Author name: Kochava Yocheved

Welcome! My name is Kochava, and I'm not crazy. Well, maybe I *am* crazy, but not for converting to Judaism. I'm a Southerner, writer, lawyer, teacher, parent, homeschooler, activist, nerd, and brand-new YouTuber. You name it, I'm curious about it.

First YouTube Video is Up!

Ever wanted this blog in audio-visual format? You’ve got your wish! We’re now on YouTube! YouTube is the second largest search engine behind the main Google search engine itself. And shocking no one more than me, since 2010, there is still very little information about conversion online, much less realistic advice. There’s a lot of […]

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Reflections 11 Years Later

It’s been just over 11 years since I completed the orthodox conversion process that created this blog. What’s changed? What’s it like “on the other side”? Last month, I saw my conversion anniversary on the calendar and made a note in my planner. …And then I completely forgot about it until a week after the

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Watch This Space!

More is coming!    I “discovered” Judaism at 19 years old, which is now half a lifetime ago. I began this blog 12 years ago, but it has been quiet for almost 4 years. I’m nearing my 10th wedding anniversary, have 2 children, and still live in the New York City area.  What have I

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Do I Need a Havdalah Set?

Do you need a havdalah set to “do” havdalah properly? In short, nope. It’s absolutely not required to make a kosher havdalah. But is it nice? Did I spend years thinking my life would be better if I had one? Yes. But there was never enough money for it. I always needed books (or rent

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Some Last-Minute Pesach Resources

Time is short, are you ready?? Don’t worry if you’re behind. Don’t worry if you haven’t even started. Full disclosure: we haven’t started and we never do until right before. Maybe it’s ADHD, maybe she’s born with it?  Either way, here are some last-minute resources you might find useful! Chag kasher v’sameach! Have a happy

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How Long Does It Take to Convert? The Real Answer Is There’s No Answer

This is probably the most common conversion question out there: How long is this going to take??  (I wish Blogger offered a “scary” font! Letters dripping with blood would convey the feeling much more accurately!) It’s obvious to think about this question when you first get interested in converting. But you rarely realize this question

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