Born Jews are very quick to throw out the advice that a conversion candidate should “try being a Noachide!” They’re very enthusiastic about this, but I find that they rarely know what it entails, much less what it is really like to be a Noachide. Most can’t even name the seven laws. Yet they are […]
Why Not Be a Noachide? Read Post »
I’m reading an interesting book I plan to review on the blog soon. The book describes a halachic issue that never occurred to me before: Can a man convert if a medical condition prevents him from getting a circumcision? Apparently, according to most authorities, no. In fact, at least one great Rabbi (Rabbi Yehiel Yaakov
Is a Circumcision Absolutely Required for Male Conversion? 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 »
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 »
I’m a few days late, but last motzei Shabbos, Ben Stiller did a Yom Kippur-themed Saturday Night Live opening monologue. I’d say it’s about average quality for what SNL is putting out these days, but it certainly could have been worse. …Meh. But there was a pretty good Borsht-Belt joke at the beginning: “My father’s
Ben Stiller Does a Yom Kippur-themed Saturday Night Live Monologue Read Post »
Funny how you hear one thing…and then you run into the same thing 40 times in the next week. Here is a story written by an LDS member two weeks ago about Mormons seeking to convert to orthodox Judaism. It’s very well-written and also fairly represents the Jewish reaction. I’m glad to know both sides are
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 »
Who Are We Talking About: Please take the time to read a few paragraphs instead of having a knee-jerk reaction to the title. I’m not talking about the people you think I’m talking about. I’m not talking about people who are converting liberal but are open to the possibility of converting orthodox at a later
Today, I’d like to take a minute to discuss something that I believe is important to clarify. From a comment: “There is a lot of pain involved with conversion for many people, but I’ve noticed time and again that you don’t seem to see this. Human feelings and embarrassment and dignity are a PART of halacha… I’ve read a
My Narrow, Unsympathetic Point of View Read Post »
There have been requests for more “personal” stories about my conversion process. Well, today is your lucky day! If you don’t actually care about who I am and how I got here, feel free to stop reading here and check back for a new post later today! Knowing me, this is about to get long-winded.
Chumrahs: Making This Convert Crazy Since 2004 Read Post »