Syrian Community and Converts

[Sasha52318]

I thought the Syrian community only accepted sincere converts for whom marriage/a relationship was not a motivating factor. However, I was listening to a shiur by Rabbi Eli Mansour (id 1320) from the learntorah site in which he stated that they don’t accept converts. Perhaps he meant they don’t ‘do’ conversions?

Is anyone here a member of the community who can explain how ‘sincere’ converts are perceived in the community? Does anyone have first-hand experiences they can share?

I converted in Israel (for the love of Judaism – not a guy), and I’m quite interested in the Syrian Community. I would like to visit one of their shuls in Brooklyn but I’m not sure what to expect.

According to the Wikipedia article on Syrian Jews:

Based on these standards a goodly number of converts have been accepted into the community. Genetic characteristics play no role whatsoever.

Sincerely,

Moshe Shamah Rabbi, Sephardic Synagogue 511 Ave. R

Brooklyn, NY 11223″

[Mr Sfardi]

Hi, I am sefardic & I live in Brooklyn. In general, Converts are not accepted at all in the syrian community in Brooklyn. Whether its getting into schools, Marriage, etc.. it is very hard for Converts. My mom knows converts who had to move out of New York because of this. 🙁

[popa_bar_abba]

Had to leave NY? The Syrians are a small minority in NY. There are plenty of communities you could join without involving the syrians.

[Sam2]

Syrians do not hold of conversions Bizman HaZeh. Depending on who you ask about why, you’ll get different answers.

[jewishfeminist02]

I once dated a convert whose mother was not Jewish and father was an OTD Syrian. His father’s family rejected him, so much so that when he was born, his grandfather said to his father, “What a shame that we can only love half this child.” (When he grew up and became a frum Jew, their attitude didn’t change.)

Frum converts in general already have to deal with outright suspicion and marginalization, which I believe is a real tragedy, but it’s ten times worse in the Syrian community. I don’t know why.

[Joseph]

The Syrian rabbinical establishment stopped *performing* conversions about 80 years ago due to a problem of marriages with non-Jews who then sought to convert for marriage purposes.

Nevertheless they only will not perform any conversions within their community. Valid conversions done by rabbis outside the Syrian community are fully recognized as full Jews in all respects by the Syrian community.

[Randomex]

It is not made clear where the Wikipedia quote ends and where the letter from Rabbi Moshe Shamah begins, but the line appears to be just before “No rabbi considers,” as it is difficult to imagine a Wikipedia article with “a matter I made clear to Mr. Chafets when we spoke” as part of its descriptive text.

(Assuming Popa hasn’t been involved, of course:)

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/troling-wikipedia

I once dated a convert whose mother was not Jewish and father was an OTD Syrian. His father’s family rejected him, so much so that when he was born, his grandfather said to his father, “What a shame that we can only love half this child.” (When he grew up and became a frum Jew, their attitude didn’t change.)

So: The child wasn’t Jewish. The grandfather was on speaking terms with the OTD father, but, along with his family, rejected the grandchild from birth, though not so much that he couldn’t “love half of him,” presumably the half from his father, not recognizing the relationship between his son and his non-Jewish wife (I’m just assuming they were married). Then the child grew up and converted to Judaism, but the father’s family’s feelings about him remained the same.

Really ? How much of that can I be expected to believe?

[Sasha52318]

The article ends at the last quotation mark

[Sasha52318]

The letter is excerpted from the Wiki article.

[Author]

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