Elizabeth Arif-Fear, a 37-year-old interfaith activist, was born Christian, then converted to Islam and remained Muslim for 14 years before finding her spiritual home in Judaism. 'I feel I've finally found God without all the extras,' she says. 'Without Jesus, without Muhammad.'
Arif-Fear is part of a surge in conversions to Progressive Judaism, a movement representing about a third of British Jews. Figures shared with the Guardian show adult conversions rose from 78 in 2020 to 183 in 2025, despite a rise in antisemitism and anti-Jewish feeling in the UK.
Why Conversions Are Rising
Rabbi Jonathan Romain, convener of the Reform Beit Din, says that until recently most converts had Jewish partners. But the recent rise is driven by three new factors: the Covid-19 pandemic, expanded religious education in schools, and DNA tests. 'Several times people have said to me, 'Somebody gave me a DNA test as a Christmas present and it turned out I was Jewish,'' he says. For some, that intrigues them or answers something deep inside.
Arif-Fear was drawn to Judaism's progressive elements and culture of questioning. 'What really inspired me was the diversity and the pluralism,' she says. 'You could be atheist and Jewish, and they had Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Liberal. It was a really welcoming space, LGBT-friendly, with female rabbis.'
Diverse Backgrounds
Romain notes that converts come from more diverse backgrounds now. 'Whereas beforehand it was largely white British, now because Britain is so multicultural, it's very common to have people from Romania, Portugal, or Korea.' There are also notable numbers of LGBT people converting, as Progressive Jewish communities can be more welcoming than other religious spaces.
Debbie Collings, 65, converted to reclaim something she was born into. Raised Jewish until 16, she left the faith but moved back after caring for her ill father. She found the graves of her great-grandparents, who fled pogroms in Russia. 'I just stood and looked at the graves and went, 'Oh my God',' she says. She spent a year in classes before receiving confirmation of her Jewishness. 'I go into synagogue and peace just comes over me. It fills a big gap I didn't realise was missing.'
A Sense of Belonging
Amanda, who did not wish to give her last name, grew up Christian and was a devout follower of the gospel before questioning it. The more she got to know people within Judaism, the more she felt she belonged. Converting felt normal, 'like it should have been. Like it always was.' She enjoys preparing for shabbat: 'When you light your candles and collapse on the settee, you think, 'Oh, phew.''
Romain says community is one of Judaism's strongest draws. 'There's an enormous sense of camaraderie. In a world becoming increasingly polarised and lonely, with local pubs closing and high streets collapsing, Judaism offers human kindness and contact.'
The numbers of converts remain modest, partly because Judaism is not a proselytising faith. But Romain quotes a Jewish saying: 'If anyone tells you he loves God but doesn't love his neighbour, then you know he's lying.'
