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Frequently Asked Questions
Conversion to Orthodox Judaism doesn’t have a proscribed timeline, but the norm is that conversion takes about 1-2 years, give or take. It could take more, but should not take less - one year is the minimum so that someone experiences the full range of holidays and seasons that make up the Hebrew Calendar. One need not be fully observant at the start of their conversion journey, but it is important to be close to fully observant for at least the last 6-9 months before one completes their conversion. Full observance includes keeping Shabbat, holidays and kosher, praying daily, saying brachot (blessings) before and after eating and attending an Orthodox synagogue regularly for at least Shabbat and holidays.
Amech Ami is not a Beit Din (religious court that officiates conversions). Amech Ami is an online class, community and support system to prepare you and guide you through the process of conversion. We have the ability to work with a number of different batei din, depending on the needs and geography of each student.
It is important here to reiterate that Amech Ami does not “do” conversions. We are a class, cohort and advocate for each of our students, but the finalization of conversion is handled by an outside Beit Din with whom we can facilitate a connection. So the acceptance of your conversion will depend on the Beit Din whom we select in consultation together, based on your goals, needs and geography.
While Jewish identity is complex and multi-faceted, halacha (Jewish law) is binary when it comes to this question. There are two ways to be Jewish according to halacha - either you are born from a Jewish mother, or you go through a halachic conversion. So if your mother is Jewish, then you are fully Jewish according to all opinions, and conversion would be unnecessary. However, if only your father is Jewish, you would not yet be considered Jewish according to Jewish law. It is important to emphasize here that halachic status is not the only variable that contributes to someone’s Jewish identity. Additionally, in Jewish tradition, there is the paradigm of Zerah Yisrael - people with some Jewish ancestry but who are not yet considered halachically Jewish due to lacking matrilineal descent. These people should be embraced and welcomed should they choose to undergo halachic conversion, thereby affirming their identity.
Yes and no. Hebrew is very important to Judaism — it's the language with which Hashem communicated the Torah to humanity through Moses — but Jewish law also recognizes that Hashem hears our prayers in any language, so one may pray in any language they understand. Still, our most important texts are only found in their original in Hebrew, and communal prayer happens in Hebrew. It's important that candidates begin learning Hebrew, but proficiency by the time of conversion isn't expected; by conversion, a candidate should be able to recite blessings before and after eating, Shema and the Amidah in Hebrew. We recommend students begin learning basic Hebrew right away through apps like Duolingo — a great way to gain familiarity with the letters and vowels and learn to read, even though it teaches Modern rather than liturgical Hebrew.
No. You must have a sponsoring rabbi in your home community in addition to your work with Amech Ami. However, one of the goals in founding Amech Ami was to lighten the load of community rabbis. So in this way, your affiliation with Amech Ami will make your sponsoring rabbi’s job much easier. We will take care of your learning, track your progress and connect you to a Beit Din. Rabbi Kaplan will connect with your sponsoring rabbi occasionally to hear that you are actively involved in your local community, attending services and advancing in your observance.
This is a great question. Many community rabbis are wonderful teachers and regularly work with conversion students. That’s awesome! Some rabbis don’t love this work, and some simply don’t have the time. Amech Ami is thrilled to support community rabbis by taking the education piece off their plate when it comes to conversion candidates in their community. Another difference is that with Amech Ami, you get not just a class, but also a cohort. It is our hope that you will connect to others in the class and build an online community that supports each other through the shared experience of conversion to Orthodox Judaism, which can sometimes feel like an isolating process.
Each week we will meet on Zoom for a class that will last for one hour. In addition, each student is expected to spend time independently learning, reading and growing their Jewish and Hebrew literacy. Furthermore, each student should be connecting to their local Orthodox community, attending services regularly, as well as classes and social events. An actualized, authentic, committed Jewish life is no small feat. So while class time is only an hour weekly, your journey will include so much more than that.
Unfortunately, the answer to this question is no. In order to convert to Orthodox Judaism, one needs to commit to having a Jewish marriage and a Jewish family (should they choose to marry and have a family, of course). Judaism is more than just a personal spiritual practice - it is a commitment to a people and to a way of living. This demands that one only consider partners who are Jewish or who are willing to convert to Judaism. If that is not possible for you, then perhaps consider conversion through a progressive movement, which will likely be more accommodating in this realm.
Absolutely! If your children are below the age of majority for Jewish law - 12 for girls, 13 for boys - then their conversion will be rather simple. You share your learning with them, bring them along with you to synagogue regularly, and create a Jewish home for them. Then, at the time of your conversion they go to the Beit Din with you and can be converted the very same day. If they are older than the age of majority in Jewish law, things are a bit more complicated. At that stage, they would need to be making this decision entirely for themselves. If you have further questions or concerns about this, please reach out to Rabbi Kaplan.
In short - no. Jewish life and having a community are inextricably linked, and a Jewish life can definitively not be lived in a vacuum. You must have a community you are connected to in order to convert to Orthodox Judaism. Specifically, this means that by the time of conversion, you must be living within walking distance of an Orthodox synagogue. While you can start the learning process before this is your living situation, you cannot complete an Orthodox conversion while living outside of a Jewish community.
Great! We’re so excited to start this journey with you. The first step is to schedule an intake call with Rabbi Kaplan. In this FREE 15-minute conversation, we will talk about your Jewish journey, your personal goals for conversion, explain Amech Ami’s expectations for you, and assess whether or not any additional learning or preparation is needed before you can enroll in the Amech Ami cohort. Click here to schedule your call now. There is no obligation, and no fee for this call.
Still have questions?
Schedule a free 15-minute intake call and ask Rabbi Kaplan directly.
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