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 […]
Shabbat Shalom! The Good News Edition :) Read Post »
For those of you following the conversion/aliyah issues with Israel and the greater Jewish community, you may want to check out yesterday’s blog post at On the Fringe-Al Tzitzit, Conversion Crisis Update: the New Jewish “Papacy.” I won’t express an opinion on the content (or maybe my jury is still out?), but I did particularly
A Non-Orthodox Response to the Current Orthodox Conversion Issues Read Post »
Do you ever get tunnel vision? Apparently I do. And I did when I wrote Convert Questions: Converts and Aliyah. Let’s summarize that post quickly: There are two times where your “Jewish” status matters when making aliyah to Israel: (1) for the Rabbinate (orthodox converts only, and even then it’s not a given) and (2)
Update on Converts and Aliyah: Reviewing the Law of Return Read Post »
A common question for many converts is whether they can make aliyah to Israel. In short, yes, a convert from any movement can make aliyah to Israel under the Law of Return. This means the convert can get expedited citizenship and be labeled as a “Jew” on their ID card. (I’m still very confused by
Convert Questions: Converts and Aliyah Read Post »
I’m taking off on a cross-country road-trip today, which makes me feel like a real 1950s beatnik! For your pleasure, here is a short video from my Birthright trip, as taken by Rivka. It was taken on a small jutting-out area on the top of Masada. If you listen carefully, you can hear the amazing
I’d like to write today about this article: “Green” Hanukkah Sparks Criticism. You don’t really need to read the article, but the link is there for your convenience. The (very short and poorly edited) article is talking about a proposal in Israel to encourage people to have a more environmentally-friendly Chanukah by burning one less
Who Doesn’t Want to Celebrate Chanukah in a More Environmentally-Friendly Way? Read Post »
It seems like all converts wait for the day when they won’t stand out. I’ve always been a stand-out kind of person (and I generally like it), but I’m amazed that I get happy at the idea of blending in somewhere. Aka, being mistaken for a born Jew. Unfortunately, this goal is less likely for
You Know You’ve Made It When Someone Mistakes You for a Born Jew! Read Post »
Reason #483 You Know You’re Crazy: You were SO excited to see Don’t Mess with the Zohan because you really wanted to know what stereotypes American Jews have about Israelis. And you sat there with rapt attention. But then discouraged your non-Jewish family from ever seeing it.
Reason #483 You Know You’re Crazy: Don’t Mess with the Zohan Read Post »