Do Orthodox jews accept that Gentiles convert to Judaism?
The Hebrew Bible states that converts deserve special attention (Deuteronomy 10:19). The Hebrew word for “convert”, ger, is the same as that for a stranger. It is also related to the root gar – “to dwell’. Hence since the Children of Israel were “strangers” – geirim in Egypt, they are therefore instructed to be welcoming to those who seek to convert and dwell amongst them. Judaism, unlike Christianity and Islam, is not a proselytizing religion. Because it teaches that the righteous of all nations shall enter the gates of heaven, it does not have any compelling urge to rescue non-Jews from hell. There is a requirement in Jewish law to ensure the sincerity of a potential convert. This is taken very seriously, and when played out against the background of the foregoing considerations, most authorities are very careful about it. Essentially, they want to be sure that the convert knows what he is getting into, and that he is doing it for sincerely religious reasons. Traditionally, a Rabbini
