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Notes -
I think it’s changed somewhat recently. They certainly do not have missionaries and recruiters. My guess is the vast majority of the 17% are related to marriage which is a part of Jews secularizing but parents etc still expecting a Jewish wife. Matches up well with 35% of Jewish relationships being with non-Jews. I do think with the modern internet some people have learned more about Judaism and decided to convert. I don’t think they turn down converts but from what I know they don’t make it easy and you have to heavily pursue it.
That's makes sense, people marrying in from different ethnicities and religions and converting is still pretty different from a blood and soil religion. Aside from a period of study (that Catholicism requires as well), the things that make converting to judaism challenging afaik are no harder than what people born as Jews go through, ie Bar Mitzvahs, I could be wrong though.
Have you ever heard of Jewish missionary? Maybe it’s no harder than Catholicism (Sex and the City did do an episode on Charlotte trying to convert to marry Jew) but there is still a difference between encouraging and discouraging. Maybe it’s different the last 10 years.
I believe Antonio García Martinez converted in the last few years.
Idk, I'm not sure whether or not you do a lot of proslytezing is more important than the factual claim of whether you're willing to accept converts from outside of your ethnic group. The sect of Christianity I was raised in didn't have missionaries but was still welcoming of people from wherever.
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