Question: Is there an Internet site to help a man, who travels often, convert to Judaism?
Answer: You ask if it is possible to convert through a service on the Internet. You explain the person who would like to convert "travels a lot," making attendance at an "in-person" class difficult.
The Internet has certainly brought many new conveniences to our lives. However, I don't think that conversion to Judaism is something that can be accomplished entirely in this way.
Conversion is not like getting a drivers license -- where you learn some facts, take a test and sign a document. Rather, conversion is a deeply personal, life changing process. Conversion requires the experience of personal dialogue with a rabbi or invested cantor to explore the meaning of Jewish living for the prospective convert.
I require conversion students to spend at least one year participating in a Jewish community and to meet with me regularly (usually monthly). In addition, candidates for conversion do have to do a lot of reading and learning about Jewish history, belief and practice -- usually in an "Introduction to Judaism" course. There is no reason why such learning could not happen with the help of the many websites devoted to Judaism (including this one).
I am not aware of any programs for studying Judaism on the internet that are specifically designed for prospective converts. I would not recommend any such program that did not also include regular "in-person" conversation with a rabbi or invested cantor.
Best wishes,
Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser
