converts

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Sexual Harassment in the Jewish Conversion Process: What You Need to Know

This wasn’t easy to make. I’ve been part of the Jewish community for years now, but there are some things I still carry quietly. One of them is how vulnerable conversion candidates can be – and how rarely we talk about it. Sexual harassment and abuse do happen during the Jewish conversion process. Sometimes it’s […]

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Introducing “Pesach Without Panic:” A Guide for Conversion Candidates, Beginners, and the Overwhelmed

Let’s be real – Pesach prep can feel like too much. Between cleaning, kashering, meal planning, and trying to remember everything to do, it’s easy to spiral into overwhelm. Especially if you’re a conversion candidate, doing this without a clear roadmap can feel impossible. That’s exactly why I created Pesach Without Panic. This guide is

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What Does It Feel Like After Conversion?

So you’ve been converting to Judaism for…how long? A year, two, more? What does it feel like to actually cross the finish line? For many, completing the journey to become Jewish is a long-awaited moment – but the emotions that come with it might not be what you expect. I can only speak for myself,

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Dealing with Holiday Season Grief

I made this video last year, but apparently I never posted it here! Building a new workflow for my material has been surprisingly hard. Too many moving parts! But better late than never, right? Struggling with your old holiday seasons as you become Jewish? Not at all unusual. Whether you loved them or hated them

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What are you doing on Sunday? Wanna hang out?

What are you doing on Sunday? Wanna hang out? Read Post »

A photo of a hand holding a Star of David up to the golden sunset with the sun shining through the middle of the Magen David. Black text to the right says "The Convert Kehilla" and at the bottom white text says Building a Jewish Life.com.

Seeking more Jewish Community? Join the Convert Kehilla’s Rosh Chodesh Circle!

Are you a Jewish convert or conversion candidate seeking a warm and welcoming community? Look no further than The Convert Kehilla (“community,” roughly). Join our Rosh Chodesh Circle for the upcoming month of Kislev, dedicated to fostering connection, learning, and growth. For the first time in many years, I’m going to begin teaching live again.

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Photo of a dark-haired, light-skinned woman sitting against a wall, covering her face with her hands in a shameful way. Background is cream, she is dressed in a black sweater and blue jean pants. The text above reads "Imposter Syndrome in Jewish conversion."

Imposter Syndrome in Jewish Conversion

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

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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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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

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Should You Make Up a “Jew-y” Name for Yourself?

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

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