When my daughter first got out of the mikvah after her conversion, she celebrated every tiny thing she did "as a Jew" for the first time. (I'm combing my hair...AS A JEW!!!) Actually, she still does! It was such a touching and sweet expression of joy. I tend to be focused more on fewer, bigger … Continue reading Elul Workbook! And…my first Elul as a Jew.
What is a Beis Din? Is it different than a Beit Din or Beth Din? These are often questions early conversion candidates have. Simply put, a Beis Din or however else you pronounce it or spell it is a Rabbincal Court. These courts are courts in the justice system sense, not the royal sense and … Continue reading Beis Din? Beit Din? Beth Din?
I should preface this with, "If your intention is to live within an Orthodox community and be accepted as a Jew most places, including Israel and for your children to be seen as legitimate Jews in Israel and among Orthodox Jews." There are plenty of converts for whom these really aren't serious concerns and who … Continue reading Why You Should Not Pursue an “Open Orthodox Conversion” – An Article
I've written a lot about the good sides of having a long Orthodox Jewish conversion process and I think there are some obvious downsides, but there is one downside that became readily apparent recently that I hadn't really stopped to think about and has come up for us. You can become TOO comfortable with being … Continue reading The Downside of a Long Conversion Process
An interesting discussion wandered across my social media feed this week. It began with a post suggesting "Comebacks For Converts," basically a list of ideas for dealing with nosey questions that converts often encounter. The post itself is pretty good and has some good ideas. The discussion that ensued, however, made me think for a … Continue reading Converts, BT’s…Heck Everyone – You Can’t Control What Others Will Think Of You
So much change is happening, that it's hard to keep you updated on it all. We have an offer on our house and our flights to our new home. We're selling furniture and packing boxes, making difficult choices on what to bring and what to leave. Our conversion timeline may be moving up as well. … Continue reading Becoming Whole…with a Chanukah Cactus
I have a couple of really wise friends that I listen to and always learn something from our conversations. Today, we were talking about the power of teachability and it seemed to fit exactly with a lot of what has been going on in my life recently as well as struggles I have seen around … Continue reading Teachability, Conversion, and Life
I had one reader have a very negative reaction to a writing I did yesterday about the current state of conversion. Basically, by writing about my experiences and some of the other issues I have known about, this person was discouraged from attempting an Orthodox Jewish conversion herself and her image of the Jewish people … Continue reading Conversion Advice – You’ve Gotta Love BOTH
The times that I have fallen in love, I've had a tendency to lose myself in the man I've fallen in love with. It's a pleasant kind of loss of identity and it happens slowly, subtly until I realize that I suddenly have new habits, preferences, and tastes. Similarly, over the years, I have watched … Continue reading Don’t Lose What Makes You, YOU! Advice for Orthodox Jewish Converts and Baleei Teshuva!
My very good friend over at Jewish Thoughts wrote a great blog post today about Orthodox Jewish converts, questioning how the Orthodox community treats them. After detailing some of the painful things that she has seen with the converts that she knows, she asks some very good questions. So what exactly should we do? I’m not … Continue reading Discouraging the Convert
Next year, Hashem willing, our children will be in Orthodox day schools. This is a requirement for most converts because we may not be able to teach our children everything they need to know when it comes to Judaism. Most day schools are simply private schools that follow a "dual curriculum." Students spend roughly half … Continue reading Judaic Studies…in Alaska (or how to teach your children when you live very remote from Day Schools!)
We had a good meeting with our sponsoring Rabbi last night who reassured us that he still plans on us converting in April 2018. He has plans and is confident that they will work out. So, we have only to trust him and continue doing what we're doing. While this has all been playing out, … Continue reading What You Get With Waiting
The Safek 