Why Jews Don’t Proselytize?

Most people are aware that Jews rarely proselytize non Jews. You are unlikely to answer the doorbell and encounter a couple of rabbis eager to debate spiritual matters. Similarly, Jews don’t send missionaries to other countries or hand out flyers in the streets.

A proselytizing definition requires that a group actively seeks to persuade other people to accept their religious beliefs. There are many reasons why Jews are non proselytizing, but they boil down to two main categories: theological and historical.

The Theological Reason

To understand the Jewish perspective on proselytizing, you have to understand the difference between Judaism and the other two big monotheistic religions. In Christianity and Islam, people are only saved if they believe the doctrines of the faith and abide by its laws. The eternal salvation of millions depends on how willing Christians and Muslims are to convert their neighbors.

Jews have a different perspective. They believe that all righteous people go to heaven, even those who are not Jewish. Without the fear that a person will suffer eternal punishment if they don’t become Jewish, there is little impetus for Jews to make converts. Instead, they want to maintain mutual respect with people of other faiths.

The Historical Reason

Judaism originated in the Holy Land, modern-day Israel, centuries before the other big monotheistic religions. But the Jewish people have never possessed large-scale political power. As a result, they have had little opportunity to compel conversions. And it is well-known that the Jews have been persecuted throughout much of their history. Missionary activity was dangerous not only for those doing the proselytizing, but also for the entire religion.

A Light to the Nations

That said, there is far more missionary outreach in Jewish history than you may be aware of. It begins during the life of Abraham, the faith’s founder.

In Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Scriptures, God commands Abraham to move to a new region, one that has a large number of pagan peoples travelling through it. God promises Abraham that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen. 12:5).

Susan Perlman, co-founder of the organization Jews for Jesus, notes that the early rabbinic writers interpreted this passage as a call to proselytization. The Midrash, an ancient commentary on the Jewish law, states that the Israelite forefathers converted those they encountered.

The rest of the Hebrew Scriptures perpetuates the theme of the Israelites being a light to the gentiles. A famous example is the story of Jonah. He was a prophet that God called to preach to the Assyrians, a task he eventually accomplished despite an unplanned trip in the belly of a whale.

Forced Conversions

Only one time in history have Jewish people had the power to force conversions. This practice has occurred multiple times in the history of Christianity and still occurs today in Muslim countries. But we have to travel back to 168 BC to find forced conversions in Jewish history.

During this period, a family of zealous Jews called the Maccabeans had organized a rebellion against the Seluecid Empire. They gained power for a time and forced a people group called the Idumeans to convert. However, many other Jewish zealots disapproved.

Under the Roman Empire

When the Romans conquered the Mediterranean world, they gave the Jews considerably more freedom than they gave other religions. Many Greeks and Romans were attracted by the Jewish faith, and thousands became converts. Historian Salo Baron has estimated that as many of 10 percent of the population in the city of Rome were Jews.

But as Christianity spread throughout the empire, many of these Greek and Roman converts accepted the new religion instead. Doubting the sincerity of converts, some rabbis discouraged missionary activity.

Despite a high level of tolerance and even acceptance, the Roman government was suspicious of the Jews. The Jews believed in an entirely different worldview, one that influenced their political views as well as their spiritual practices. The Romans instituted several laws limiting where Jews could travel or proselytize. Once Christianity became the state religion and formed the Catholic Church, Jewish conversions were banned.

After the Dispersion

As the Jews left the Holy Land and migrated throughout the known world, they continued to proselytize, although with severe restrictions. In 388 AD, the Christian emperor Constantius decreed that marrying a Jewish woman was a crime punishable by death. By 628 AD, Jews who converted a Moslem faced the death penalty as well.

Jewish proselytization had more success in small pockets of paganism that the dominant religions overlooked. There are mentions of Jewish converts in Christendom up until the Reformation. However, both the Protestant Church and the Catholic Church ostracized Jews, forcing them into more and more secluded groups.

Jewish leaders acknowledged that proselytization was highly dangerous activity. To survive, they adopted a non proselytizing stance. If a proselytizing definition meant attracting not only converts but also the wrath of institutional religion, the Jewish leaders felt it would be safer to avoid the practice. Over the next four hundred years, the Jews became known as a religious group that felt no need to bring outsiders into their faith.

Modern Proselytizing

Today Jews enjoy religious freedom in Western countries. In addition, free market values insist that all people have the chance to express their ideas, as long as they are not dangerous. An increasing number of people are interested in exploring other spiritual beliefs and joining different traditions.

Jewish leaders remain divided over the issue of spreading their faith to the wider world. Organizations like Jews for Jesus are strongly in favor, while the Reform movement offers a moderate approach, and many Orthodox Jews remain slow to fully accept converts.

One area where outreach has become increasingly common is in interfaith marriages. Unlike the Orthodox Jews, who insist on strict observance of the Jewish law, the Reform movement is a strand of liberal Judaism. In 2005, Rabbi Eric Yoffie spoke at the biennial convention of the movement and encouraged Jews to convert their unbelieving spouses.

Rabbi Yoffie explained that Jewish spouses can offer their loved ones the opportunity to adopt their tradition. This should be presented as a free invitation based on mutual respect, rather than a demand or even an expectation.

In all situations, Jews refuse to force their ideas on anyone, and they expect similar treatment in return. They greatly value the religious freedom they have gained over the past decades. But many do acknowledge that many people are seeking new ways of believing and living. As a result, some segments of Judaism see it as a tradition open to new believers and willing to share its rich history and customs.