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I came across the concept recently of a ger/geirus lechumra.

The Rav Name: Rabbis of the Da’at Institute

I came across the concept recently of a ger/geirus lechumra. Is this different than a regular conversion? If someone is supposedly/hypothetically Jewish, do they keep their mothers Hebrew name in the ger/geirus lechumra? What if their mother didn’t have a Hebrew name but they knew they were Jewish. What Hebrew name would they have in that case? Are they considered like a regular convert?

Shalom and thank you for your question!

The difference between Giur, conversion, and Giur l’Chumra, conversion – to-be-sure, (or to be strict), is that in the case of regular conversion, the person converting was for sure not Jewish beforehand according to Jewish law. With Giur l’Chumra, there is a possibility that he/she is Jewish, but since there is doubt, he /she undergoes the process of conversion to be sure.

If the person already has a Jewish name, they may keep it, and if not, they should take a Jewish name.

If your question refers to an actual case, a proper Rabbinical Beit Din for conversion should be consulted. Only orthodox conversion is valid, any other kind only causes confusion.

Sources

DAAT CENTER - JUDAISM IN THE LIGHT OF KABALA AND CHASSIDUS

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Ask The Rabbi

Ask The Rabbi

I came across the concept recently of a ger/geirus lechumra.

Sources

DAAT CENTER - JUDAISM IN THE LIGHT OF KABALA AND CHASSIDUS

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