Why we need long distance learning conversion

Dear Rabbi,

My name is X. I am currently a double major at X I study psychology and Religion. I grew up in a home with my moms side of the family being Baptist and my dad's family being Lutheran.

I greatly enjoy my studies but during my studies here, I feel that G-d has really moved in my life and confirmed feelings that I have had toward Judaism as being Truth.

There are no Synagogues around me and I am greatly interested in conversion. I have been reading over your websites and the other night I got so captivated by your videos I stayed up till 3 in the morning watching some of them.

I am writing to see if you would help me and guide me in the conversion process and my learning till I can get near a Synagogue. I have been circumcised and am currently going through Reshith Binah by Sidney Fish in order to learn to read Hebrew. I've also purchased Rosetta Stone for Hebrew (for my computer)...as well as Pinsler's Hebrew Series (that I listen to in my car) and to add to the Reshith Binah, I was given Biblical Hebrew vocabulary cards.

If there is any guidness or help that you are able to give me it would be of great help and blessing in my life.

Thank you for your time and your wonderful resources that have so richly blessed my life.

Christopher Ryan Jones



"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and I could say that I used everything You gave me."

My response:

Thanks for writing. Wonderful and inspiring. Yes. We can do it long distance. We just set this up since so many like you have asked. Check out www.jewishconversionchicago.com and www.esynagogue.org.

You'd have to make one trip here to Chicago for the religious tribunal and immersion. You'd also need a ritual circumcision pin prick at that point. We can handle the counseling over the phone. I'll send the full curriculum with assigned readings.

In lieu of classtime, I'd ask you watch as many videos as you can. I have them, organized by weekly classes on the conversion website. I'd welcome your calls whenever you wanted to talk .




My wife said you are welcome to stay with us when you are here to save money, or elsewhere. The most important thing the bet din will want to make sure is you do not believe Jdesus is God, the son of God, the Messiah etc.

Let me know if you want to pursue this



It would be important to settle in a Jewish comunity and develop a relationship with a Rabbi and Congregation as soon as you could.



The Orthodox Rabbis will not accept this conversion, most likely. They only accept Orthodox,abut that is extremely difficult to do and we have many come to us after giving up trying the Orthodox route

Very sincerely