at a time when the JFS case is making conversion a hotter topic than ever, parliamentary counsel Daniel Greenberg is arguing that we need to change our attitudes to the issue.
The north Londoner, who is also an educator in Jewish law and philosophy, has been tutoring potential conversion candidates for the past 15 years.
He believes there are many imperfections in the current conversion process which need to be dealt with. He has now decided to make his concerns public in his newly published book, How to Become Jewish (and why not to).
Mr Greenberg, 44, tells People: “I have been an official tutor to about 20 conversion candidates for the London Beth Din, in addition to other informal cases.
“Over the years, there were some recurring themes about the process and how converts are treated afterwards that I found disquieting.
“We need to change our attitudes and I thought the book would be a way of helping the process.” He adds: “What troubles me most is how converts are treated in the community — as second-class citizens. It should be the reverse. They should be highly valued as inspiring people.”
In the book, Mr Greenberg also questions whether it is necessary to be so hard on prospective converts.
He says the centre of Orthodox observance and practice is guarded by local rabbis and Botei Din whose general attitude to new candidates is likely to be forbidding at best, and rude and accusing at worst.
Mr Greenberg, who considers himself part of the Orthodox community, has been a government lawyer since 1988.
