Answers to Jewish Questions

I am in the process of converting to Judaism. When the Conversion ceremonies are completed, is it considered customary to render a gratuity to the Rabbi that we have been working with? This is a sensitive subject to ask of our Rabbi, whom we love.

Is it necessary to be conversant in the Hebrew tongue in order to be accepted into the Jewish community via conversion? That is, can I convert without learning Hebrew?

Rabbi Robert Orkand: Judaism welcomes those wishing to convert, and a great deal of information about Judaism is now available on the Internet, making it a wonderful way to begin learning. Start with ReformJudaism.org's conversion page, which includes a reading list for beginners. However, conversion to Judaism involves time and

I have been attracted to Judaism ever since I first began to learn about it, and have reason to believe that my family was originally Jewish. What would be the steps for me to take to return to Judaism?

Is a Jewish boy who was circumcised in the hospital rather than in a religious bris ceremony considered a Jew? My husband and I are an interfaith family and we are not sure what to do with our baby.

Honestly, no. What I mean by this is that if you are going to be truly honest with yourself, then, on many levels, you cannot have both a christening and a bris/naming

Traditionally, a brit milah is the ceremony whereby a Jewish boy is brought into the covenant. For a girl, there was a naming which took place in the synagogue, usually done by the father or grandfather coming to the synagogue and having a blessing said on behalf of the baby, who usually wasn't present.

If our baby is a little boy and we want to have him circumcised in the hospital can the ceremony of a bris still be held or would we have a baby naming?

There are many opportunities to share in the beauty of different faith traditions that may exist within one family. There is no reason why sharing your in-laws traditions would end up being confusing to your daughter.