Another friend of Ilan has written about his feelings of loss for Ilan here. Having heard so many stories over Shabbos about this New Zealander rabbinical student, I thought it might be healthy for me to follow his example. However, he wrote about the wonderful qualities of Ilan. For me, I think I need to […]
Baruch Dayan HaEmet: Ilan Tokayer Read Post »
Mazel tov! You must be getting close to your conversion if you’re thinking about how to celebrate it! My experience so far is that orthodox converts don’t celebrate nearly as much as liberal converts. Make your interpretations as you will. Nearly everyone has (or tries to have) a special meal with some friends and family.
How to Celebrate Your Conversion Read Post »
You may have previously read When Is It OK to Say “I’m Jewish,” Even If You Really Aren’t. But what about the other side? When MUST you disclose your in-flux status, even if you really don’t want to? I make no promises that this list is exhaustive, but I will update it if other important
When You NEED to Reveal Your Conversion Candidate Status Read Post »
What’s a Shabbat Kallah? It’s a celebration for the bride on the Shabbos afternoon before her wedding day. In some ways, it’s like a frum bachelorette party. (Note that there may also be a “normal” bachelorette party with the bride and her girlfriends!) I went to my first Shabbat Kallah last month, and it was a very
My First Shabbat Kallah Read Post »
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,
UPDATED: How to Interview a New Jewish Community Read Post »
Since I started blogging, I don’t get to keep up with reading other blogs as much as I would like. The overwhelming side-effect of blogging is that now I’ve discovered literally over 50 new blogs that I would love to read in addition to the 15ish I used to read religiously. School and work have
A Blogger Tries to Understand the Convert and Baal Teshuva Communities Read Post »
Dear non-Jewish friends and family, I know that Chanukah is that time of year when you’re so proud of yourself for knowing that Chanukah is coming up. Really, I’m proud of you too! But Chanukah is like the speedbump of Jewish holidays. I don’t even take off work. And you all very much noticed that
Chanukah: That Time of Year When Everyone Knows Something About Judaism Read Post »
This was my first year being Shabbat observant. My luck being what it is, this was also the year of the 3 Day Yontif. Rosh HaShanah and both Shabbats around Sukkot had 3 days of Shabbat and Yom Tov prohibitions. This means Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of each of those three weeks (within 1 month!) could
Jewish Holiday Fails: My First 3-Day Chag Experience Read Post »
Today I’m writing about the importance of a support system during and after your conversion. Sure, this sounds obvious, but really, it can’t be overemphasized. And not only do you need to know that your family and friends still love you and support your choices, but you also need observant friends to support you. It
The Importance of Support Read Post »
Reason #7 You Know You’re Crazy: You are the inconvenient friend. Your friends want to spend time with you. However, they are confused by kashrut. And you have no idea how many friendship-time ideas involve food. Inevitably, people are confused about what kinds of activities they can do with you, which is wonderful because they
Reason #7 You Know You’re Crazy: Being the Inconvenient Friend Read Post »