Gerut and the Conservative Movement Intr
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Each year, approximately 4,200 individuals embrace Judaism through Conservative conversion, yet the movement has lacked standardized procedures and support systems for this transformative process. A comprehensive survey of Rabbinical Assembly members, conducted after the watershed 1979 mini-convention on gerut (conversion), revealed both the scope and limitations of current conversion practices. Through questionnaires distributed to the entire membership, the study assessed conversion protocols, ritual adequacy, and administrative procedures across the movement. Conservative rabbis typically perform six conversions annually, with 64% expressing satisfaction regarding instruction methods. However, an overwhelming 88% called for standardized curricula from the Rabbinical Assembly, while only 40% deemed existing conversion rituals adequate. Nearly all respondents (97%) endorsed establishing permanent national conversion records and standardized certificates. Community integration showed mixed results, with 58% reporting satisfactory convert absorption, though 79% sought additional guidance. These findings demonstrate that gerut represents a significant phenomenon requiring systematic attention, particularly in developing coordinated conversion practices, enhanced educational materials, and strategies for improving community attitudes toward converts within the Conservative movement.

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Published 1979
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Harold Stern