My husband and I are in the process of adopting an African American
baby boy. We had him circumcised by a doctor -- as he was already
2 months old, my husband was concerned about safety. Must he really
undergo a conversion ceremony to be Jewish? It really bothered
me to have our beautiful baby go through this.
Yes, he must undergo conversion to be Jewish. The reason is quite
simply that the conversion ceremony is the "naturalization" ceremony
that makes one a "citizen" of the People of Israel. Without it
one would not be considered to be a Jew, in the same way that
one who immigrates to the U.S. is not considered a citizen of
the U.S., until he or she is naturalized. Similarly, you may get
rights and privileges, palimony and the like, if you were not
legally married to your husband, but without the legal marriage
you would not be his wife.
Written by Rabbi Stuart Federow, Clear Lake, Texas
My husband and I are in the process of adopting an African American
baby boy. We had him circumcised by a doctor -- as he was already
2 months old, my husband was concerned about safety. Must he really
undergo a conversion ceremony to be Jewish? It really bothered
me to have our beautiful baby go through this. 
Yes, he must undergo conversion to be Jewish. The reason is quite
simply that the conversion ceremony is the "naturalization" ceremony
that makes one a "citizen" of the People of Israel. Without it
one would not be considered to be a Jew, in the same way that
one who immigrates to the U.S. is not considered a citizen of
the U.S., until he or she is naturalized. Similarly, you may get
rights and privileges, palimony and the like, if you were not
legally married to your husband, but without the legal marriage
you would not be his wife.
