Lawrence C. Friedman is correct (letter to the editor) that “rabbinic leadership has failed to agree on standards for conversion that would be recognized by all streams of Judaism” and I agree with him that this is unfortunate.  Until relatively recently, though, there were universal standards; only since the Reform movement started breaking those down have there been conversions that Orthodox rabbis do not recognize. Since Orthodox Judaism, by definition, keeps the standards it inherits from generations past, the only way for the entire community to agree on acceptable standards for conversion is for the entire community to agree on performing orthodox conversions.

Heterodox rabbis would be doing their converts a favor by having them convert according to Orthodox standards: the converts, and their descendants, would then be recognized by all as Jews so that they and their descendants could, for example, marry any Jew.

Michael Hamm

University City