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It is my understanding that when a person converts to Judaism, certain halachic relationships are severed.

So I have a couple questions about this.

  • Which relationships are severed?
  • Is a convert related to their Jewish (from birth) father?
  • If a person and their close relative convert together, are they still related? If so, what does "converting together" mean?
HodofHod
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  • I suggest watching the videos found in this blog. http://moriyasplace.blogspot.com/2011/04/rabbi-nathan-lopes-cardozos-view-on.html

    really interesting take on conversion and relationships, and how it feels to the dedicated convert.

     – avi Dec 28 '11 at 19:50

2 Answers2

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1 All relationships are severed when a person converts.

2 The convert was never related to their Jewish (from birth) father and does not become so when they convert.

3 No, they are not related. The phrase "converting together" is generally used when a husband and wife convert together. When they convert their non-Jewish marriage is dissolved and they marry again as Jews.

Note that even though they are not related, nevertheless D'Rabbanan laws of incest to their former non-Jewish relatives still apply.

follick
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  • so if a mother and daughter convert at the same time, the daughter would still use "bas Sarah Imeinu"? – HodofHod Dec 28 '11 at 01:52
  • CYLR, I think their is some leeway for a convert to choose what they want to be named, but in general, yes "bas Sarah Imeinu" would be correct. – follick Dec 28 '11 at 01:55
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    I should also note that the laws between parents and children who convert can be complex. Even though Yichus is severed, a convert who has had children before converting may still be considered to have fulfilled the Mitzva of Pru U'Revu, and a child still may have obligations to their pre-conversion parents even if the parents don't convert. – follick Dec 28 '11 at 02:16
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    Of course, in practice, conversion is a very complex area of Halachah and one needs to consult not just their local Rabbi, but an expert in these laws. – follick Dec 28 '11 at 02:18
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    Sources for any or all of the above would be nice. – Seth J Dec 28 '11 at 02:22
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    R Moshe Feinstein ruled that, notwithstanding the above, there is no mother-son (and presumably father-daughter?) prohibition of yichud for a ger, because (IIRC) it is not natural for any attraction to exist. – yitznewton Dec 28 '11 at 13:29
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    Could be this is derived from Yevamos 48b: A ger who is nisgayer is like a newborn child (ke-katan she-nolad dami) – yitznewton Dec 28 '11 at 14:36
  • @HodofHod a convert is always ben/bas Avraham ve-Sarah, regardless of parental conversion. Personal name can theoretically be chosen by the ger (I chose mine), although I have heard of cases where the orchestrating rabbi(s) will choose a name, sometimes specifically Avraham. – yitznewton Dec 28 '11 at 14:37
  • I'm confused: how is a child of a Jewish man and a non-Jewish woman not related to that father? – Martha F. Dec 28 '11 at 19:41
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    @MarthaF., by "related," here, people mean in the technical-Halachic sense, with implications for various purposes, some of which are discussed in come comments above. For at least some of these purposes, a non-Jew and a Jew cannot be "related," so the Jewish father and his non-Jewish child, for those purposes, aren't. – Isaac Moses Dec 28 '11 at 19:46
  • @MarthaF. and others.. it's more than just a "not related" to them.. A Convert is an entirely new person, related to no one. The original meaning of "born again" :) – avi Dec 28 '11 at 19:53
  • so brothers who both converted can be given aliyot one after the other? Or does the ayin hara still exist? http://www.dailyhalacha.com/m/halacha.aspx?id=1395 – rosends Aug 13 '17 at 01:38
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Converting relatives are complete strangers but for the fact that they are not allowed to have any sexual relationship that they couldn't have had before conversion. If a brother and sister convert, they cannot marry as Jews.

Double AA
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RashaGamor
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