaitic source who says that a Ger Toshav who is not circumcised within 12 months is considered to be a regular gentile i.e. he loses his status of Ger Toshav. An amora then explains that this is referring to a Ger Toshav who accepted to circumcize himself. In other words, if a Ger Toshav does not fulfill the conditions of his acceptance then his acceptance is nullified. From neither sources do I see any proof for the suggestion that a Ger Toshav is a Ger Tzedek-in-training. Gil Student


Offline Shlomo

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #42 on: July 21, 2007, 11:18:49 PM »
Wow, newman! Ya... let's see more of that.
"In the final analysis, for the believer there are no questions, and for the non-believer there are no answers." -Chofetz Chaim

newman

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #43 on: July 21, 2007, 11:23:51 PM »
Wow, newman! Ya... let's see more of that.

 :laugh: :laugh:

I didn't write it!..........It's one of many downloadable differing opinions.

PS: Someone better get a Sanhedrin that everyone can agree on up and running or nobody will know if their on foot or horseback.

Offline takebackourtemple

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #44 on: July 21, 2007, 11:32:34 PM »
   To be a convert to Judaism someone has to convert with the true intention of being a Jew and accepting the Torah. If someone converts soley for a different reason such as marriage, they are not really Jewish. If someone truly converts to Judaism, they should be allowed to marry anyone who is Jewish. If someone converts just so they can marry a Jew, it is a different story.
Does it bother you that you have to face the dome and the rock to say the sh'ma?

Offline mord

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #45 on: July 22, 2007, 08:50:37 AM »
Thats what i said
Thy destroyers and they that make thee waste shall go forth of thee.  Isaiah 49:17

 
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Offline Kananga

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #46 on: July 26, 2007, 05:15:22 PM »
That's just it.  Since the Jewish community will not fully accept me as a Jew, then I should marry whoever I want without feeling I have to fulfill this "obligation".  Besides, most jewish guys I know are dating/married to non-jewish women anyway.   The majority of converts, Gerim, or whatever you refer to us as do so with the intention to marry a Jewish man, so the chance that I would ever have a romantic interest in another convert is slim to none.

Offline Shlomo

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #47 on: July 26, 2007, 08:22:22 PM »
Did you convert, Kananga? I don't know your situation so I'm only guessing.

Jewish people should only marry other Jews and live by Torah. For example, I don't see how someone could keep kosher if they lived with someone who didn't follow any of the dietary laws.
"In the final analysis, for the believer there are no questions, and for the non-believer there are no answers." -Chofetz Chaim

Offline Kananga

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #48 on: July 27, 2007, 11:17:08 AM »
Yes, I have underwent a halachic conversion and consider myself a Jew by faith.  The term "Jewish" to me implies ethnicity, as in Ashkenazic or Sephardic, to which I am neither. 

Why kid myself?  It's the same thing as someone chooses to identify as an Ashkenazic jew, white atheist, or Irish Catholic.  Nor am I going to agonize over the idea of gaining acceptance into the Jewish community for the rest of my life.  I mean really... who do you know who wastes themselves worrying about stuff like that all the time.  I self-identify as a Black Jew, and although it's my choice to do so, in reality it's the only choice I really have.

I'm a vegetarian.  I only eat kosher cheese.  I've kashered or replaces all of my plates and installed a metal sink.  If I meet someone who agrees with my lifestyle, who doesn't make a big deal out of me wearing a tzit-tzit, or going to synagogue to worship, I don't see what the problem is.

Offline Shlomo

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Re: Should Converts only date Converts?
« Reply #49 on: July 27, 2007, 02:22:43 PM »
The problem is that if you marry a non-Jewish girl, your children will not be Jewish. Also, you need to follow the Torah to the best of your ability. If you do not, you are doing a very serious and wrong thing to the Rabbi that converted you. You need to think of more than yourself.

If you had a halachic conversion, then you are just as Jewish as any born Jew. Being a Jew is not a racial issue and Chaim has said this many times. Why do you worry so much what people think? Worry about what Hashem thinks.
"In the final analysis, for the believer there are no questions, and for the non-believer there are no answers." -Chofetz Chaim