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Question: I was curious about the entire conversion process to Judaism. Anything you tell me would be greatly helpful...
Answer: There has been so much written about the subject within the Jewish tradition over the many centuries dealing with the matter of people leaving one faith and joining another. As you can imagine, there are various approaches ~ depending on the period of history and the available opportunities. Here in the USA, the options for conversion to Judaism are probably as varied as they have ever been ~ anywhere, anytime...
There are a number of websites that would at least give you some introductory thoughts about “conversion” (I'll list some of the better ones below). They all present some historic perspective, and they all suggest that the convert contact a rabbi to discuss the particular situation that prompts the person to consider the possibility of conversion in the first place. All the websites also indicate that there is a period of study (sometimes individually with a rabbi, and often in introduction-to-Judaism classes); and most websites also have citation lists of books that are readily available that treat the topic in more detail.
Conversion to Judaism in Rochester is not untypical as compared with many other Jewish communities across the country. Most of the rabbis here in town (whether Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox) ask the person considering conversion to take a course offered by the Rochester Board of Rabbis. The class meets once a week for about 13 weeks, and is taught by various rabbis in town with widely divergent points of view. The course is actually pretty good ~ and gets good reviews, in general. It doesn't rise to the level of an intro course on a university campus ~ but then again it isn't designed as an “academic” review of Judaism.
Depending on the rabbi, the process of conversion in Rochester requires ~ more or less ~ a) acquiring a knowledge of Jewish history, laws, customs, theology, etc; b) developing some ability to read Hebrew characters (for example, the Hebrew prayers in a prayerbook); c) some demonstrated willingness to “connect” or affiliate with the Jewish community as a “people” (e.g., joining a synagogue, taking part in holiday celebrations, making a decision about raising children in the Jewish tradition, etc.); and d) some formal conversion ritual (circumcision and the ritual bath for a male; ritual bath for a female) approved by a “court” of three rabbis... You can probably imagine that there is variation within each of these elements ~ again, depending on the rabbi and the “movement” (Reform, Conservative, Orthodox) that the applicant chooses.
Here are four websites you might consult... The first is the website managed by the Reform movement (the movement I am associated with); the next two are more generic and try to include information from all movements; the fourth (Wikipedia) is a good general reference and maybe not a bad site to skim ~ at least initially..:
http://urj.org/outreach/aboutjudaism/qanda/
http://www.convert.org/
http://judaism.about.com/od/conversiontojudaism/Conversion_to_Judaism.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversion_to_Judaism
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Question: A Talmud quote, paraphrase, “He who saves one life saves the entire world,” gained wider fame after the release of the film “Schindler's List.” Some complained, saying that this universal and humanistic flavor did not accurately reflect the Talmud’s true intention, which was to state that someone who saved one *Jewish* life saved the entire world. Would you please comment [D.G.]
Answer: As you note, a more complete debate surrounding this text has been illuminated at these websites:
http://www.codoh.com/review/revhslresp1.html
http://www.codoh.com/review/revhslresp2.html
I have just a couple of general comments regarding the debate itself, and then a concluding thought with respect to any current use of the quotation...
First, in my opinion, the attempt to discover “original intent” of any rabbinic passage ~ especially if it is done with the purpose of determining its validity for the current universe ~ is probably a vain effort. An even clearer example of a phrase being addressed in a similar (albeit ancient) discussion is the sentence from Leviticus, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” The debate was whether or not the word “neighbor” (a questionable translation in itself) refers to members of the Hebrew tribes only ~ or to others. (I'm not certain that the issue was ever resolved.)
Which leads me to the second point: I suspect that at least some of the earliest “versions” of the “whoever saves...” expression probably did include the phrase “..from Israel.” We know, of course, that the early rabbis ~ partly because of their own ‘zeitgeist’ ~ did often espouse a rather parochial view. But that didn't exempt the rabbinic mind from thinking more universally at times, as well.
Third, any scholar who studies ancient manuscripts knows that there were probably a number of variants floating around at the beginning ~ at the same time. So even though we can’t ever know what actually was first “spoken” before it was ever written down, we could rightfully assume that both sentiments existed (perhaps among different factions) at the same time.... much as we find occurring today.
All that being said, however, what is instructive to me is the actual inscription on the medallion given to the “Righteous Gentiles” by the Holocaust Center (Yad VaShem) in Israel. It clearly reads (in Hebrew): All who save (actually, the word in Hebrew ~ m’ka-yem ~ means to “confirm”; but in the context, it is understood as the opposite of “destroy” ~ so the common rendering is “save”) a single soul, it is as if he saved the whole world. Apparently, in the movie, Schindler is given a ring with this inscription (I honestly didn't remember that scene). I don't know if that story is true or not. But that Yad VaShem has rendered the expression in its universal sense indicates, at least to me, that there is “Jewish precedence” for this interpretation ~ not to supersede or exclude the other, but to be recognized as legitimate nevertheless.
So, I think one is probably on solid ground to consider the quotation in its more universal version ~ even knowing that there will be those who will insist on holding to the particularistic point of reference.
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Question: Do you perform intermarriage ceremonies?
Answer: No, I don’t, but we welcome intermarried couples and encourage non-Jewish partners to participate in all activities. Non-Jewish partners may serve on the Board of Trustees and on committees.
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Question: How would you define the difference between religion and spirituality?
Answer: Good question! Many people think of these terms as being synonymous; and indeed at times, it can be difficult to tell the difference (if one exists at all) between the two… But people who study religion as a discipline have drawn a distinction between the more formalized structures that define a religious tradition (e.g., the laws, customs, liturgies, ceremonies, regulations, guidelines, ethical principles, etc.) and the internal, emotional, existential connection that one might have to that which is greater-than-the-self. In this broad attempt to draw a distinction between religion and spirituality, religion constitutes the former. These are the structures that one encounters when going to a house of worship, the outlines that determine "what we do" in the church or synagogue or mosque. "Religion" is the prayers, the study, the activities of the community to which one "belongs" or with which one "identifies." "Spirituality" is more personal and introspective; it is the term that refers to the search, the striving, the religious quest, the embrace of meaning, the sense of wonder and awe, the domain of forgiveness and compassion and peace.
It is possible, of course, to consider one's self "spiritual" without being "religious" (i.e., without affiliating or identifying with a specific religious group). It is also possible to be "religious" (i.e., following the customs and observing the traditions) of the religious body ~ without pursuing a spiritual connection. However, most people within the Jewish community find these worlds complimentary and mutually dependent. Indeed, the literature addressing the idea of Jewish spirituality is ever-expanding, and programs such as those at the Elat Chayyim retreat center offer a "spiritual experience" within a traditional Jewish framework. The "Jewish Renewal" movement attests to the importance of the spiritual dimension of life to many members of the Jewish community who are seeking greater depth and meaning from their Jewish lives.
For further material, consider www.elatchayyim.org and/or
www.ijs-online.org/resources_reading.php.
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