Opening the Gates: How Proactive Conversion Can Revitalize the Jewish Community

Jewish social scientist Tobin zealously argues that the Jewish community should actively seek converts rather than seeking fruitlessly to prevent intermarriage. Potential Jews, he says, may be sought among those people who are unhappy with their religious traditions and among those who have no religious background. Unprecedented increases in intermarriage, he notes, have also produced a large number of non-Jewish spouses who are prime targets for conversion. Other likely candidates for conversion include the millions of Americans with Jewish ancestors. Tobin calls for the establishment of a National Center for Jewish Inclusion that would provide leadership for his conversion campaign. He decries the traditional Jewish opposition to conversion and identifies the benefits that would accrue to the Jewish community and to the converts if a large number could be recruited. His thesis is sure to be controversial and will probably find little support, but he deserves kudos for advocating this audacious point of view in such an engaging manner. (May)