CHOOSING A JEWISH LIFE: CONVERSION TO JUDAISM

CONVERSION PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

PART 1: Jewish Exploration

For someone interested in conversion to Judaism at Shir Tikvah, a time of deeper exploration into Jewish life and Jewish learning is needed. The requirements are: 

Synagogue Attendance

Participants are required to attend Shabbat services consistently, at least twice a month, as well as to attend other programming at Shir Tikvah. Attendance is required for all Jewish holidays. Immersion within the Jewish community at Shir Tikvah is an important part of becoming further acquainted with Jewish life and rhythms of Jewish time. 

Soulful Jewish Living and Soulful Jewish Thought

Taking Soulful Jewish Living (SJL) and Soulful Jewish Thought (SJT) are essential parts of Jewish learning at Shir Tikvah and are requirements of the conversion process. SJL and SJT together make up Shir Tikvah’s basic Judaism course, which explores all the foundations of Jewish life, including Jewish texts, Jewish theology, holidays, life cycle, and more. Participants will meet weekly in the fall for SJL and weekly in the spring for SJT. There will be required readings between sessions, so that participants can enter the conversations together, deepening their Jewish learning. 

SJL Cost: $234 for 13 sessions

Committing to Next Stage

After regularly attending services at Shir Tikvah and enrolling and learning in SJL or SJT, one may decide to fully commit to the conversion process. If that is the case, then you can schedule a meeting with Moshe, our Rabbinic Intern, to enter the next phase of the program. Note: You do not need to finish either SJL or SJT before starting the next phase of the program. You only need to be enrolled in either SJL or SJT and be attending services, then you can begin the next phase of the program.

PART 2: Jewish Commitment

Once one has regularly attended services, enrolled in SJL or SJT, and decided to fully commit to the conversion process, the requirements are: 

Membership

Membership is a deeply meaningful entrance to our community; as part of the conversion process, we ask that participants become members at Shir Tikvah. This commitment opens the door for the next stage of regular conversion meetings with our clergy team and community. The costs associated with membership are on a sliding scale. Learn more about membership here.

One-on-one Meetings with Sponsoring Rabbi

As part of the conversion process, you are required to meet one on one with a sponsoring Rabbi, a member of Shir Tikvah’s clergy staff, every eight weeks. These meetings will focus on your individual needs and personal Jewish journey. As part of these meetings, individualized readings and a plan will be crafted together toward conversion. Note: These meetings are a very important part of the conversion experience. If two meetings are missed, then the participant will be considered inactive and no more new meetings will be scheduled.

Community of Practice Cohorts (Optional)

The Community of Practice cohorts are small groups that meet monthly over the course of a year focusing on cultivating and experimenting with different Jewish practices through textual learning and deep, relational reflection. This is a space to explore, experiment, and deepen Jewish practice as part of the conversion process at Shir Tikvah. This small group will help ground the conversion process and provide structure of living Jewishly.

PART 3: Completing Conversion

After completing the above requirements and your sponsoring rabbi confirms that you are prepared to embrace Judaism, you will undergo a formal conversion. The requirements are: 

Beit Din

About a month prior to meeting with a rabbinic court of three rabbis, bet din, you will be asked to write a personal essay regarding your desire to become a Jew and your personal Jewish journey. The bet din will read this essay in preparation for meeting with you to discuss your decision, journey, and address any questions you may have.  

Hatafat Dam Brit

If you have a penis or identify as male, we encourage you to be circumcised in order to convert to Judaism. Those who are already medically circumcised undergo a ritual prior to immersing in the mikvah. This ritual, called hatafat dam brit, is performed by a ritual circumciser, mohel, and involves the symbolic drawing of a small drop of blood. We encourage you to talk through this process with your sponsoring rabbi.

Mikvah

The final step of conversion is the immersion in a ritual bath, known as a mikvah.  Once you emerge from the waters of the mikvah, you will be a Jew. 

Cost: $150 in check made out to St. Paul Mikvah Association

Certificate of Conversion

After completing the formal conversion, you will receive a certificate of conversion that will be filed with the American Jewish Archives.

Note on Costs: Shir Tikvah invests substantial resources into our conversion program and we are committed to being upfront about the investment that we ask of you, too, which is why we share each cost up front, noted above. We prioritize making this process accessible; if you have financial concerns, please fill out this scholarship application and our Executive Director will follow up directly with you and make a plan that helps you be successful through Shir Tikvah’s conversion program.