When antisemitic violence makes the news, it can land especially hard for people in the process of converting to Judaism. Moments like this can stir fear, grief, and deep questions about safety and belonging – and that doesn’t mean you can’t cut it.
This post is for conversion candidates who feel shaken, conflicted, or unsure after the attack in Australia. It’s a reminder that fear and commitment can coexist, that you don’t need to rush yourself through hard questions, and that Jewish life has always made room for care, pauses, and choosing to show up one day at a time.
This is normal, and you’re not alone.
If you’re looking for a concrete way to show support for the Bondi Beach community right now, a fundraiser has been set up to support Rabbi Eli Schlanger’s young family.
Transcript below.
Transcript:
If you’re converting to Judaism and you’re struggling with the antisemitic attack in Australia, I want you to hear this: being scared doesn’t mean you aren’t cut out for this.
It means you’re taking it seriously.
Moments like this can shake your sense of safety and make you question what you’ve gotten yourself into.
That’s normal, and generations of converts before you have struggled with this.
You don’t need to rush yourself through these questions.
And you deserve support right now, just like the rest of the Jewish community.
It’s important to pause and process this.
It’s okay to take a step back.
It’s even okay to decide “maybe this isn’t for me.”
However you feel right now is valid and normal and you are not alone.
We’re all sitting with fear, grief, and uncertainty together.
Hanukkah is fundamentally about the Jews refusing to disappear when the world wants you gone.
Survival is an act of resistance.
Just keep showing up.
That is the secret to Jewish survival: showing up one day at a time.
