Hello Rabbi,

I saw what you write about the Noahite laws.  Noah was an example of good behaviour to live up to. But I am concerned about the promise that God made to send a rainbow reminding us that there will never be another flood.  How do we reconcile this with the speed of climate change and the predictions of rising sea levels as the ice caps melt and huge numbers of populations, especially poverty-stricken ones like Egyptians in the Nile delta, will be drowned or driven from their homes?

Yours worriedly,

Geraldine


Rabbi Jonathan responds:

Thank you Geraldine.  This is perhaps the most important post so far as it is not only about Jews but about the world, and our responsibility to it - a responsibility shared by all humanity, but which in Jewish terms we call 'Tikkun Olam' (healing the world).   

I think there is a most important and pressing message for us in the Noah story.  Though we don't read these stories literally - we reject the idea that God picks of people to kill them, whether in this story, or in a car or air-crash, or in the Holocaust - never the less if you read Genesis carefully, you'll find at one point that the story-teller says that God promises never to bring another flood.'Never again will I doom the earth because of humanity... nor will I ever again destroy every living being...' Genesis 8:21.  The message for us (who have sought to overthrow God, as our Gates of Repentance prayer book states) is not that 'There will never be another flood', but that 'God will never again flood the earth' - leaving room for US to do so by rising sea levels if we continue on our path to catastrophic climate change!

The more I learn and read, the more scared I am - the climate is changing faster than ever before.  We see major changes in half our lifetimes!  Average temperatures are already up one degree C.  We need faith in God - but God needs us as partners in this challenge (or we and God need to work 'in partnership').  There is some hope to be found in the Paris agreement and the fact that most governments (perhaps even, dare we hope, our own Australian one) are beginning to realise the urgent importance to act, and the fact that the fossil fuel industry has been obfuscating (confusing and funding contrary research) the issues for years!  

I built a house in 2006 which uses a quarter the energy of an equivalent 'normal' Australian house (and used only one tenth the mains water).  Having driven hybrid cars for 13 years, I have just progressed to a plug in hybrid (2 years old) and drive 40 kms on green-powered batteries every day, which is usually all I need.  But if I do go on a longer journey, it switches to normal engine/hybrid.  

I don't say this to boast, but to inform.  If I can do this, and dramatically cut my emissions, then why are the government (and manufacturers) advertising that this can be done and indeed helping people to do it?  What a huge impact we could be having!

But there is something you can do with no expense, and with immediate and great effect.  Stop eating meat - or at least reduce your red meat consumption.  Emissions from cattle production are growing rapidly as we eat more meat, especially the developing middle classes of India and China - and you can help counter that trend.

You can do something else.  Join the Jewish Ecological Coalition, JECO.org.au
And the Australian religious Response to Climate Change ARRCC.org.au

Good luck - l'shalom

Rabbi Jonathan

Is there a Jewish section in Heaven?

Dear Rabbi,

I find it really hard to study and remember things at my age (actually, I always did)! But as I get older and realise none of us will live forever, I really feel Judaism is the right way to go and I need to become Jewish. Who knows, perhaps I will secure myself a place in heaven!


Rabbi Jonathan responds:

This is a most important point.  You don't need to be Jewish (as a long-running British radio program was called)!  Unlike most interpretations of the other monotheistic religions, Judaism says 'there are many paths to God'.  Heaven, salvation, nirvana, a place in the world to come, eternal peace - whatever you call it, and hope for - and whatever there is after life (or isn't!), are all just as available for non-Jews as for Jews.  There is no reserved 'Jewish section'!

All that is required is to be a decent human being.  This is defined in the Jewish tradition by Noah - Noah (and his family) were the best of their generation, and thus the only ones to be saved from the flood (we don't need to take these stories literally and certainly not understand them in the traditional way - that God killed all the others.  Personally I reject the idea that God kills at all - God has created a world in which human and animal lives - in fact everything, even mountains and rocks - are finite. Eventually all break down - or are broken down - and return to the 'dust of the earth' - only God is Eternal.

Anyway, because Noah (who predates Abraham and Sarah and the start of the 'Jewish Story') was good, the basic laws of common decency required are called 'The Noahite Laws'.  There are only seven of them.  They are not precisely enumerated and agreed, but they are common-sense ones like 'Do not Murder', 'Do not steal', as well as general structures of justice: 'You shall establish courts of Justice in your society', and some protection for animals (appropriate for Noah!), encapsulated in 'Do not tear a limb from a living animal'.

The significant thing here is that 'You don't need to be Jewish'!  From that it follows 'Why on earth would you want to be Jewish, to be subject to persecution and oppression and hatred and envy - and to have to take on yourselves not 7 but 613 commandments?'!  And from this the Rabbis came to the conclusion that you should turn away someone who wants to be Jewish at least two times - to test their resolve and commitment.  (We don't do that!  Studying and learning Hebrew and participating in the community and being questioned about why you want to convert frequently along the way for well over a year would seem quite sufficient resolve!).

So please learn more about Judaism, meet some real, passionate and serious Jews, do our Introduction to Judaism course - but know that you can still get to Heaven even without converting!  

Do I really need to learn Hebrew?

Hi Rabbi Jonathan 
I was thrilled to find the course and information on conversion here in Australia. I was, however, concerned that I would need to learn Hebrew. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which affects my cognitive abilities, could you please explain further the level of Hebrew required in order to convert? 

Thanks

George.


Rabbi Jonathan responds:

Hi George,

First, I am sorry to hear about your Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which I know can be a truly debilitating affliction. There is, however, no arbitrary level of hebrew required in order to become Jewish (indeed there are many Jews who cannot read hebrew!).  What we are looking for is your best attempt to learn it.  And actually Hebrew is much easier than English as it is phonetic.  You just learn the sounds of the letters and vowels and put them together.  My book 'Hebrew from Zero' makes it as easy and enjoyable as possible, and teaches tricks to memorise the sounds and avoid the common mix-ups between similar letters.  If you wanted to be considered for conversion by the Bet Din, you'd have to have developed a relationship with a community and a Sponsoring Rabbi, who will have submitted your material showing your understanding of Judaism, and you'd have to have shown a serious attempt at learning to read (actually decode) hebrew.  The reason we require it is so that you can join in with blessings etc, even though it is also written in English letters (transliterated) in our prayer book (Mishkan T'filah, World Union Edition).

Hebrew works in two ways, even if people don't understand all of it - they know the readings and prayers have been carefully composed, considered and adjusted to express Jewish prayerfulness and spirituality by our ancestors way back as well as our more recent Rabbis - so when we say the words of the Sh'ma, we are declaring God's oneness, just as Rabbi Akiva did almost 2000 years ago when he was being tortured to death by the Romans, as Jews did in the Holocaust, and as they will do, hopefully in happier circumstances, for generations and millenia into the future!  That 'link in the chain of history' does not require complete understanding of every word (it is always translated in our prayer books anyway!).  This first way might be considered vertical, through time.

The second way it works is 'horizontally', around the world. Jews live in almost every country of the world, and consequently speak almost every language.  So if I go to our congregation in Brussels, their services may be in Flemish - and Hebrew.  In France, in french and Hebrew.  In South America, in Spanish - and Hebrew.  Now my French and Spanish are almost non-existent, and I certainly can't read them fluently - though probably marginally better than my Flemish!  I can't keep up in the service, and it doesn't sound familiar - until they switch to the Hebrew!

So yes, becoming as fluent and confident as you can with Hebrew really is one of the things that makes a confident, rounded Jew!  But no, it is not an essential requirement to be able to read Hebrew fluently.

See alos the post 'Is there a Jewish section in Heaven?'

Good luck

Rabbi Jonathan

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

It doesn't sound as if a Progressive path is the right one for you at present!

Hello

I have just found the information about the online course from the google search. I was wondering if this is the course that allows the conversion for non jews,  and whether i can be allowed to convert after taking your course.

Debora

Hi Debora,

Our Introduction to Judaism course​ gives the 'academic' knowledge required for conversion through the Bet Din of the Union for Progressive Judaism, Australia, New Zealand and Asia.  Our conversion is accepted by Israel for immigration, but not recognised by the interior ministry for marriage etc.  As you probably know, they only accept some (and not all) orthodox conversions!  This means you will need to be civilly married outside Israel - this is then recognised as a legal marriage!

In addition to the academic course, you will need to develop a relationship with a congregation in Israel, and a 'Sponsoring' Rabbi, will need to be able to read hebrew, and, if you were male, you'd need brit.  

I am not sure if there is any advantage to you in undertaking our on-line course compared to enrolling in an Israeli Progressive congregation's conversion group.  You have not said where in Israel you are living, whether you have an Israeli partner, and if so, whether they are involved in a Progressive congregation or willing to be?  It would also be useful to know a bit more about your background, work and motivation to explore conversion, and if you are planning to remain permanently in Israel or, if not, what your timescales are.

L'shalom

Rabbi Jonathan

Thank you Rabbi,

I would like to undertake a course of conversion to Judaism. I have always been drawn to it and I am half Jewish. I am currently residing in Israel to fully experience a Jewish life.

 I lived in a secular environment, and never undertook any religious education. I remember having some Jewish friends in childhood and spending time in their homes. As well as I saw my grandmother from my father's side lighting Shabbat candles.

I recently lived in remote areas of the world, and only about 5 years ago I was able to visit synagogue and make contact with Jewish communities.

Somehow I started to become very interested in Judaism. Most importantly I had not fully been able to join a synagogue, as I had no documents that I am a Jew, as they requested my parents ketubah and so on.

The Jewish communities I have experienced are very hesitant to accept any strangers.  There are also many reasons of why I could not join, being distance from the synagogue as I was living too far away, and financial reasons. For various reasons very slowly I started to feel a Jewish identity, I started with attending festivals only and reading online.  

 I was interested in a conversion program, but the ones available were reform in my nearest city, and some other reform ones on line. For this reason I decided to come to Israel and live a full Jewish life that was unavailable to me at home.

Now free from any obligations I had to fulfill all my life, I want to spend remaining years studying Judaism and becoming a fully observant Jew.

I am now living in Bnei Brak where I can fully observe life as a Jew. I have Jewish friends, and though I am very limited by language, as I don’t speak Hebrew, I also attend English lectures at Chabad Institute Or Chaya in Jerusalem. I visit the orthodox shule, but they had no religious education for beginners. I have attended Shabbat dinners at my friends’ homes. I follow the laws of kashrut and Shabbat.  

Recently I was thinking why had I spent 30 years of not following Judaism and also of why Jews were sent to exile to different parts of the world.  We were told in the lectures of Or Chaya this was so they could spread Judaism to different parts of the world and gain converts. I believe it was a miracle that happened from God that I was able to come to Israel and so far see things I was only able to dream about. I feel now more than ever I am ready to become a full Jew and undertake a course in Judaism.  

I responded:

Hi again Debora,

Thanks for your response to me earlier questions.

I am pleased to hear that you have made your way to Israel, and I am sure that in due course you will find what you are looking for there.

Your various comments indicate to me that me are not able to help you.  

 I was interested in conversion program, but the ones available were reform in my nearest city and some other reform on line. For this reason I decided to come to Israel and live a full Jewish life that was unavailable to me in Australia.

Now free from any obligations I had to fulfill all my life, I want to spend remaining years studying Judaism and becoming fully observant Jew.

I am now living in Bnei Brak where I can fully observe life as  a Jew. I have Jewish friends, and though I am very limited by language, as I don’t speak Hebrew, I also attend English lectures at Chabad Institute Or Chaya in Jerusalem. I visit the local orthodox shule, but they had no religious education for beginners. I have attended Shabbat dinners at my Jewish friends’ homes. I follow the laws of kashrut and Shabbat.  

In particular it is your wish to be what you call a 'fully observant Jew', living in Bnai Brak and attending Chabad, as well as your comments about Reform in your nearest city and on line.

I am a Progressive Rabbi and you have enquired about a Progressive Introduction to Judaism course.  Progressive is an umbrella term for 'Reform, Liberal, Reconstructionist, modern' Jews, and indeed Progressive Judaism, who run the course, is part of the Union for Progressive Judaism, which in turn is our regional part of the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ).

The WUPJ is headquartered in Jerusalem (just down the hill from The King David Hotel and YMCA), and is the largest synagogal body in the world. 

We believe that Progressive Judaism offers the opportunity for a Jew to live a modern life on the modern world, with a meaningful spiritual framework, and recognising the equality of the sexes, and celebrating the fact that all humans are created in the image of God, whether Jewish or Muslim or Christian or atheist, whatever colour, whether straight, gay or transgender.  These are not beliefs you will find widely shared within other parts of Judaism!

Given that you have made the move to Israel, and apparently the decision to recover your Jewish family tradition, and appear to be on the road to become orthodox or ultra-orthodox, I would think your best path would be to enroll on a religious kibbutz which has entered the 'conversion industry'.  This will immerse you fully in the life - and you will be able to decide whether this is really how you want to spend the rest of your life. If so, you can get all the tuition and an orthodox conversion there within six months or so, I believe. they will probably also help find a husband...

You should however be aware, if you follow that path, that some years ago they created a new rule - these conversions are only valid in Israel - if you leave Israel they may not be considered valid - ie you lose your Jewish status if you move back to Australia (or anywhere else).  This happened to Paula Cohen, who moved to the UK, and this 'geographical qualification' is unprecedented within Jewish tradition.

I hope that is of use to you.  I will disguise your identity and put this correspondence up on our blog so that others may read and learn from it.  

I wish you good luck in your journey, and if I can be of further assistance, please let me know.

L'shalom

Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black 

What if my partner's family are orthodox?

Is there really much difference between Progressive Judaism and orthodox?

Dear Rabbi,
I have been married for 10 years. My wife is Jewish but I'm not. In the time we've been together I have become very interested and enjoyed the Jewish festivals and customs and foods - except for chulent (slow-cooked meat/bean stew!). Faith means a lot to me and I do want to convert. We want to start a family in the next few years and I would like to raise my children believing in something. Even though my wife is from an orthodox background they are not practising and I don't feel like I would fit in there.  So it seems that converting within Progressive Judaism would be much more appropriate to our lives and needs.

Rabbi Jonathan responds:

That sounds a sensible response, but you'll need to understand that some in the orthodox community, though not necessarily very (or at all) observant themselves, still consider themselves (and orthodoxy) superior to progressive Jews!

We even have a name for them - 'SONO' as in Strictly Orthodox - Non-Observant! (which is of course impossible!).

Let's try an unpack this further:  Many Jews in Australia (and UK, South Africa) are members - or at least their family were members - of orthodox synagogues.  They may consider themselves 'orthodox' - but, if they don't go to shul regularly, if they drive on shabbat, if they use money on shabbat, if they eat in regular (not exclusively kosher ones) restaurants, they are not orthodox - the best that they could argue is that they are 'selectively orthodox'!  Unless they believe that God dictated Torah to Moses, and it is therefore 'true', they are not orthodox.

My experience is that most members of orthodox synagogues believe in God as an inspirational power or support or solace in their lives, and that the Torah is not to be taken literally as God's word.  They may prefer a traditional service, all in hebrew, with no organ and only men leading and singing.  But they are not regular synagogue attenders, they will happily wear shorts or bathers or bikinis, and married women do not keep their heads, arms and ankles covered. In the rest of their lives they recognise that women have abilities at least equal to men, can be university professors or judges or surgeons, and that they can listen to a female singer without lusting after her (orthodoxy considers a woman's voice is her nakedness).  They may not always gather for Friday night, with full kiddush and Birkat Hamazon (grace after meals), and probably do not usually - or ever - conclude Shabbat with Havdalah on Saturday evening.  They probably believe that ethical behaviour is more important than rituals - and are probably proud of Israel's achievements, feel a connection and pride, but also concern with some of the challenges that Israel faces, not least from the part of the ultra-orthodox community who don't even recognise the State of Israel's authority.

In other words, in most regards, these members of orthodox synagogues have much more in common with Progressive Jews than with truly observant and serious orthodox Jews!

We really have some significantly different ideas from orthodoxy as you'll see in the second half of our reader 'Judaism for the Twenty-First Century'. Key differences are that a) We REJECT the idea that God wrote Torah - instead we believe humans wrote it, trying to answer the question 'What does God want us to be and do?  (which they inevitably answered for their own time and context, over 2500 years ago).

b) We REJECT the idea that the Temple should be rebuilt.  This would mean a return to animal sacrifices (which we don't believe God wants or needs), priests (we have done without them for 2000 years, and Rabbis, chosen for their wisdom and learning, have replaced them), and centralisation in Jerusalem (Judaism is today democratic and localised - wherever there are Jews, there is a Jewish community with its own leadership, interpretations and traditions). Of course it would also not go down too well with the Muslim world since the Dome of the Rock and Al Aksa Mosque now stand on the Temple Mount!

c) we believe in EQUALITY - that all are created equal - men and women, Jews and non-Jews, heterosexual, homosexual, gender-fluid... we all reflect 'the image of God' in our diversity.

d) We accept a child as Jewish if they have a Jewish mother OR a Jewish father - and a Jewish upbringing (reflecting biblical as well as Rabbinic periods of Jewish history).  This means YOU DON'T HAVE TO CONVERT. We'd love you to, and we'll help you, but it should be for your own reasons and conviction, not for any family reasons or pressures.

e) Our services are shorter and in English and Hebrew, and hopefully more accessible and understandable, and families sit together.

It is worth bearing in mind that, though we are a dynamic and active minority in Australia (http://upj.org.au/) Progressive Judaism is the largest grouping of synagogues in the world (http://wupj.org/).

However, because orthodoxy does not accept our Rabbis as Rabbis, it therefore does not accept those who convert with us as Jewish.  This means you will not be accepted as Jewish by the orthodox authorities - and, if you were female, they therefore wouldn't accept your children either.  You will inevitably therefore become involved in a power struggle! We believe we are legitimate, and indeed that we are part of the developing, progressing understanding of Judaism, the world and God's wishes for us within it.  The orthodox Rabbinic position is that only they are authoritative, and the guardians of true Judaism.  Of course if you look back 100, 1000, 2000 or 3000 years, it is quite apparent that Judaism - and indeed every religion, is changing and developing, in response to worldwide experiences and understanding, as filtered through its own traditions and scholarship, but this is not an argument anyone is going to win any time soon (within Judaism, Christianity, Islam or any other religious tradition.  They all have their orthodox and their progressives, but uniquely, we have a powerful Progressive Jewish movement, already 200 years old!).  

Because of these differences, it is important for you to have your partner's understanding and support - and hopefully also that of her family, though this may take time.

It is also useful if your own parents understand the process, if they are around, and they are always welcome to come along and visit a service with you at any time. Discuss and explain your rationale and the process with them if possible.  Remember that it may seem as if you are rejecting the faith they brought you up in (if any - or secularism or atheism!). 

Good luck!  L'shalom

Rabbi Jonathan

I spent time on kibbutz and would like to become Jewish but my husband is Christian

I am 29 years old and I was brought up in the Uniting Church but stopped believing a long time ago. My husband is an Anglican and we have a 2 year old son. I have read many books over the years on all sorts of topics including Judaism. I have previously spent many years in industry. I live in XXXX and have visited the nearby synagogue though I have not been to a synagogue on shabbat before. I have been interested in Judaism for many years and used to be a country member of the Makor Jewish library.  I can read a little hebrew and when i was 18 I stayed on a kibbutz in Israel for an adventure which had a lasting impression.

Hi Annie,

Thanks for your background information.  

Let me say from the outset though that the Introduction to Judaism course is not the same as converting.  The synagogue near you is Chabad - which means not just orthodox but very orthodox in their practice and belief. They will not recognise me as a Rabbi, or any of our converts as Jews.  The nearest regular Progressive synagogue can be located by visiting UPJ.org.au.  To convert you'd need to have established a relationship with a community who would recognise and support your journey.  You'd also need a 'Sponsoring Rabbi' (which could potentially be me as course supervisor) and learn to read hebrew, and if you were male you'd need to be circumcised.

You should also take any opportunity to go along to any synagogue, for example when you are travelling or on holiday, to widen your experiences - though it is advisable to contact them in advance during the week, and bring along a drivers licence or other proof of identity as, sadly, we all have to be very security-conscious these days.

When starting this journey, it is important to understand that, whilst our underlying belief in One unique, caring, loving, forgiving Creator, and our obligations to God and to each other as human beings, and to God's world, are common between orthodox and Progressive Judaism, in practice, expectation and belief we vary widely.  The difference goes a long way back, and stems from our understanding of Torah.  'Orthodox' belief is that God gave the Torah, word by word, and it is therefore fundamentally true and inerrant.

Progressive Jews (Reform, Liberal, Reconstructionist etc) believe that humans wrote the Torah, albeit 'divinely inspired' and trying to answer the questions 'What does God want of us? How should we act, behave, practice and raise our children?'

The last point, on raising children, is particularly pertinent in your case.  You say your husband is Anglican, but not whether he is practicing.  We have a problem in creating 'mixed families', in part because of the different traditions and expectations, and in part because of the confusion it can cause to children.  Whilst we wouldn't want to stand in the way of any individual developing their personal framework for life and relationship with God - and ultimately becoming Jewish - we would want to be confident that it was going to work for the household.   For example we may want to talk to your partner or at least have a letter to state that they are supportive of the journey to you becoming Jewish - and we'd want clarity about how the children are to be brought up - will it be as Jews, who know they have a Jewish parent and a Christian one, or as Anglicans who know they have a Jewish parent and a Christian one, or as 'both', so they can 'choose for themselves' (we don't think the latter is really likely or even possible).  

I hope that these responses are helpful and informative, and will no doubt give you food for further thought.  However, I'd like to conclude by reiterating that we believe Progressive Judaism offers a rich and wonderful framework for a modern and meaningful spiritual life, and we'll do all we can to assist if you do wish to continue on this path.

L'shalom

Rabbi Jonathan