So… can you actually convert to Judaism online?
If you’ve ever found yourself doom-scrolling at 1 AM and typing “how to convert to Judaism online” into the search bar, you’re not alone—and you’re not crazy. The internet is full of mixed messages, shady certificate offers, and more than one guy in a fedora promising you instant transformation for $99.
But what’s real? What’s legit? And what will leave you out thousands of dollars and without a community?
We’ll talk about:
- What parts of the process can be virtual
- Where every Jewish movement draws the line
- Red flags to avoid (seriously, don’t PayPal anyone your soul)
- How to ask the right questions so you don’t get scammed
If you’re exploring conversion, especially from a rural area or with accessibility needs, this is essential info to help you move forward with confidence and clarity. Scroll down to watch the video—and if you’ve got questions after, you’re always welcome to reach out.
Transcript below.
Transcript:
You are scrolling at one in the morning and you type into the search bar “how to convert to Judaism online,”
and suddenly you’re knee deep in forums, Facebook groups,
ads, and some guy in a fedora who’s offering a certificate for $99.
So can you actually convert online? Let’s talk about it.
I’m Kochava. I am a Jewish convert and the creator of Building a Jewish Life.com,
and I’ve been helping people navigate the conversion process with compassion and clarity since 2010.
So today we’re gonna unpack what “online conversion” actually means, how and when it’s possible, the very real red flags,
and what to look out for if you’re exploring virtual options.
When people say “online conversions,” they usually mean things like Zoom classes, digital learning materials, virtual meetings with a rabbi.
Pretty standard stuff in the year of our Lord 2025.
But what some sketchy sites may offer:
Certificate mills with very little real interaction and rabbinic guidance.
Every Jewish movement says you cannot convert purely online. Every Jewish movement requires an in-person community experience as part of a conversion. Yes, you can do parts online, but you can’t do everything. And if you don’t live in a Jewish community, you probably cannot access a conversion at all, no matter the movement.
That’s not just a, like “the Orthodox are really strict” sort of thing.
So good news, yes. Part of your conversion education can be online. Many rabbis now do some, or even all, of their teaching online virtually.
Zoom classes, distance learning, online check-ins, all very common, especially post Covid.
Even some batei din may do initial appointments virtually, but they won’t do the ones that matter on Zoom, they’ll be in person. Even if you are converting out of town without a Jewish community around you or in a very small Jewish community, you are probably going to be required to travel to a community that has a beit din that can meet you in person and go to the mikvah in person.
Since, you know, you can’t do mikvah over Zoom.
At least, I hope you know that already.
So yeah, the limits. Mikvah can’t be done online. Harsh, but true.
Circumcision or hatafat dam brit, the pinprick of blood from the circumcision area. Can’t do on zoom. True. That’s not required in every movement. Um, I believe only the reform make that, uh, optional. It could be wrong, but it is required in the conservative movement as well.
And your final beit din meeting, it’s gonna be in person.
You also generally need an in-person community experience. You need to have a synagogue, you need to have a Jewish community. You need to hang out with Jews.
Are there online programs that are almost fully online and portray themselves as real conversions with real regular meetings with rabbis? Yes, there’s at least one that I know of, but even they are clear that their conversions may not be acceptable to a very wide range of people.
Maybe that doesn’t matter to you, but most people who are converting to Judaism care about how accepted their conversions are. But spoiler alert, no conversion is acceptable to everybody. No matter how orthodox you go, there will be someone who does not believe you have a valid conversion. That is the sad but true truth of conversion.
So make peace with that now.
So red flags.
Promises of fast, fully remote conversions. Anyone who promises you a conversion in under a year is probably trying to get your money.
Every movement aims for at least one year for a conversion process. The idea is that you need to experience a full cycle of Jewish holidays. It’s not a ridiculous rule, I hope you agree. Many conversions can go much longer than a year, but anyone who promises you a conversion in less than a year, be really suspicious.
Unless you’re rich and trying to pay them to give you a fast tracked conversion, and in that case, you should probably reconsider your life choices.
Red flag number two, no community involvement or supervised practice. The rabbi overseeing your conversion should know you. They should know what you look like when you’re davening, (praying). They should know how you practice things because they should see you in real life.
They should know what your Jewish practice looks like. You shouldn’t be an acquaintance. No, not every rabbi involved in your process is going to be as involved with you as that, but at least one rabbi does need to be.
Red flag number three. No connection to a recognized Jewish organization or synagogue. “ Rabbi Shlomo” on the internet who doesn’t seem to have a synagogue or be, um, promoting themselves as attached to, say the Orthodox Union or the Rabbinical Assembly, or some other rabbinic organization.
That’s a problem.
Red flag number four, which I hope is the most obvious one. Anyone who is asking you for large amounts of money with very little transparency.
So say you wanna go forward looking for more virtual resources to move your conversion along, what sorts of questions should you be asking? Who is the rabbi that’s in charge of this and what is their background? Who are they affiliated with? Do you even know where they live? Like, I mean, not their house, but like their town.
You should know the town they live in.
Can they tell you that this conversion is recognized by a regular denomination of Judaism? I’m not aware of anyone just making up a movement recently, but you know, someone might be out there saying it.
What community or synagogue is going to be available to support you during this conversion and, more importantly, afterward? Because the whole point is to live a Jewish life and Jewish life is communal. Like it or not, it comes with good and bad.
And last for now at least, that I can think of off the top of my head, what’s their plan for mikvah and circumcision, if any sort of circumcision is necessary in your case.
Don’t get me wrong. Online components of a conversion are very helpful for the rural, the disabled, the neurodivergent, people with little kids. There’s a lot of benefits to virtual aspects of the conversion process. I do not knock them. I live online.
But conversion to Judaism is a relationship. Not a transaction. You can’t just PayPal someone for a conversion.
And because we are a communal religion, your conversion is measured by the people who stand behind it. The peoples whose names are on that certificate. They put their names on the line when they sign for you. It’s a reciprocal relationship. Hopefully you both make each other look good.
If you’re not sure what’s legit, you can hit me up at Building a Jewish Life.com. There’s a little Contact Me page. Happy to try to help you as best as I can.
I’d rather you ask than be hurt or misled, or to have lots of money stolen from you. It is an era of online scammers, do not fall prey to them.
Drop your questions down in the comments below.
I’d like to do a follow-up video addressing some of these questions you have , especially how we can make the online elements more accessible and more useful to people.
So like, subscribe, and send this to the late night Googler in your life. Shabbat Shalom.
