In August 2011 there are sixty active files which are composed of single applicants as well as whole families. There are also approximately 15 applicants waiting to join the programme. There seems to be an increasing demand for conversions. What is interesting is that many of the people are not doing so for marriage but are family units. The Conversion Tuition Centre is constantly looking for ways to enhance the learning and the studying for the participants. A number of excellent teachers are involved.

There are people from Ghana to Krugersdorp, from Newcastle to Ethiopia. There are people from every cultural group in South Africa, African, European, Israeli, Indian. There are some people who only discover that they are not Jewish later in their lives much to their dismay and shock. There are whole families converting and there are single individuals who believe that Judaism represents the ultimate truth.

There are people who have even left South Africa to go straight to Israel to attempt a conversion under very arduous conditions. We support these people and give them information and direct them towards the right people in Israel if this is their choice. It should be noted that people who convert in Israel need to remain in Israel. Occasionally people who convert in Israel want to do it to short-circuit the conversion but people need to realise that if you are planning to live in South Africa you need to convert in SA the Beth din is extremely particular about this.

Very often people who convert for purposes of marriage have thought long and hard and have become genuinely committed to living a Jewish way of life. Sometimes their Jewish partners say in humility that they are grateful to their converted partner for having helped them to discover authentic Judaism. This brings us to the point that today the conversion process is a total partnership between the Jewish partner and the potential convert. This is very different to the way it was managed many decades ago where only the non-Jewish partner was required to learn and study Judaism.

Rabbi R Hendler
REGISTRAR FOR CONVERSIONS