Recommended Reading List

Recommended Reading List of Prospective Converts under the Auspices of the Network of Regional Batei Din for Conversion in Association with the Rabbinical Council of America and the Beth Din of America

Entries preceded by an asterisk are very strongly recommended.  All other entries are suggestions that may be substituted by other works that cover the same general topics, at the prerogative of the individual regional batei din.   

General:

• *Donin, Hayim, To Be a Jew: A Guide to Jewish Observance in Contemporary Life
• Feldman, Emanuel, On Judaism: Conversations on Being Jewish
• Gelbard, Shmuel Pinchas, Judaism for the Rite Reasons
• Lamm, Maurice, Becoming a Jew
• Wouk, Herman, This is My God

Basic texts:

• *Artscroll or Soncino Chumash
• *Artscroll Tanach or The KOREN Jerusalem Bible
• Kaplan, Aryeh, The Living Torah
• [alternative annotated translation of Genesis: Grafstein, Shlomo, Judaism’s Bible Volume I]
• Ganzfried, Shlomo, Code of Jewish Law (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch), translated by Goldin, Hyman [who also authored The Jew and His Duties: The Essence of the Kitzur Shulchan]
• Ethics of the Fathers (Pirkei Avos)

Tanach (Bible)

Suggested portions:

• Genesis 1-4; 6-9; 11-end
• Exodus 1-24; 31-34*
• Leviticus 9-12; 16-21; 25-26.
• Numbers 10-14; 16-17; 19-25; 27; 31-32; 34-36*
• Deuteronomy entire book*
• *May be done as part of the weekly Parsha cycle
• Joshua 1-11; 22-24
• Judges 1-4; 11-end
• 1 Samuel 1-24; 27-end
• 2 Samuel 1-7; 11-19
• 1 Kings 1-3; 8; 10-12; 17-19; 21
• 2 Kings 1-2; 4-5; 7; 12; 17-end
• Jonah entire book
• Ruth entire book
• Esther entire book
• Daniel 2; 5-6; 9
• Ezrah 1; 3-7; 9-10
• Nechemiah 2-6; 8-9; 13

Prayer:

• *Artscroll or Metzudah Siddur
• Passover Hagaddah
• Birnbaum, Mayer, Pathway to Prayer: A Translation and Explanation of the Shmoneh Esrei
• Donin, Hayim Halevi, To Pray as a Jew: A Guide to the Prayerbook and the Synagogue Service
• Kaplan, Louis E., Gates of Mercy: A Guide to the Synagogue Services of the High Holy Days or Sorscher, Moshe I., Companion Guide to the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Prayer Services
• Sorscher, Moshe I., Companion Guide to the Shabbat Prayer Service

For Men:

Kaplan, Aryeh, Tefillin

For Women:

Kaufman, Michael, The Woman in Jewish Law and Tradition

Berachos:

Forst, Binyamin, The Laws of B’rachos

Shabbos:

• *Cohen, Simcha Bunim, The Shabbos Kitchen (Artscroll) or Rosenberg, Ehud, The Laws of Cooking on Sabbath and the Festivals: A Pictoral Guide
• Greenwald, Zev, Illustrated Guides to Jewish Law: Shabbos or Chait, Baruch, The Thirty Nine Melachos
• *Grunfeld, Isidore, The Sabbath: A Guide to its Understanding and Observance
• Kaplan, Aryeh, Shabbos: Day of Eternity
• Trau, Daniel Yaakov, Shabbos: Tasting Eternity
• Appel, Gershon, The Concise Code of Jewish Law: A Guide to the Observance of Shabbat

The Jewish Holidays:

*Kitov, Eliyahu, The Book of our Heritage (3 volumes)

Kashrus:

• Apisdorf, Shimon, Kosher for the Clueless but Curious
• *Grunfeld, Dayan, The Dietary Laws
• *Wagschal, Saul The New Practical Guide to Kashruth, or Greenwald, Zev,  Illustrated Guides to Jewish Law: The Kosher Kitchen, or Rosenberg, Ehud, Meat and Dairy: An illustrated Guide for the Kosher Kitchen     

Family Purity:

• Kaplan, Aryeh, Waters of Eden: An Exploration of the Concept of Mikvah : Renewal and Rebirth
• *Lamm, Norman, A Hedge of Roses: Jewish Insights into Marriage and Married Life
• Schostak, Zev, The Consice Guide to Jewish Family Laws or Sprung, Yaakov, Foundations: the Laws of Family Purity, or Wagschal, Saul, Taharas and Kedushas Am Yisroel: A Guide to the Laws of Taharas Hamishpacha (less Hebrew)

Life Cycle Events:

• Kaplan, Aryeh, Made in Heaven: A Jewish Wedding Guide
• Kitov, Eliyahu, A Jew and His Home
• *Lamm, Maurice, The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning
• *Lamm, Maurice, The Jewish Way in Love and Marriage

Life Cycle Events:

Wein, Berel, Crash Course in Jewish History (tapes or CD’s), or

Hebrew reading skills are required as well.