When I first started learning about Jewish prayer, I pictured deep, transcendent moments. Maybe a glowing sense of awe. Maybe a celestial soundtrack in the background. Spoiler: that’s not exactly how it went. Instead, my brain had a lot of… thoughts. “Did I leave the stove on?” “Why does my left shoe feel weird?” “What […]
My Brain Wanders During Prayer. Am I Doing It Wrong? Read Post »
The first thing that ever felt holy to me wasn’t a ritual or a rabbi – it was a footnote.If you’ve ever felt like religion was a perfection contest you were destined to fail, this story might change that. It’s about the moment I realized Judaism didn’t need me to be flawless – just honest,
The Footnote That Changed My Life Read Post »
Can you daven in English? YES! In fact, sometimes maybe you should daven in English. Transcript available below. Transcript: Do you have to pray in Hebrew? No. You can pray in English or whatever language is most comfortable for you. You don’t have to be davening in Hebrew in order to be a real Jew
Can a Conversion Candidate Pray in English? 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 »
You’re in the mikvah. You have your dips in the water and officially cross over into the obligation in mitzvot. What happens once you get dressed? First mitzvah/bracha. This should not happen in the mikvah because you shouldn’t say a bracha while nude. I think some people hear about the “here, have a candy!” bracha
Immediately After Conversion, What Needs to Be Done? Read Post »
All my Jew Crew on Facebook is all a-twitter about the Shema. Someone pointed out that the Shema is a haiku, and it began to spread like wildfire through status updates. After a few friends “verified” it, I decided it was finally time to investigate it for myself. The Haiku The haiku is a traditional
You will eventually need to know the short-hand names for the eating-related brachot, so here is a handy list to help you out! Even better, you’ll hear these phrases thrown around quickly in conversations, so now you’ll understand what these people are talking about, and you can even use these phrases in your conversations! What
The “Nicknames” of Brachot Read Post »
At maariv on Shabbat (Friday night), you’ll often hear an announcement of the times for the “hashkamah minyan” and “shacharis.” But what would come before shachrit, the morning service?? It’s a trick question. They’re both minyanim for shacharis. Hashkama is just the “early” minyan, usually around 6 or 7am. There are several reasons why someone
Phrase of the Day: Hashkama Minyan Read Post »
You finally have a date with your full beit din! Yay! …Now what? Whatever you do, don’t panic. Google “how to cope with stress” if you need tips on how to keep your calm over the next few days or weeks. Nervousness will trip you up in the meeting and make you forget basic facts.
How to Prepare for Your First Beit Din Meeting Read Post »
Yesterday, I had a Hebrew breakthrough. It may sound silly to some of you, and certainly not worth a post, but hey, it’s my blog! I think this was a major milestone in my Hebrew education, and it’s not a milestone I expected. We spoke recently about the concept of internalization. When you internalize a
A Hebrew Breakthrough! Read Post »