Imposter Syndrome is a term that many of us are familiar with nowadays, at least in the workplace. It’s the sneaky terrible feeling that “everyone else” has it figured out except you and you’re going to mess up and they’re all going to know you’re an imposter. The feeling of being a fraud, of not […]
Can Politics Ruin Your Jewish Conversion?
Do your politics matter while converting to Judaism? No! (Yes, of course they do.) Should you be open about your politics while converting? Only you can answer that, but let’s give you some useful information to make that decision. Disclaimers! Lawyers love disclaimers, and I’m no exception. I’ve been a part of and visited more […]
What to Expect the 1st Time You Attend Synagogue
So you’ve been reading books, scrolling social media, reading this blog…and you think you’re ready to go to a synagogue service for the first time. The mechanics and the level of “oh no what have I gotten myself into I am not ready for this” will be different between orthodox and non-orthodox services only because […]
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 […]
What Is a Chumrah and What Is Halacha
If you haven’t discovered it already, 2 Jews equals 3 opinions! And it is entirely possible for all of those opinions to be correct. How is that possible?? I’m Jewish, so I could give you 18 answers to that question. The best answer I can give you is that Judaism is not only NOT a […]
Friendships When a Liberal Convert Goes Orthodox
I came across this question on social media again recently, and it has been a frequent concern over the years: “I converted in one Jewish movement and now want to convert orthodox. What will happen to my friendships and my relationship with my former rabbi(s)? Will they hate me? Am I betraying them?” First, I’ll […]
Word of the Day: Ulpan
At some point in your orthodox journey, someone is going to suggest you go to ulpan. Another class and another thing to learn? Sounds great, but what’s ulpan? In short, it means modern Hebrew classes. But it’s more than that. It’s a particular style of teaching a foreign language through intense immersion and often with […]
Conversion Candidates: The Child Who Doesn’t Know How to Ask
At the seder, the discussion always surrounds the rasha, the wicked child. We rarely discuss the other three children, and usually then, only to compare and contrast with the rasha. This year, I put a name to a long-standing part of myself: the child who doesn’t know how to ask the question. You can never […]
What Does a Beit Din Do Besides Conversions?
Most of you are familiar with one thing batei din do in the modern world: convert people. But what else do they do? You’d be surprised. A beit din can do most of the things a secular court can, in addition to presiding over pure halachic issues. What doesn’t a beit din do? Hear criminal […]
Can You Be an Orthodox Jew Who Happens to Be Vegetarian or Vegan?
YES! But uh…it depends on who you ask. There is a halachic basis for the rabbis who declare you must eat meat on Shabbat. (Though even they will admit there was a great rabbi-whose name I forget-who was vegetarian every day but Shabbat.) I find most of these rabbis tend to be far to the […]
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