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Opening the Gates: How Proactive Conversion Can Revitalize the Jewish Community

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Gary Tobin is a person who deeply cares about American Jewish communal life. His answer to its major problem , the problem of assimilation is to turn the world upside down, and see it less as problem than as opportunity. He sees that each non- Jewish partner is a potential convert to Judaism. And he advocates that the Jewish community become far more active in promoting conversion, and in welcoming new members.
Unfortunately as I understand it this is more an ideal answer than a real one. This book was published in 1999 and as I write this in April 2005 the record shows that in intermarriages a decreasing number of couples are raising their children as Jewish i.e. intermarriage is not proving to be an opportunity no matter how liberal Reform and other conversion procedures , be.
Tobin can of course claim that the reason for this is the entrenched opposition of the American Jewish community to converts. But as I said there are many Jewish Reform leaders who advocate Tobin's approach. This is not bringing masses of converts to Judaism.
I in fact believe that despite the good intention Tobin is mistaken here. I believe that the emphasis of the American Jewish community should be on intensifying Jewish education. I also believe that it should be in educating to Torah and Mitzvot. I believe if the community became more religious it would be a much stronger community.
I in essence believe then that despite what Tobin says here assimilation is the great disaster of the American Jewish community.
Tobin's heart is in the right place, but I believe his judgment and reading of the situation are not.
However the creative and revolutionary solution offered to the painful assimilation problem, the pain remains and so does the assimilation.