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Gerim (Hebrew: גרים), also called proselytes,[1] are converts to Judaism whom are considered full members of the Jewish nation.[2][3]
As Judaism does not seek converts,[4] prospective converts must complete the arduous process without the support present in universalist religions like Christianity or Islam. It is traditional for an individual requesting to begin the process to be denied three times by a rabbi to test their sincerity or even be denied entirely.[5][6][7][8] Even once the conversion process has begun, an individual is not guaranteed to be converted if they do not meet the expectations and requirements of their sponsoring rabbi and Jewish court.[9][10]
Individuals from a vast array of ethnic and religious backgrounds have become Jewish throughout history, leading to a degree of genetic and racial diversity among the Jewish population as a whole. Regardless, Jewish law places no value in genetics or physical attributes in determining whether or not an individual is or is not a Jew.[11][12][13][14][15]
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Non-Jews have been joining the Jewish people for thousands of years, with one of the earliest instances being Ruth, an ancestor of King David.[16]
It is estimated that a significant portion of the genome of diaspora Jewish groups is of non-Israelite genetic descent, indicating that these communities accepted in many converts following the expulsion of Jews from Israel by the Romans.[17][18] These converts were fully assimilated into the Jewish people, adopting all aspects of Jewish culture and identity.[19]
Though extremely uncommon, entire people groups have converted to Judaism throughout history, notably the Subbotnik Jews,[20] Bene Menashe,[21] Jews of San Nicandro,[22] and the Himrayite Kingdom.[23] Many of these groups have gone on to intermarry with the predominately Israelite-descended Jewish community.
There is no distinction between born-Jews and gerim in the eyes of traditional Jewish law, in most cases.[24] The few distinctions that do exist are that a ger cannot sit on a Jewish court in many cases,[25] a ger cannot marry a Kohen (Jewish priest),[26] and a ger can never be in a position of absolute authority over born-Jews (such as becoming a monarch).[27]
Convert status does not extend to the children of converts, as they would be considered born-Jews.[28]
Prospective Jewish converts must undergo a rigorous process which bears similarity to both naturalization and a religious conversion. Traditionally, this involves moving into a Jewish community, a year or more of Jewish education under a rabbi, meeting with a recognized beit din (Jewish court), and going through with the final rituals (which differ between males and females slightly).[30][31]
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