Machon Milton

RCA Machon Milton is an English language Conversion Preparation Course in Jerusalem, Israel.  It is under the auspices of the Rabbinical Council of America in partnership with Shavei Israel. Students in the course spend a year studying Judaism, learning about Jewish practices and experiencing the complete cycle of the Jewish calendar.  Each student is assisted in finding a mentor family who will help them experience the Jewish Sabbath and holidays. The course is an approved course of the National Conversion Authority.  Upon completion of the course, the graduate will have met the educational requirements for conversion.

 

The Director will accompany the graduate to the Jerusalem Beit Din (rabbinical court) under the auspices of the Chief Rabbinate to assess their readiness to undergo an official conversion.  Acceptance for conversion at that meeting will be contingent on the graduate’s commitment to living a full Jewish life in accordance with what they have learnt in the course. While completion of the course is a requirement for conversion it needs to be accompanied by personal observance by the graduate. The Director of the Course will accompany each candidate for their meeting with the Beit Din and will assist with all aspects of the preparation for conversion.

Course Details

The course is open to both men and women.  If the person seeking conversion is married, their husband or wife are required to attend the course with them.  Or if the person seeking conversion is in a committed relationship, their partner is required to attend the course with them as well.

THE STUDIES

Classes will take place in Jerusalem twice a week for 4 hours each night.   The course is 400 hours and lasts about one year.

 

Topics to be covered include Halacha (Jewish law) and tradition, Jewish history, ethics, Jewish beliefs and Jewish thought.

REQUIREMENTS

  • Being an Israeli citizen or
  • Having been accepted by the special committee of the Interior Ministry.  We will assist in that process.   The following people can hope to be accepted, though the decision is not ours:
  • Being eligible to be an Israeli citizen with previous connection to Jewish communities
  • Previous study with a conversion program outside of Israel.

Staff

Dafna Siegman 

Dafna Siegman is both a freelance adult educator and a Judaica specialist at The National Library of Israel. Dafna enjoys teaching adults for over…

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… 25 years in a range of institutions and communal settings. In addition, Dafna has edited curricula and educational projects. Dafna pursued doctoral work in Jewish History at Columbia University.

Rabbi Reuven Tradburks

Rabbi Reuven Tradburks is the director of Machon Milton, as well as the Director of the Rabbinical Council of America, Israel Region. He served…

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…as a congregational rabbi for 23 years, most recently in Toronto, where he was also director of the Beit Din of the Vaad Harabonim for 10 years. He and his wife Joyce made aliya in 2009 and reside in Jerusalem. 

Chaya Castillo

Chaya Castillo oversees and directs Shavei Israel’s outreach work to the Bnei Anousim (“Marranos”) and the Hidden Jews of Poland…

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… She was born and raised in Mexico, and made Aliyah to Israel in 2009. A graduate of Hadassah Academic College Jerusalem, she completed a BA degree in Business Administration with a specialty in Management of Service Organizations (Tourism). She also participated in several courses of Jewish studies, tradition and life coaching.

CONTACT US

 We are here to help.  For more information, please contact the Director, Rabbi Reuven Tradburks at rtradburks@gmail.com or the office of Shavei Israel, office@shavei.org or 02-625-6230