The question was are the Reform and Conservative, Jewish. The answer is Yes, if they are born Jews of an unquestionably Jewish mother. If the mom is not Jewish or was converted by other than Orthodox means, then the answer is no. As to the issue of whether when she was converted she lived as a frum Jew, and how that impacts her “Jewishness,” I am not a rov obviously, but I will relate what I learned. One of the things a rov is supposed to tell a prospective Ger Tzedek, to discourgae him from converting, is the following: “You can live your life as a wonderful non-Jew, and be a person worthy of Olam Haba, by following the 7 Mitzvos Bnei Noach. If you are mechallel Shabbos now, you have no aveira from it. If you eat a burger at McDonald’s, you have no aveira, NOW. But once you become a Jew al pi halacha, and do those same things that are permitted to you today, you will be considered a sinner and be liable for an onesh. So why change your status?” This thought leads me to believe that if the person would become liable after the conversion, for doing what then would be considered an aveira for him, that the conversion is absolutely valid, EVEN IF HE DOES NOT LIVE IN A FRUM WAY, otherwise, his status would revert to being a Goy, and he would therefore NOT be chayav. Am I making any sense here? And what is the actual determination? Because one could argue that ANY ger tzedek might be oveir on SOME halacha as we all might be nichshal, so would that render him a non-valid convert?
Menu