Outline:
I. Converts Relationship to Parents
a. Care and Reverence
b. Mourning
c. Inclusion
II. Participating in Christian and Muslim Life-cycle Events
a. Status of Christianity in Halakhah
b. Status of Islam in Halakhah
c. Halakhic status of "life-cycle events"
d. Making Jewish life-cycle events inclusive for non-Jewish friends and family
III. Intermariage
IV. Q & A
גר שנתגייר כקטן שנולד דמי
A convert is considered as a newborn child.
(יא) הַגֵּר אָסוּר לְקַלֵּל אָבִיו הָעַכּוּ''ם וּלְהַכּוֹתוֹ. וְלֹא יְבַזֵּהוּ כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ בָּאוּ מִקְּדֻשָּׁה חֲמוּרָה לִקְדֻשָּׁה קַלָּה שֶׁהֲרֵי זֶה מְבַזֶּה אָבִיו. אֶלָּא נוֹהֵג בּוֹ מִקְצָת כָּבוֹד...
A convert is forbidden to curse or to strike his gentile father or to degrade him, so that people will not say: "They came from a more severe level of holiness to a lesser level of holiness, for this person degrades his father."66 Instead, he should offer him certain measures of honor.
Letter from Dr. Chaviva Levin, July 21, 2016
We, Dr. Chaviva Levin, a member of the Jewish Studies faculty at Yeshiva College, Yeshiva University, and Gershi Adler, her research student, are conducting a study of Orthodox conversion to Judaism in North America. In order to achieve a better understanding of the experiences of converts to Orthodox Judaism, we seek to hear from people who have undergone this process about their experiences through participation in the study survey (link below).
If you have personally experienced Orthodox conversion to Judaism in the United States we would greatly appreciate your confidential participation.
Whether or not you are personally eligible to participate in this study, we’d appreciate your forwarding this study information broadly to your networks, which may include individuals who have experienced Orthodox conversion to Judaism in North America.
The study survey can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FX6CCTK
Completing the survey should take about 30 minutes.
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Yeshiva University has approved this study. All responses will be kept strictly confidential.
Thank you for your help,
Dr. Chaviva Levin