Question

Answer

Any children born to you before you converted will have to be converted themselves. After you have converted, any future children born to you will be born Jews.

My own conversionary procedure is described below.

The procedure is generally 9-12 months in the Conservative movement, mentored and/or taught by a Rabbi. There are weekly or bi-weekly educational meetings, readings in assigned books - often tailored to the educational background of the potential convert, and then a final set of written answers to some essay questions. Nothing is intended to make it impossible, but it is a serious effort.

I expect the convert to become familiar with the rules, rituals and vocabulary of the Jewish life cycle and calendar as well as that Jewish dietary laws. I also expect that the potential Jew attend services on a regular basis and begin the practice of a Jewish lifestyle. In addition, I require candidates to attend services regularly and to learn sufficient Hebrew to enable them to participate in home and synagogue rituals and services.

Thereafter, for a man there is a physical/ritual circumcision. If the man is already physically cicumcised , then only a "drop" of blood is drawn.

For both a man and for a woman, the mikveh, a ritual bathing/dipping, is required.

Finally, there is a meeting with a Bet Din, most often composed of three Rabbis, who will review both factual information and personal feelings before signing the appropriate materials attesting to formal conversion.

For myself, there is one last step. I believe that giving the new Jew the honor of being called to the Torah, getting an "aliyah", during services is a way to concretize his/her identity with the Jewish People.