I’m a student, and I’m not particularly fond of cooking. (Though I’m a great chef’s assistant!) And the closest kosher restaurant is 2 hours away. How on earth do I survive?? It’s not for the faint of heart. The answer is pretty straightforward. I cook at home, I eat at the homes of others, B”H […]
How to Daven in Public Without Looking Like a Nutter
Quite honestly, you’re probably going to look like a nutter whatever you do. But that’s ok. You can minimize your public nuttiness with a few tips. This topic always makes me think of plane trips, so perhaps this colors my discussion. Feel free to add your tips in the comments! First, seek a private location, […]
The Monster that Orthodox Conversion Has Become
You’ve already heard that conversion is like falling in love. But you may not know that getting an orthodox conversion can sometimes be like an abusive relationship. In a cosmic sign that I can’t escape this topic this week, Frum Satire posted yesterday “Stop Screwing with the Converts Already!“ The world Jewish community and Jewish […]
Conversion is Expensive, Part II
In continuation of a previous post (Reason #84 You Know You’re Crazy: Orthodox Conversion is EXPENSIVE!), here is the second edition of a possibly-indefinite series of posts warning you how horribly expensive orthodox conversion is (not “can be,” IS). I had meeting #2 with the beit din, and here is a breakdown of all the […]
Update on Converts and Aliyah: Reviewing the Law of Return
Do you ever get tunnel vision? Apparently I do. And I did when I wrote Convert Questions: Converts and Aliyah. Let’s summarize that post quickly: There are two times where your “Jewish” status matters when making aliyah to Israel: (1) for the Rabbinate (orthodox converts only, and even then it’s not a given) and (2) […]
Monday Thoughts
I don’t actually have an official post for today. Just checking in on the personal level. Tomorrow I take a 24 hour trip to meet with the full beit din for the first time. As you can imagine, I’m a wee bit nervous. But more than that, I’m annoyed with myself. I realized that I’ve […]
Halachic Discussion: Are Female Converts “Not Niddah” After the Mikvah?
This is the kind of question that could only come up after hours upon hours of undisturbed solo driving. When a female convert goes to the mikvah to complete her conversion, does she become “not niddah” after the mikvah? Assuming the timing is right, of course. Not that it matters, but it was an interesting […]
Converts and Books: An Obsession
I don’t think I’m alone in the convert world as being someone obsessed with books. Jews are the People of the Book, after all! However, I think I’m taking this a little too literally. My late Chanukah present to myself arrived! In my defense, I got an amazing deal! Of course, it’s only 5 months […]
Am Yisrael Chai!
I’m taking off on a cross-country road-trip today, which makes me feel like a real 1950s beatnik! For your pleasure, here is a short video from my Birthright trip, as taken by Rivka. It was taken on a small jutting-out area on the top of Masada. If you listen carefully, you can hear the amazing […]