Some Jewish rituals look… well, a little creepy at first. Covered mirrors. Candlelit searches. Burying books. Guarding the dead. If you only caught a glimpse of them out of context, you might think Judaism leans dark or even morbid—but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Each of these practices is a lesson in compassion, […]
Jewish Rituals That Sound Creepy (Until You Understand Them) Read Post »
Have you ever been told that converting to Judaism isn’t possible for you? That Judaism is closed off to converts? These myths are not only wrong — they’re rooted in antisemitism, which tries to racialize Jewish identity and deny our long history of conversion. I’m Kochava, a Jewish convert with over 15 years of experience
Can You Really Convert to Judaism? What Does Jewish Tradition Say About Conversion? Read Post »
I made this video last year, but apparently I never posted it here! Building a new workflow for my material has been surprisingly hard. Too many moving parts! But better late than never, right? Struggling with your old holiday seasons as you become Jewish? Not at all unusual. Whether you loved them or hated them
Dealing with Holiday Season Grief Read Post »
Imposter Syndrome is a term that many of us are familiar with nowadays, at least in the workplace. It’s the sneaky terrible feeling that “everyone else” has it figured out except you and you’re going to mess up and they’re all going to know you’re an imposter. The feeling of being a fraud, of not
Imposter Syndrome in Jewish Conversion Read Post »
Do your politics matter while converting to Judaism? No! (Yes, of course they do.) Should you be open about your politics while converting? Only you can answer that, but let’s give you some useful information to make that decision. Disclaimers! Lawyers love disclaimers, and I’m no exception. I’ve been a part of and visited more
Can Politics Ruin Your Jewish Conversion? Read Post »
So you’ve been reading books, scrolling social media, reading this blog…and you think you’re ready to go to a synagogue service for the first time. The mechanics and the level of “oh no what have I gotten myself into I am not ready for this” will be different between orthodox and non-orthodox services only because
What to Expect the 1st Time You Attend Synagogue Read Post »
I’m a lawyer, and that means I try to be precise with my language. I don’t always succeed, but I try. So this means I do a lot of Google searches of “define X” to make sure I’m using a word correctly for the idea I’m conveying. I don’t remember why, but I wanted to
I used to be known as “the girl with the 3-legged cat.” Now the poor mutilated cat has been upstaged by some dirty, poor-mannered dogs. Now, if a stranger knows anything about me, they know I have “two huge dogs.” And in New York City, of all places! If I’m at a Shabbos table, this
The Growth of Dogs in the Jewish Community 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 »
Tonight starts Passover. Despite being chol hamoed, I intend to have posts next week. I hope you have a chag kasher v’sameach! So. Pesach is here. Let’s assume this is your first or second Pesach (particularly speaking to those of you who haven’t converted yet), and that you’re trying to “do it all” this year.
Pesach: The Red Sea Beach Diet Read Post »