Converts (and especially orthodox ones!) experience more change in the first few Jewish years than some people do in an entire life, and more than most Jews, I would argue. Like most Jews of any movement, I come from a family and culture of tradition. You’re born, live, and die in the same place, or
Shabbat Shalom! Being a “Lech Lecha” Kind of Girl Read Post »
I discovered a blog post today titled Frum, Fashion, and Feminism on the Jewish Women’s Archive’s Jewesses with Attitude blog. It started so well: talking about fashion becoming more open to modest designs and the orthodox women who are working towards that end (including the fabulous bloggers Chavi and Hadassah). Then I ran into the
Orthodox Women Being Patronized by Feminists? Oh, Linguistic Irony! Read Post »
Quite frankly, I hate this phrase. Yet people say it to me all the time and will continue to say it, so I have to learn how to live with it. So do you. Most of the time, it simply is not worth the effort to explain to someone who (a) won’t even remember and
Adventures in Semantics: “Going to Temple” Read Post »
I saw a great question about conversions. I decided to post the question and my answer to that question here because I think that’s a struggle the overwhelming majority of orthodox converts face at some point in their process. How would you respond? THE QUESTION: Not to risk offending anybody, but I’d be curious as
A Response to a Very Good Question: Why Not Fake It ‘Til You Make It? Read Post »
It seems like I started this blog yesterday! Yet here we are, 100 blog posts in! I hope you’ve all enjoyed my blog as much as I’ve enjoyed writing for you! I hope you’ve found it comforting, funny, and useful. After all, conversion/becoming observant shouldn’t be as soul-crushing and humorless as some people would like
A Milestone: 100 Blog Posts! Read Post »
I wrote before that I didn’t “get” Chanukah (Shabbat Shalom! The Chanukah Edition). Well, I didn’t expect to be proven wrong so quickly! Somehow, I internalized Chanukah without even realizing it. How did I figure this out? I saw a LOT of TV on New Year’s and the week leading up to it. My family
The Lingering Effects of Chanukah Read Post »
I personally love the mechitza. (Within limits: so long as I can hear the service and can see the Torah reading.) For those of you who are unfamiliar with the mechitza, it is a separation between the genders in orthodox (or some conservadox – conservative leaning towards orthodox – services). It is usually very pretty,
Feminism or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Mechitza Read Post »
As someone new to full Jewish observance, I can tell you that the #1 practical lesson you learn from observance is discipline. This is also probably the hardest for people to learn, especially for us spoiled Americans! We take pride in not being “tied down” by rules, people, whatever. (Leaving aside the argument that we
Orthodoxy and Eating Disorders: Kosher Discipline to the Extreme Read Post »
As we just discussed the potential that a convert may need to move to a new community in order to finish his or her conversion (Convert Issues: the Community Requirement), the next step is choosing the RIGHT community for you. And I mean literally “you,” specifically. No community will be the right fit for all
The Importance of Finding the “Right” Community Read Post »
If there is any “cultural” aspect of the Jewish People that you should know, it’s Jewish Standard Time (JST). I swear I hear this phrase at least twice a week, and I live in a very small community. I can only imagine its effects in the larger communities! In my Jewish encounters, I’ve found that
Ever Wondered Why Jewish Events Start Late? Jewish Standard Time Explained Read Post »