The Jewish Mission to the Nations: Should Modern Judaism Try to Win Souls?
Some time ago a call for conversions to Judaism was issued from the floor of Reform’s Central Conference of American Rabbis. A body of Orthodox rabbis was quick to protest, as might have been expected. For this call was made in the course of a report on conversions to Judaism that had been mostly performed by Reform rabbis before officiating at what would otherwise have been mixed marriages; and Orthodoxy regards this motive as incompatible with the sincere desire to take upon oneself the “yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven.” It is a pity that the whole question of Jewish missionary effort should be confused by a side issue. It is conceivable, for example, that a rabbi who performs “conversions” for the sake of marriage would not favor any effort at a wholesale conversion of Gentiles. On the other hand, many rabbis adhering to the traditional restrictions on conversion for marriage might favor a greater effort in this direction, construing the “mission of Israel” to involve an appeal to the
