Week 1 · Covenant and Faith
Discernment, Motive, and the Meaning of Geirut
Questions 1–4
Academy reading copy. This lesson is not offered as a file download.
Objectives
Explain this week’s central concepts accurately, respectfully, and in clear language.
Answer Questions 1–4 in complete sentences and correct them after discussion.
Connect belief and law to observable practice in home, synagogue, and community.
Core content
Conversion as covenant, not affiliation; sincere motivation; family background; present Jewish connections.
Required reading
Rambam, Commentary to Mishnah, Sanhedrin ch. 10 (Thirteen Principles); a reliable siddur’s Yigdal/Ani Ma’amin; selected Tanakh passages assigned by the rabbi.
Practical observance
Write a candid spiritual autobiography and discuss what conversion requires you to relinquish.
Hebrew strand
Practice 10–15 minutes daily: letters, vowels, and ten recurring siddur words. Record one passage that became easier this week.
Homework and reflection
Complete written responses for 1–4; mark every answer that depends on local custom or rabbinic ruling.
Write 150–250 words: “How should this week’s learning change the way I live?”
Record attendance, practice completed, uncertainties, and one question for the sponsoring rabbi.
Rabbinic checkpoint
The candidate understands that a documented maternal Jewish line may establish Jewish status, while an ancestry claim requires competent investigation; marriage or a desire to marry does not itself establish status or readiness for conversion.