Claudius Templesmith has two announcements for you this morning! (Mandatory nerdy reference while re-reading the Hunger Games. Sorry.) 1. I’ve added several interesting blogs to the Blogroll page linked above. Peruse and enjoy. 2. For your statistical pleasure, I’ve added a pageview counter to the upper right-hand corner of the page.
Management Update: Page Updates Read Post »
This has been a surprisingly contentious issue. What do you say to someone upon finishing their conversion? Congratulations in English is a simple, easy way to do convey all the possible emotions. Out of the 200+ congratulations I’ve received in person and online, almost all people said “mazal tov!” to me, and I think that’s
How Do You Congratulate a New Convert? Read Post »
Born Jews are very quick to throw out the advice that a conversion candidate should “try being a Noachide!” They’re very enthusiastic about this, but I find that they rarely know what it entails, much less what it is really like to be a Noachide. Most can’t even name the seven laws. Yet they are
Why Not Be a Noachide? Read Post »
I’m reading an interesting book I plan to review on the blog soon. The book describes a halachic issue that never occurred to me before: Can a man convert if a medical condition prevents him from getting a circumcision? Apparently, according to most authorities, no. In fact, at least one great Rabbi (Rabbi Yehiel Yaakov
Is a Circumcision Absolutely Required for Male Conversion? Read Post »
Disclaimer: All names in this post are completely made up (and often from random name generators). If I happened to accidentally choose your name, I apologize. Well, except for the famous names. I just felt like using those. It’s very common for converts to take on a Hebrew name as their “everyday” name, even if
Should You Make Up a “Jew-y” Name for Yourself? Read Post »
You’re a smart cookie, so you already know that the laws of taharat hamishpacha require a married woman to go to the mikvah after a waiting period that comes after the period ends or a certain number of days. So that means you have to plan your conversion mikvah date equally carefully, right? Not necessarily.
UPDATED: Menstrual Cycles and the Mikvah Read Post »
So you’ve heard of the mikvah because a conversion requires it. But did you realize there are different kinds of mikvahs?? The women’s mikvah, of course. That’s where most conversions happen, female or male. It’s the nicest and usually also the cleanest. It’s made for single-person use and is primarily used for taharat hamishpacha reasons.
As most of you have figured out at this point, my conversion was finished a month ago. So what happens to the blog now?? My current plan is keep on doin’ what I’m already doin’. There is clearly a need for this kind of information and discussion. This isn’t going to turn into a “what
Management Update: The State of the Union Read Post »
I’m sure the topic of this post confuses you. Of course you can’t use a computer on Shabbat! That’s right. But there are still some computer issues that could create the appearance of using a computer on Shabbat, and that might just get a conversion candidate in hot water with a rabbi or beit din.
Conversion Issues: Computer Use on Shabbat Read Post »
Maybe you’re considering getting another conversion. But what about the mezuzahs you already have on your doors? In your new community (even if it’s within the same geographic area), you are not (or “might not” be) halachically a Jew. Mezuzot on your doors could confuse people, and technically, you aren’t obligated in the mitzvah. Of
You’re Getting a Second Conversion! What About the Mezuzot? Read Post »