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 »
According to me, there are three major considerations when choosing where/how to convert. These three guideposts should help you decide a) the movement you want to convert with and then b) the community/rabbi/beit din you want to convert with. a) How you feel about your conversion. At the end of the day, this should be
UPDATED: The Factors to Consider When Choosing to Convert Read Post »
Everyone hears that a rabbi “has” to discourage a conversion candidate 3 times. Some rabbis don’t hold by that at all. Some do exactly three and then will begin a congenial conversion learning process. Some may or may not obviously discourage before working with you, but will continue to discourage you regularly and to varying
Convert Rants: Discouraging the Conversion Candidate Read Post »
Some people might think this is a downer of a Shabbat shalom post, but it was certainly liberating for me! Quite simply, other people’s problems are just that: other people’s problems. I don’t worry about people who don’t follow halacha (or follow it differently) or judge me as a convert or any of that other
Shabbat Shalom! What to Do When People Are Crazy Read Post »
This Shabbos, I sat down with the Kuzari, a classic text by Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi (1080-1145). The story is a recreation of a dialog of a great rabbi speaking to the king of the Khazars, who supposedly then converts to Judaism along with most of his kingdom. As the Khazars were eventually conquered and faded
Halachic Discussion: Converts Can’t Be Prophets? Read Post »
I have a shiur (lecture) by Rabbi Yom Tov Glasner that I really enjoy. It’s from Aish Audio and is called Practical Spirituality: How to Make the Right Choices. The title actually has very little to do with the shiur (at least to your average listener). It’s very much about the nature of reality, kabalistic
Shabbat Shalom: Orthodox Judaism Is a Full-Time Job Read Post »
I remember one of the very first questions I asked my first rabbi: In the amidah, what does “may my soul be to all like the dust” mean? (The amidah is also known as shemonah esrei, a long silent prayer that is the central focus of the liturgy) [Using the Koren translation because that’s my
What Does It Mean to You? The Amidah Edition Read Post »
In short, no, especially in orthodox conversions today. However, I think that is generally true in all the movements. If your sponsoring rabbi recommends to your beit din that it is time for you to take the oral examination part of your conversion (“the” beit din) and your beit din agrees, then you likely ARE
Convert Questions: Does Anyone Fail the Beit Din? 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 »
As I’ve mentioned several times here, a potential convert may have to move in order to complete his or her conversion. It may be an easy move or a very difficult one, depending on the convert and the community. Some may have to move across town, and some may have to move to a different
Convert Issues: The Community Requirement Read Post »