What Does Giyur Mean?
Judaism does not teach that a person must become Jewish in order to be a good person or to live rightly before G-d. According to Judaism, a non-Jew can also lead a good and G-d-pleasing life and thereby earn a share in the World to Come.
To be or become a Jew means choosing to assume a responsibility. As the Torah states (Exodus 19:6): “You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
Becoming Jewish therefore means more than joining a religious community. It means joining the Jewish people and its life of Torah and mitzvot.
A person who wishes to join the Jewish people and live as a Jew is making a far-reaching and enduring decision. Giyur therefore involves much more than acquiring Jewish knowledge or attending a course. It requires serious personal development, careful self-examination and, ultimately, the willingness to shape one's life according to Torah and Halacha.
The purpose of an initial inquiry is therefore not to persuade someone to convert. Rather, it is to enable the person to understand what conversion means and to consider carefully whether this is truly the path he or she wishes to pursue.
Requirements
An Orthodox Giyur requires the candidate not merely to possess the necessary Jewish knowledge, but actually to live according to Halacha and intend to continue doing so permanently.
This includes, in particular, Shabbat and Kashrut, festivals and Jewish moral values and laws, prayer and regular synagogue attendance, study, Taharat HaMishpacha (the laws of family purity), and integration into an Orthodox Jewish community. Where children are involved, their actual Jewish education is also part of this commitment.
Personal circumstances—including where a person lives, family circumstances and relationships—may therefore be highly relevant to a Giyur. The specific requirements applicable in an individual case are discussed with the Beth Din.
These requirements are not merely conditions for an examination or for a temporary period of preparation. They concern the Jewish life that the candidate intends to undertake permanently through Giyur.
How Does the Process Begin?
Anyone seriously interested in Giyur may first make a non-binding inquiry to the Beth Din. At this stage, basic contact details and a short message are sufficient.
The Beth Din will then explain the fundamental requirements and how the process proceeds. A person who subsequently wishes to pursue Giyur will be told how to apply and what information and documents will be required.
As part of such an application, the Beth Din will seek to understand in particular why the applicant wishes to become Jewish, his or her previous experience of Jewish life, and the personal circumstances in which the proposed Giyur would take place. This includes a written account of the applicant's motivation; further information and documents will be requested as appropriate.
Submitting an application does not in itself mean that the applicant has been accepted into the Giyur process. The Beth Din first considers the application and determines whether, and under what conditions, further preparation may proceed.
Study and Jewish Life
Preparation is not merely a matter of mastering a body of information. The candidate should increasingly become capable of leading Jewish life independently and naturally.
This includes learning Torah and Halacha and putting them into practice in daily life: Shabbat, Kashrut, prayer, festivals, berachot, Taharat HaMishpacha, life within a Jewish community and other areas of everyday Jewish observance.
Giyur is not a course that is automatically completed by finishing a curriculum.
During preparation, the candidate is accompanied by rabbis, teachers and members of Jewish communal life. Discussions are intended not only to assess knowledge, but also to discuss development, practical observance, motivation and questions that arise along the way.
Guidance and Assessment
The Giyur process combines learning with actual Jewish life. The Beth Din must therefore be able to form an understanding of how the candidate puts the commitments he or she has undertaken into practice.
The guidance is intended to enable a serious candidate to understand the requirements, to learn, and to become increasingly confident in Jewish life. It does not replace the Beth Din's later assessment.
Acceptance into the preparation process creates no entitlement to eventual conversion.
Examinations
During preparation, knowledge in the areas required for Orthodox Jewish life is assessed.
Passing the examinations alone is not sufficient. Giyur is possible only when the candidate actually lives a life of Torah and mitzvot and succeeds in convincing the Beth Din that adopting this way of life is sincere and permanent. The Beth Din assesses the candidate’s sincerity and commitment; the candidate bears responsibility for demonstrating both.
The Beth Din's Decision
The Beth Din determines readiness for Giyur on the basis of the process as a whole: knowledge, actual way of life, personal development, and the demonstrated willingness to live permanently according to Torah and mitzvot.
If the Beth Din agrees to proceed, the conversion itself includes Kabbalat Ol Mitzvot—the binding acceptance of the yoke of Torah and mitzvot before the Beth Din.
The Giyur
The Giyur includes tevilah, immersion in a kosher mikveh before the Beth Din, with appropriate measures to preserve privacy.
For male candidates, Brit Milah forms part of Giyur. If the candidate is already circumcised, Hatafat Dam Brit takes its place.
After Giyur
Upon a valid Giyur, the ger or giyoret is Jewish. The Jewish way of life learned and adopted before conversion is not a preparatory exercise that ends on the day of Giyur. It is the life that the ger or giyoret has chosen.
The written confirmation of the Giyur, however, is issued only after a period of several months, generally around one year. During this period it should become evident that the ger or giyoret truthfully undertook the commitment expressed at Kabbalat Ol Mitzvot and continues to live the Jewish life that he or she accepted.
Recognition
The Beth Din of Austria is recognized by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel for Giyur.
Interested in Giyur?
The first step is not a formal application, but an inquiry to the Beth Din. We will then explain the requirements and how an application may subsequently be made.