question on jewish history

[greyingrey]

this is not really a question about family history, but it does touch on it.

I dont know the correct term, but I do know that until fairly recently you couldn't convert. to judaism...you were born into the religion.

does anyone have a rough idea of when that started....presumably there must have been new followers early on....ive read. Simon scharmas books, but can't find anything there, so you're my last hope before I email him.

and that will serve him right

[ThrelfallYorky]

I believe that Reform Judaism accepts converts, but would doubt that Orthodox Judaism would. Some time 20th Century, possibly, although I've no evidence. Judaism is maternally traced - if Mum was Jewish, then children are, so I assume that in the event that Mum was not born Jewish, some arrangement had to be made.

[Maiden Stone]

Was Mr Google no help? Jewish family history societies?
Edit. I asked Mr. G.
 "Converting to Judaism - Basics" (BBC, archived)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/beliefs/conversion.shtml
There's a current series on BBC 1 about faiths.

Wiki article "Who is Jewish?"

There's no simple answer to your question. It depends on which branch of Judaism.

[Josephine]

You can convert to Judaism and becoming an Orthodox Jew is certainly one of the options.

There are requirements, of course, which include studying under the correct Orthodox rabbis.

The type, or level, of your conversion would matter under certain circumstances such as burial and making aliyah. If you were a woman who wanted to convert before marriage to an Orthodox man, and you wanted to be buried with him when the time came, you'd have to have an Orthodox conversion.

Jews don't proselytize but I think conversion has been permissible for thousands of years. The Bible contains the Book of Ruth, a woman who converted to Judaism (albeit with different requirements).

Regards,
Josephine

[ThrelfallYorky]

Yes, it was Ruth I was thinking of, I suspect, Josephine.
TY

[Viktoria]

That is a lovely story ,of Ruth remaining with her mother in law Naomi .
When Naomi told Ruth to go back to her people ,The Moabites ,Ruth said
The lovely words ,” Wither thou goest I will go ,thy  people will be my people
and thy God my God “.
My parents had two lovely pictures,Ruth and Naomi and Boaz and Ruth .
Boaz was the owner of the field where Ruth and Naomi were gleaning .

Viktoria.

[greyingrey]

thank you...yes, thats a lovely story, Viktoria.

the first instance I knew of conversion to judaism was Elizabeth Taylor, who, I think, converted in the 1970s....I didn't know it had almost always been possible in some branches.

ive got a family where the jewish father is first seen in England in 1820, having come over from present day Poland....I know his grandchildren left the faith, but I dont know if his wife and daughters. in law were born jewish or converted....I can only see that one of his daughters in law was born in Portsea, where there was a. large jewish community, but the others were born in areas of England that were not noted for that and there are no clues in their families

[Viktoria]

Jewish genealogy is interesting,briefly the mother’s line is so important as Jewish people say,” You always know who your mother is ,your father——-?”
There is no little picture for the expressive shoulder shrug after such a “ one liner”.
Viktoria.

[nanny jan]

thank you...yes, thats a lovely story, Viktoria.

the first instance I knew of conversion to judaism was Elizabeth Taylor, who, I think, converted in the 1970s....I didn't know it had almost always been possible in some branches.

[/quote

Liz Taylor converted in 1959 according to wiki.

You might get some help from www.jewishgen.org.