Ari and Lauren Douglas’ wedding had many of the hallmarks of a traditional Jewish ceremony. The couple stood under a traditional covering called a chuppah, as a cantor recited a series of blessings. They walked delicate circles around each other to signify the strength of their marriage.
Ari and Lauren Douglas stand outside Congregation Beth Israel during their wedding in Portland, Ore., on June 15, 2025. More people are converting to Judaism following the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, local Jewish leaders say.
Joni Land / OPB
What wasn’t readily apparent was that Ari and Lauren are both converts to Judaism. In fact, they’re part of a surge in conversions over the past two years. Following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, synagogues across Portland and elsewhere say they’re seeing more people begin the long road to converting.
A former pastor, Ari had originally converted to Judaism in high school before temporarily leaving the faith. Lauren completed her conversion only a couple of weeks before her wedding. They attended courses together and regularly talked about their faith.
“Just having someone be able to go on that journey with you was really — it just sparked a deeper level in our relationship and in our faith,” Lauren Douglas said. “Being able to have that community, even if it’s just the two of us, is really important.”
Traditionally, converting to Judaism can take years to complete, a process full of rigorous study and reflection. Judaism is also not a proselytizing religion — it’s the tradition in some denominations for a rabbi to turn away a convert three times before they undergo the process.
Ari and Lauren Douglas host a tisch, a traditional Jewish ceremony, before their wedding at Congregation Beth Israel in Portland, Ore. on June 15, 2025.
Joni Land / OPB
In Oregon, those wishing to convert must attend an 18-week “Intro to Judaism” course organized by the Oregon Board of Rabbis. After attending courses and deep discussions with the person’s chosen rabbi, converts meet with a panel of three Jewish leaders called a beit din, who rule on the candidate’s sincerity in converting to Judaism. Should they approve, the convert is then immersed in a mikvah, a bath used for various ceremonies.
It’s unclear just how many converts there have been over the past two years — many synagogues don’t keep data on conversions, and most make it a point never to mention someone’s convert status once the process is finished. National Jewish organizations such as the Union for Reform Judaism don’t have nationwide data on the trend.
But Jewish leaders in Portland have noted the spike in interest. Rabbi Rachel Joseph of Congregation Beth Israel said they would normally see several converts a year. This past year, they’ve had 30.
“Prior to two years ago, we’ve always had people coming and wanting to sort of join the tribe, and then we saw an unbelievable uptick, which feels counterintuitive,” Joseph said. “It’s only gotten harder and harder to be Jewish in America in these last several years.”
Counterintuitive, she said, because reports of antisemitic incidents have also increased in recent years. A recent firebombing at a pro-Israeli protest in Boulder, Colorado, left dozens injured, and two employees of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., were shot and killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum.
But the violence has not deterred many from converting. Multiple rabbis told OPB people typically have other reasons for converting, like learning about their Jewish heritage or seeking a faith that’s more affirming of LGBTQ+ people.
“Their prior religion didn’t allow them to question, and Judaism is fundamentally built on the ability to question,” Rabbi Eve Posen at Congregation Neveh Shalom in Portland said. “The second thing I hear all the time is that people want to join a community.”
Yet, they also say the recent violence, and especially the Oct. 7 attacks, have convinced many to start the process now.
One of them is Timothy James. He had been involved in Judaism for years — his ex-wife is Jewish and so is their daughter — but he had never converted himself. He said that changed after Oct. 7.
The outside of Congregation Neveh Shalom in Portland, Ore. on June 12, 2025.
Joni Land / OPB
“It just became clear to me that there was a line,” James said. “On one side were Jewish people, on the other side were not Jewish people, and I knew which side of the line I needed to be on, and it was the same one as my daughter and her mother.”
James actually began his conversion process at the same time his daughter was studying for her bat mitzvah, and they would practice their prayers together.
“Her journey towards this rite of passage is different from my journey as a convert, but there’s a bit of a fist bump about it,” he said. “There’s a sense that we’re on the same team.”
