Not all Jewish advice online is created equal. The internet is full of Jewish advice, and not all of it is helpful. This post walks through common red flags to watch for when you’re learning about Jewish life online, especially if you’re converting or building Jewish practice from scratch. These aren’t abstract concerns. Bad advice […]
Not All Jewish Advice Is Good Advice – 6 Red Flags Read Post »
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
Conversion Candidates: The Child Who Doesn’t Know How to Ask Read Post »
Calling someone “off the derech” can mean many things, depending on who the speaker is. There are apparently many ways of categorizing someone as off the derech. But at the end of the day, it’s a judgment about someone else, which you should probably avoid when you can. It may matter to know whether someone
Phrase of the Day: Off the Derech Read Post »
When you first become “religious,” you’re passionate. You’re motivated. You’re going to be the best Jew ever. This is called “frumming out.” Conversion candidates do this just as much as baalei teshuva. And are just as unpopular for it. You might just drive everyone you know crazy. You have discovered The Truth, and if everyone
What Not to Do When You “Frum Out” Read Post »
If you’re young enough, every conversion candidate thinks about the possibility of going on Birthright. I went on Birthright after my conservative conversion, but I was on a trip organized by an orthodox organization and the specific trip was actually labeled as “modern orthodox.” I think that effectively just meant that the trip was shomer
Converts and Birthright Read Post »
I get very annoyed at how “modern” is thrown around like an insult. Conversion candidates seem to feel this struggle more acutely than the frum-from-birth crowd. Baalei teshuva are probably in the same boat as the conversion candidates, but at least they’re still Jewish at the end of the day. Even the people who act
Why I Am “Modern Orthodox” Read Post »
Just as there are many baalei teshuva who read this blog, there are many conversion candidates reading Beyond Teshuva, a blog created for BTs. [Grammar note: notice that the plural of BTs is not BT’s. That’s your dose of my crazy for the day.] Last week, Beyond Teshuva had a great breakdown of the kinds
Do You Have an Adequate Support System? Read Post »
GIANT IMPORTANT POINT: This issue can approach a fine line between protecting the community and bullying. Before you accuse someone (to their face in private or to a rabbi in private) of being an insincere conversion candidate, CAREFULLY consider your motives for doing so, your options for action, and how your actions will affect the
Why Insincere Conversion Candidates Matter Read Post »
Aish Connections has asked me to pass along information about their No Membership Required campaign: it’s “a complimentary database of synagogues across the country that offer social, engaging and unique services for non-members. It lists Synagogue details (and prices where relevant) and indicates what range of services are offered including additional programs such for youth, teen, and explanatory
Last Minute Thoughts before Rosh Hashanah Read Post »
If you don’t know the word shuckle, you probably still know what it is! In fact, if you have been davening with an orthodox congregation for at least a few months, you probably already do it. Shuckling is a swaying and/or rocking movement Jews tend to do while praying. It apparently comes from the Yiddish
Word of the Day: Shuckle Read Post »