Reference · stays inside this course
Portfolio, assessment, and sources
Academy reading copy. This lesson is not offered as a file download.
Candidate Portfolio
The portfolio should show a real life rather than polished performance. It remains confidential between candidate, sponsoring rabbi, and Beit Din as appropriate.
Motivation statement and spiritual autobiography, updated near the end of the year
Corrected responses to all assigned question-bank ranges
Prayer and Hebrew progress records
Shabbat, kashrut, and festival practice logs
Kitchen plan and household sustainability plan
Community participation and chesed record
Short essays on Torah miSinai, peoplehood, Israel, teshuvah, and kabbalat ol mitzvot
A list of unresolved questions and areas still requiring growth Quarterly Progress Report Domain Evidence reviewed Next action / date Faith and motivation Prayer and Hebrew Shabbat Kashrut and home Calendar and festivals Community and relationships Ethics and personal boundaries Study and question bank Final Assessment Blueprint Foundations oral: Thirteen Principles, Torah miSinai, Oral Torah, mitzvot, peoplehood. Siddur practicum: Navigate Shacharit, Shabbat, major additions, blessings, Kiddush, and Havdalah. Halakhic cases: Reason through common Shabbat and kashrut situations; identify when to ask. Calendar oral: Explain and prepare for the annual cycle; demonstrate lived experience of festivals. History and transmission: Timeline from Avraham through the sages and modern Jewish history. Hebrew check: Read familiar vocalized passages and navigate standard ritual texts. Life review: Home, work, relationships, community, finances, distance to synagogue, and sustainability. Readiness conversation: Motivation, kabbalat ol mitzvot, unresolved beliefs, and expectations after conversion. No numerical score compels a favorable decision. The sponsoring rabbi may recommend next steps, but the receiving Beit Din alone assesses readiness for conversion, considering the whole person, consistency over time, sincerity, knowledge, observance, community integration, and kabbalat ol mitzvot. Core Reading List
Tanakh: Chumash with Rashi and a reliable Hebrew-English Tanakh.
Rambam: Thirteen Principles (Pereq Cheleq) and selected Mishneh Torah passages.
Siddur and machzor matching the candidate’s receiving community.
Hayim Halevy Donin, To Be a Jew and To Pray as a Jew (where approved).
Aryeh Kaplan, Handbook of Jewish Thought and selected introductory essays.
A current practical Shabbat and kashrut guide selected by the sponsoring rabbi.
A concise Jewish history and Israel text approved by the sponsoring rabbi.
The Path of Return Student Workbook (906 questions). Edition warning: older introductory works may contain kitchen or technology guidance that is not accepted by the receiving Beit Din. Current rulings and local standards supersede summaries in books or this syllabus. Curricular Sources and Standards Consulted
Rabbinical Council of America / Beth Din of America, GPS Policies and Standards: judaismconversion.org/geiruspolicies-and-standards/
RCA / BDA, GPS Conversion Curriculum: judaismconversion.org/curriculum/
RCA / BDA, Recommended Reading List: judaismconversion.org/recommended-reading-list/
London Beth Din, Conversion Programme: www.bethdin.org.uk/conversion
Chicago Rabbinical Council, Conversion Curriculum: crcbethdin.org/geirut-conversion-to-judaism/conversioncurriculum/
Beth Din of Florida, Conversion Curriculum: www.bethdinofflorida.org/conversion-curriculum
Manhattan Beth Din for Conversions, The Process: manhattanbethdin.org/the-process/ These official public resources were rechecked on 1 September 2026 for breadth and process expectations. The 906-question bank and the two Path of Return source documents remain the direct curricular base. Any conflict is resolved by the receiving Beit Din’s current written requirements and rulings.