Ask The Rabbi

Ask The Rabbi

category:  Chassidut

Am I a Jew or not?

Shalom,

I have a halachic question. I was raised frum (Orthodox), but stopped observing later in life and became irreligious. Eventually, years later, I married a non-Jewish girl, and converted to Christianity for her.

I later ended up getting divorced and realized it was the wrong decision (not necessarily for the conversion, but more for the person I married). However, I would not say I didn’t believe in Christianity at the time and was “just doing it for marriage”, as I did earnestly try to convince myself and I guess at times “felt” something. I continued to go to church for a while, even well after the divorce.

I grew up in a very Christian area with not many Jews, for what’s it worth, so the pressure was always there. But now I realize the mistake.

Do I have to formally convert back to Judaism and undergo giyuros? Or is this simply “once a Jew, always a Jew”? The issue is that I don’t necessarily want to go back to observing anything (Shabbos, kosher, davening, etc), but I would like to be considered “Jewish” again.

Thank you for answering this difficult question,
Yerachmiel

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