As most of you have figured out at this point, my conversion was finished a month ago. So what happens to the blog now?? My current plan is keep on doin’ what I’m already doin’. There is clearly a need for this kind of information and discussion. This isn’t going to turn into a “what […]
Management Update: The State of the Union Read Post »
There’s an interesting thing going on in Manhattan in the month of February! The Seforim Sale has conquered the Yeshiva University campus. It is the largest seforim sale in North America, and almost everything is being sold at a reduced price. There’s books, cookbooks, music, children’s books, all kinds of things. For a bibliophile, it’s
The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread: The Seforim Sale Read Post »
I have two things I want to quickly cover today. A) I’m having a long-running problem with Blogger, and I’m looking to talk with anyone who might be able to help. Since beginning this blog, the search function at the top of the page does not work properly. I don’t know why, and I don’t
Management Update: Requests for Assistance Read Post »
Parnassa (also written parnassah) means livelihood. It is your income and your ability to support yourself. Traditionally, it has meant your “living” in the sense of “making a living.” I think the shift in people (primarily men) learning instead of being a breadwinner has shifted the “definition” to one focused more directly on the money a
Word of the Day: Parnassa Read Post »
There is a lot that can be said on this topic, but we’re going to touch on the major causes superficially. This is basically a warning to make sure you realize what you’re getting into. After the steep cost of the initial set-up, living Jewishly doesn’t seem that much more expensive to the average single
Why Being an Orthodox Jew Is Expensive Read Post »
Just a short tip today. One of the most annoying things about orthodoxy is the sheer volume of candlewax that invades every part of your life. (Drip cups are always a good idea, but they can only lessen the inevitable.) I know Chanukah is getting close when I begin thinking, “Ok, it’s time to clean
Getting Ready for Chanukah: The On-Going War with Candle Wax 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 »
What if you’re considering converting to Judaism in your teens or early 20s? You face special problems during conversion. Sorry. But on the bright side, there are common problems that you will hopefully never deal with! In other words, all conversions have “problems” and frustrations. Unfortunately, when you’re under 18 (or even under 22), you
Conversion Special Cases: Young Conversion Candidates Read Post »
Can conversion rabbis ever really understand the emotional issues that face conversion candidates? Worse, maybe even our friends and family can’t understand? I don’t mean to downplay the suffering that other people face. We all have our own challenges, but orthodox conversion candidates face an outside restriction on the most intimate areas of life. Given
The existence of synagogue membership fees always seems to be a major shock to the new conversion candidate. Coming from mainstream American society, voluntary donations during a religious service are the expected way for the average person to donate money to a religious organization (whether the candidate was involved in Christianity or not). Now, as
Convert Questions: What’s Up with Synagogue Membership Fees?? Read Post »