I hear this one a lot, and apparently so do a lot of other “white” or Middle-Eastern people. If you could possibly “look Jewish,” glasses will make you look even more “Jewish.” Even totally secular Jews have said this to me over the last 7 years. Just like glasses will make you look smarter or […]
News: Memorial Held for Convert Who Died Fighting for the Founding of Israel
“Today” (Already Wednesday in Israel), there is a memorial for a Jewish convert who died in the service of the Irgun in 1948. The Irgun was a “rogue” paramilitary force in Israel during the days of its founding. Learn your history! And who else but the Jews would manage to not even unite for self-defense […]
Shabbat Shalom! The Good News Edition :)
I’ve been a bit of a negative Nancy lately, so here is some good conversion news for you: North American Rabbis Protest Conversion Policy. Sure, the rabbis have rallied to protect all orthodox converts’ rights to make aliyah, but I’m more skeptical that such a rabbinic “uprising” would happen as a way to pressure the […]
The Monster that Orthodox Conversion Has Become
You’ve already heard that conversion is like falling in love. But you may not know that getting an orthodox conversion can sometimes be like an abusive relationship. In a cosmic sign that I can’t escape this topic this week, Frum Satire posted yesterday “Stop Screwing with the Converts Already!“ The world Jewish community and Jewish […]
UPDATED: How to Interview a New Jewish Community
Happy Half-Priced Candy Day! Now on to business… During conversion, you feel like you’re the one always being interviewed. And you are. But at some point, maybe even during your conversion, you’ll also get to interview someone: the rabbis and congregants of a new community. Hopefully you have a selection of communities! Even if not, […]
Convert Rants: Discouraging the Conversion Candidate
Everyone hears that a rabbi “has” to discourage a conversion candidate 3 times. Some rabbis don’t hold by that at all. Some do exactly three and then will begin a congenial conversion learning process. Some may or may not obviously discourage before working with you, but will continue to discourage you regularly and to varying […]
Halachic Discussion: Converts Can’t Be Prophets?
This Shabbos, I sat down with the Kuzari, a classic text by Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi (1080-1145). The story is a recreation of a dialog of a great rabbi speaking to the king of the Khazars, who supposedly then converts to Judaism along with most of his kingdom. As the Khazars were eventually conquered and faded […]