either as converts or returning Marranos were quietly accepted. We have sought to accept both converts from other countries where the precise conditions of conversion are not known to us, as well as more informal conversions which may have taken place in the Soviet Union . Whenever these individuals sought to identify themselves as Jews , we have felt that this was done in good faith, accepted the individuals, and have done our best to encourage them to further study and a greater commitment. Here we have once more followed a lenient path for the sake of the individuals involved.
Although tevilah has been part of conversion since the first century and is mentioned by all of the codes, it has played no part in Reform debate until quite recently. It was brought up incidentally at the end of the last century but were no further discussions until the nineteen-eighties. This reflects a lingering doubt about ritual requirements and although those requirements now once more seem more significant, we have only slowly returned to them. As we look over the development of Reform Halakhah and the radical changes which have taken place in our conversion procedures and practices, we will see that we began with radical changes and subsequently developed halakhah in accordance with specific needs of our age. We have not rejected the past but have modified it in order to deal with current problems, as tradition has always done until the nineteenth century, thereby kept the halakhah alive and functioning in our Reform movement.
At various times during the last century, Reform rabbis have asked that we expand our efforts and actively seek converts among the unaffiliated Gentile community which is friendly to Judaism . This impulse to seek converts in the broader community was also part the mandate of the Outreach Commission of the Union of
American Hebrew Congregations which was established in the late 1970's. We have, however, not done so. We, along with tradition, have not seen missionizing as one of the six-hundred and thirteen
127