Last year during the High Holydays, I had to write out a timeline of the Holydays for my school in order to justify why I couldn’t attend certain classes because of a religious holiday. (Because of night classes, just putting down a date wasn’t sufficient because many days, I could attend day classes but not […]
What Is the Diaspora?
This post will be short and sweet. You’ll hear people frequently refer to “the Diaspora.” In short, that’s everywhere but Israel. Being in the Diaspora or not can affect holiday observances. Some holidays that are two days in the Diaspora are only one day in Israel because that’s how it’s supposed to be observed. This […]
How to Find a Seder for Passover
If you don’t already have plans for your Pesach/Passover seder, you should get on that! As an introverted person (I promise, but no one believes me) with social anxiety, I know how difficult it can be to ask people to invite you to their seder. Of course, things are much easier if you have family […]
The Weekend in Review
The first weekend in my new community was a success! Much less stressful than I was afraid of, and I had a really good time! I’m lucky to know good people already and through Ilan, and they’ve been introducing me to some really amazing people. And even better, I got to check out two shuls […]
Purim Is Over, Now Pesach Is Coming: Start Your Cleaning!
Now that Purim is over, you can begin really thinking about your Pesach preparations! I know, right? We all love Pesach (Passover) preparations! …Not. If you haven’t prepared for Pesach before, I suggest taking it slow. Last year, I didn’t kasher my kitchen because I had just decided to be orthodox and didn’t know what […]
When You NEED to Reveal Your Conversion Candidate Status
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 Is It OK to Say “I’m Jewish,” Even If You Really Aren’t?
If you’re like most people, you haven’t really thought about this question. But yes, there are times when you will be asked if you are Jewish, and you should answer a simple “Yes,” even if you’ve had no conversion. (And even if you’ve taken no formal steps at all!) Here are the usual suspects: a) […]
Did Something Important Happen Yesterday?
Oh yeah. Xmas. This week has mostly been a reminder of how much I’ve forgotten Xmas. Case in point: I’m spending my winter vacation mostly with my parents, who celebrate Xmas. I was shocked when my stepmom asked, “So what are you going to fix for Xmas dinner?” (Since I’m cooking kosher in their house.) […]
Convert Confessions: Candles Are Lovely, But Do They Have to Be So Messy??
I love Shabbat candles. I do. And I even like Chanukah candles. However, the wax is driving me insane. I have half a mind to switch to oil candles, but (a) I just don’t think they’re as pretty and (b) better the devil I know than the devil I don’t. Who knows what problems oil […]
When Do You Celebrate Your Hebrew Birthday?
A very interesting question came up on Twitter: When is a convert’s “Jewish birthday”? The actual Hebrew date of his/her birth or the date of going to the mikvah and reemerging as a new Jewish soul? I’d never thought about that before, but that’s a very deep question! As converts, when is our “birth”? My […]
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