Classes are intended to acquaint those considering conversion to Judaism with what it means to live Jewishly. Each student will be required to secure a congregational rabbinic sponsor by February 1 and meet the conversion requirements developed by their rabbinic sponsor.
“Over the past decade plus the citywide conversion program under the direction of the Rabbinical Association of Greater Kansas City has produced a number of sincere, intelligent and spiritually motivated converts to our faith,” said Rabbi Doug Alpert, rabbinic coordinator for the program and president of the rabbinical association.
“This program is starting up again shortly and is accepting applications from potential students. This course is taught by a cross-section of the rabbis of the community and really represents a tapestry of views of the Jewish faith.”
The class provides a comfortable forum for students to learn about Jewish holidays, home celebrations, life-cycle observances, rituals and Jewish prayer and history, Torah, Israel, Judaism’s view about God, and about our religion’s movements. Each class will include a 30-minute Hebrew component.
Participants will combine Jewish learning with Jewish “doing” as they become part of a shared community and create Jewish memories by taking part in a Shabbat and Havdalah experience.
They will also participate in holiday celebrations and observances at Sukkot, Chanukah and Passover. This course allows future Jews-by-choice the opportunity to meet one another, and to learn not only about Judaism, but also about the Kansas City Jewish community.
Students in last year’s conversion course remarked that some of the things they liked about the course were hearing from rabbis from throughout the community, the wide variety of topics covered, and learning about the various Jewish holidays and how they’re celebrated.
Classes will take place virtually via Zoom on Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. and some sessions will be held in person and may rotate among the synagogues and Jewish Community Campus.
An orientation session is scheduled for August 12th 7:00 to 9:00. Visit kcrabbi.org for information. To register, contact Annette Fish, Rabbinical Association administrator/program director, by email at or 913-327-8226.
Funding for this rabbinical association program is generously provided by the Menorah Heritage Foundation and the National Center to Encourage Judaism. This course is taught through a collaborative educational partnership with the Miller Introduction to Judaism Program of American Jewish University.
