How do I cancel my conversion to Judaism?

Question

I converted to Judaism not realizing I would always be treated as a second-class citizen. I want to cancel my conversion, but I don't want to lose my Israeli citizenship. What's the best way to go about doing this?

Answer 1

You've obviously never met a Jew!!!!

You are lying to bash Jews.  This is the 2nd posting of the same nature today.  Only the last one got comments about how little the asker knew, so now another try with more tripe.

If you nodded and didn't ask questions the Rabbi would BEG you to ask.  You would not have been allowed to until you asked a ton of questions.

You're found a new way to be an anti-semitic hater bigot.  Where's you're hate coming from.

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Check out this guy's ONLY other questions

"what's the best punishment for bedwetting?"

"does alchohol make me wet the bed"

"how do I get urine out of a dry-clean only suit?"

"why can't I control myself"

"how do I stop peeing when I laugh"

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This is hillarous in that if you actually met Jews & went to our services, you'd find converts with important contributions to make -- the Cantor where I grew up, the President of my current, the Religious school music teacher for 30 years, a board member of the local Federation (for all four branches).

Really, are you missing this much of your soul?  Have a doughnut & go out & get some fresh air.

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Since I answered you added yet another hateful rant -- complete with lies.   The posts from orthodox Jews here speak for themselves as tolerant.  It's your own twisted mind that makes them otherwise.  (I'm reform.)

Answer 2

why all the lies? whats with the surge of people posting this garbage lately?

Answer 3

Did you convert because of your convictions or did you convert for social acceptance?

They SHOULD accept you and treat you no differently than someone who was born into it but people aren't perfect and if they are not treating you the way you should be treated, I simply suggest you find jews who know their scripture a little better to fraternize with.

I do not see why this should be a reason to throw out your spiritual/religious beliefs. Scripture is on your side in this matter.

Answer 4

..."If you're converting back because of how you are treated, you were never Jewish in the first place."

i cant say it better

Answer 5

I'm both amazed and very sorry that you seem to be having such a negative experience. I am also going to suggest that you find another synagogue, frankly. Because wherever you are at present clearly is not providing you with the support and friendship that you are entitled to.

Now, re the girls: this makes no sense because Jewish religious law states categorically that if you convert you - are - Jewish! Totally Jewish.

Do you mind my asking which type of conversion you did? Was it an Orthodox one?

I've also never heard of a Rabbi who disapproves of questions. Maybe you are just unlucky and again, I would urge you to change synagogues immediately!

Have you tried talking to your current Rabbi about all of this?

ZENA:

Please, stop talking rubbish. There is no 'DNA' involved in Judaism. We inherit from our mothers the religion and culture and our place in it, that's all.

And the OT is NOT the Jewish bible. The Tanakh is. The OT is the Church edited, Christianised adaptation OF our Tanakh.

Answer 6

answer: you want to be able to say you're not Jewish but keep the privileges of having Israeli citizenship?  Answer - you don't. You can stop being Jewish, you can change religions. To live honorably, you should give up your citizenship at that point or you're living a lie and symbolically stealing.

Answer 7

First day on R&S...and curiously there is another question just like this one, saying basically the same things, under the screen name Mary M also first day here.  

You are a liar!  I have known many converts in my life and they are treated exactly like people who were born Jewish.  You are also a coward!  

Answer 8

This question does not resemble any reality I've known as a Jew.  

As a religious Jew (Reform branch) I've known, loved and respected many converts to Judaism.  I've also seen a couple of conversions to Judaism that were obviously insincere conversions done with ulterior motive including my ex-sister-in law, just for marriage..that didn't take ...either the conversion or the marriage! In another instance, a Christian believer that kept their faith hidden from the Rabbi until they were converted and then it was discovered they were also attending a "messianic" church where they presented themself as a member of a Jewish congregation, thus a "real" Jew, and was horribly angry when they were told that their conversion was invalid since they had never adopted the Jewish religion in the first place.  Belief in the core tenets of faith of the NT are contradictory to the covenant of faith of Israel as found in the Torah  (not by Rabbis)  Because you present a few things in a manner that reads eerily close to the "messianic" that tries to portray Torah precepts as being created by Rabbis and you say this " disagree without being told they're not Jewish or getting kicked out of the Jewish people" I cannot help but wonder if you could be one of those Christian believers that mistakenly believe you can be of both religions at the same time?

You say that secular Jews accept you as a Jew and religious Jews don't.  That makes absolutely no sense from the perspective of Jewish LAW.  Orthodox Jews are the Jews most likely to honor Jewish law that FORBID discrimination against the convert.  Of course this is on the predication that your conversion was a sincere conversion of faith and dedication on your part.  If it was not, then Jews are not obligated to consider your conversion as sincere.

Your claim that religious Jews have replaced God with the rabbis reads to me as the kind of assumption that comes from reading propaganda against Jews rather than knowing what it is Jews believe.  The only people that I ever read that accusation coming from are most often the "messianic" Christian and other fundamentalist evangelical Christians.  If you are sincerely of the Jewish faith, this is the first such accusation I've ever read in my 50 years from one who is of the Jewish faith.  At best, it reveals that you still have a great deal to learn about Judaism.

The last statement you made trying to turn Blue Foots astute observations of the inherent contradictions between what you say and what religious Jews of every branch, from Reform to Orthodox, know about Jewish law, into something hateful, also reveal that you do not appear to be writing from the perspective of a Jew at all.

If you sincerely wanted to know how to "UNconvert" logic tells me that  you would have asked this question of the Rabbinate that performed your conversion ...RATHER than post it on a forum that has more misrepresentation of Judaism by non-Jews than there are Jews to try to counter it.

There are ignorant and hateful people in any crowd.  I know Jews I think are utter jerks, too, but it doesn't stop me from being a Jew or remove my conviction of faith as a Jew.  

Your last two statements clinched it for me to doubt you as strongly as i do, that you couldn't possibly know much about Judaism and this question is nothing more than attempt to portray believing Jews in a bad light as an entire group.  Your response to my answer will tell me if you were ever sincere in the first place or if you had an ulterior motive to posting this.

This does not read as a sincere question, but as an antisemitic rant, from one claiming to be Jewish.  What is it about the Jewish faith that appealed to you in the fist place?  Having Jewish ancestors alone cannot be enough to go through a conversion of faith and obligation to live as a Jew.

I've never been to Israel, so I cannot know what particular people you have found yourself to be surrounded by in your life, but if they are racist and filled with hate, I can assure you that it does NOT come from being a religious Jew.  A religious Jew is the exact OPPOSITE..one who lives the precepts of Torah that FORBID such behavior and thinking!

You need to find a different crowd.  I live in an area with very few Jews.  Some are folk I don't particularly mesh well with, others I do.  Here, I find it is the Jews who know very little about Judaism that are most likely to harbor bigotries from ignorance and not recognize that such behavior is utterly contrary to Judaism.

There is a small group of extremists I've read about and encountered a couple of them online who are as narrow in their fundamentalist ideology as any fundie Christian or Muslim.  Extremism doesn't honor any religion or creed well.  Since they are such a minority among Jews and not respected by most religious Jews, that again, is another bit of evidence to lead a Jew reading this to doubt the veracity of this question as sincere.

If you sincerely believe in the religion as you also state, please recognize that your speech does not read as a plea for sincere help but as dangerously close to nothing more than Lashon Hara.

Many converts to Judaism have been some of the most respected Jews of all, including Ruth of the Tanakh

Paperback, cat's meow and Blue Foots all give answers that read from a religious Jewish perspective even though from different branches.  A convert is as Jewish as one born to Jacob and Rachel from the Torah.

In fact, a famous convert to Orthodox Judaism, later became a Rabbi who translated the  Tanakh into Aramaic and whose writings are mandatory reading for Orthodox Jews. Did you learn about Rabbi Unkelos in your Orthodox conversion studies?

Answer 9

Who has treated you like a 'second class citizen' if you don't mind my asking?

In Judaism, anyone who joins us becomes part of the Jewish family. They are, YOU are, 100% JEWISH.

It is forbidden for anyone to treat you with anything less than respect just because you are a 'jew by choice'.

Can you offer more details? I'd like to try and help; presumably it took you a year or more to convert and presumably you were genuine? So what a shame, to now leave!

EDIT

There are plenty of non Jews who are also Israeli citizens. If you are serious about leaving Judaism, I recommend you visit this website, after the Jewish shabbat, of course, and ask a Rabbi directly for some advice. http://www.askmoses.com

Or http://www.chabad.org/

EDIT TO ASKER

Well, ultra Orthodox Jews should know Jewish religious law and thus should KNOW that once you convert you are JEWISH. So if they mention it again, REMIND them of that AND ALSO REMIND THEM:

In the Talmud it states that G-d has a particular affection for 'jews by choice' as they consciously seek Judiasm.

I don't know which specific Orthodox group you've been mixing with but I'd suggest you find another environment, and fast!

And as your father was Jewish, you had a BIG Jewish heritage anyway. You are Jewish and don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. You've been through formal conversion and frankly, it's not the business of anyone which faith you USED to be. You are now Jewish. End of.

Find some nicer people to mix with :)

Shalom :)

Answer 10

This isn't a serious question.

If you say that you converted without realizing how "you would be treated as second-hand" then that's the first tip-off you're a fake, because Jews accept converts as if they are born Jewish.

If you disagree with a Rabbi, find a new one.

And yes, the RELIGIOUS ONES do consider you a convert because you did have to convert. Having a Jewish father and no Jewish mother makes someone non-Jewish by Jewish Law, which you would know and should know since you "converted".

Also, Hitler didn't define who is Jewish, sickos don't get to define who is a Jew, Jews do.

Doesn't sound like you're Jewish to me. Your father is, and your conversion is invalid because you do not follow the mitzvot and live as a Jew. Going to the mikvah does not guarantee a conversion.

People who actually convert to Orthodox, aren't treated as second class citizens, I don't understand where you get that kind of c**p.

No one knows you converted in the community because they are not to ask you about it, another reason I know you're full of it.

Most survivors are in their late 70s and older, so if your father is the survivor... you should be about what... 45-50 yrs old now and by your comments, you sound like you're 20. Doesn't fit.

Answer 11

Give 30 days written notice.

Answer 12

...If you're converting back because of how you are treated, you were never Jewish in the first place.

x

Answer 13

Hmm.  Mary M, Joe J.  Do I see a pattern here?  I think it is more than coincidence that two questions are posted within a short time of each other, both claiming that they have suffered rejection in the Jewish community because they were converts.  This is just too weird, as it is so utterly un-Jewish - as mama pajama has explained clearly.  And then this kellntazz person claims to have suffered the same as both of you.  Frankly, the whole thing has the whiff of an organised attempt to discredit Jews, and/or to pull out Jews on here in order to to harass them.

If by any weird chance there is any truth in what you are saying, simply go and find a different synagogue.  There are plenty of synagogues in Israel, after all, and I don't believe it would be difficult to find one where you felt not merely welcome but very much part of the community.  

Please don't behave so un-Jewishly as to insult religious Jews, including Blue Foot.  Generalising in this way about religious Jews being 'hateful' is a disgusting thing to do.  It is also pure nonsense to suggest that religious Jews have replaced God with the rabbis.  If you have gone through any sort of conversion you would know that rabbis are teachers, not priests, and that there is always a healthy challenging of rabbis on all sorts of matters.

EDIT:  I'm glad Cher posted this guy's other questions.  Funnily enough, Mary M also has an obsession with urination - four of HER other five questions concern this topic.  Coincidence?  I think perhaps not.

Answer 14

Conversion/ Acceptance is Always Difficult

https://www.rutherford.org/oldspeak/Arti...

What can I say. I am a Greek Orthodox and we follow the OT AND NT

However we don't convert , Prostelyze. I know why .According to Judaism , Jewishness is passed by the mother to Matriarchial DNA

Thrue the mothers. Thus  ( the religous Jews who consider you a convert are right)

Speak to your rabbi, and look deep into your heart and see if Judaism

if the faith you truly  want to follow. Speak to a  rabbi you feel comfortable with and express your concerns. Perhaps he can help you. of Find another synogogue to practice your faith  and find an answer for you.

I know in my Faith some Procedures cant be reversed. Once you

are baptised . Your baptism can't be reversed.

I know in my Greek Orthodox Christian Faith we cannot be rebaptised

Go to the faith you wish to follow and express the rules. In our faith once you are baptised , you are a Christian. You cant undo Baptism

nor can  you be rebaptised again.You may probably just have to say some prayers and will be accepted back into Christianity.if you return to the fold.

He that seeketh fineth an answer. Hope you will find the answer that brings you peace and love and GODl

However different Faiths of Christianity have different procedures

Remember though that we all believe in Elohim/

RIGHT FROM A JEWISH RABBI

RE MATRIARCHIAL DNA ( DOES EXIST AND CAN BE TRACED)

http://judaism.about.com/library/3_askra...

You don't have to Follow Judiasm . I just mention "JEWISHNESS"  To me having Jewish DNA is not the same as following the Judaic faith.

Re Tanakn will check.. Thanks for Info