Talk:List of converts to Judaism

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Articles for deletion This article was nominated for deletion on 5 Nov 2006. The result of the discussion was no consensus.

Abraham and Sarah, while leaving their pagan roots, did not convert to Judaism. They were only proto-jews. Judaism didn't exist until centuries afterwards.

Saul of Tarsus was not a convert to Judaism. He describes himself as 'a Hebrew of Hebrews, of the tribe of Benjamin' (Romans 11:1) (Phillippians 3:5). DJ Clayworth 19:25, 10 Mar 2004 (UTC)

The article you link to refers to a statement by a scholar who believes he was indeed a convert to Judaism. If this belief is so marginal that practically no Biblical scholar takes it seriously, then it should be removed from that page as well. On the other hand, if it's regarded as a serious theory, then Paul should be reinserted into the list here. As the introductory text states, it's not just for confirmed converts, but those who are "believed to be" converts. Psychonaut 19:51, 10 Mar 2004 (UTC)
As far as I can determine this belief is pretty marginal, but not quite so out there that it is ridiculous. It's a theory held by a very small minority. Putting Paul back in this list would certainly give the wrong impression. I'm going to go and rework the Paul article a little. DJ Clayworth 15:05, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)

According to Maimonides, Avtalyon, Meir & Shemaya were descended from proselytes (i.e. weren't converts themselves). Udzu

Did Consuelo Luz really convert to Judaism, or has she just become more aware of her Jewish roots? Udzu 22:59, 19 Aug 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Jethro - a convert?

I find it curious that Jethro is listed as a convert. I have never heard that before. The book of Exodus identifies him as a "priest of Midian" - an identity he kept. He visited but did not join the Israelites on their flight from Egypt - after meeting Moses and worshipping with him, he went back to his own people. (See Exodus 18.27). Had he converted, I think he would have joined the Jewish people and stayed with them - after all, his own daughter had done so.

The fact that he acknowledged the God of Moses and worshiped him does not necessarily mean that he converted to Judaism. Judaism teaches that one may truly worship God without converting, and does not regard all worshippers and fellow-travellers as converts. In the book of Acts, Paul distinguished between "Jews" and "God-fearing Gentiles."

Jethro's worship of the same God as Moses is not really surprising, either, given that the Midianites, like the Jews, were descendants of Abraham (see Genesis 18). Only about 3 or 4 generations had passed since Abraham's time, so many of the basic beliefs that Abraham had would have been preserved intact. David Cannon 21:15, 13 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I think you're right. Jethro is portrayed as a 'righteous gentile', not a convert. Juko 21:50, 13 Apr 2005 (UTC)
PS What about Abraham and Sarah? Not an ethnic conversion like Ruth ("thy people shall be my people"), but a conversion...

Hi, according to the commentary of Rashi based on other sources of Midrash (part of classical Judaism's Oral Law. Jethro was indeed a convert, as was his daughter Zipporah the wife of Moses. So yes, according to Jewish tradition, Jethro was a convert, even more reliably so than Sammy Davis and Elizabeth Taylor who would not recognized as such by Orthodox Judaism then or now. P.S. What's an "ethnic conversion"? There is NO such thing in Judaism! And yes, Abraham, Sarah, and Ruth are all real converts, by accepting the faith, or religion, in full of what we now know as Judaism. IZAK 09:47, 14 Apr 2005 (UTC)

If you don't know what I'm referring to by "ethnic conversion" then how do you know that there's NO such thing? :-) I was simply noting that from Ruth onwards, converting to Judaism has necessarily involved not just accepting the Jewish faith but also embracing and becoming part of the Jewish people ("thy people shall be my people"). Abraham and Sarah's conversion saw the creation of the covenant that proselytes seek to enter, and was uniquely personal. Ruth is held as the archetypal convert precisely because her conversion also encompassed the "ethnic" element. Juko 11:15, 14 Apr 2005 (UTC)


[edit] Claire Danes

  • Does anyone know if she has converted to Judaism?

She was going to convert to Judaism when she had a relationship with an actor called Ben Lee. But they have broken up and now she is dating Billy Crudup. So, I want to know if she ended up converting to Judaism or not, PMLF 03:56, 25 October 2005 (UTC)