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We’ve discussed briefly before how a rabbi, scary though he may seem, is a normal person with dreams, faults, anxieties, and other responsibilities. His job responsibilities may be less than clear: What is the Proper Role of a Congregational Rabbi? But what is he NOT? He’s not your friend, sadly. He might become your friend […]

I have been asked to share an upcoming trip to Israel that is specifically for converts and conversion candidates. I can’t vouch for the trip or the people involved because I don’t know them (but I received nothing for posting this opportunity). The idea is great, and many conversion candidates have mentioned wanting an opportunity

Rusty Brick, the foremost developer of Jewish apps (they’re the first company I remember on the market!), is having a sale on its apps for your tablets and phones. These Android and iOS apps are half off the normal price until Tuesday night, according to an email I received last night from their mailing list.

This Tuesday, I’m giving my very first lecture: Light in the Darkness: Emotional Abuse in the Conversion Process. I need your help: what do you wish people knew about the conversion process, specifically the potential for emotional abuse? My own conversion process is linked to Chanukah because I got “the call” eruv Shabbat Chanukah (late

Do you particularly enjoy a certain book of the Tanach? Today, I heard the book of Daniel described as a “really good read.” Usually, when I hear orthodox Jews discuss a “favorite” book of Tanach, it’s always Psalms/Tehillim. But does another book speak to you personally? Is there a book you simply enjoy reading? Have

Today I have some strange questions for you. For the first time, I live in a neighborhood that loves to decorate for the seasons and holidays. October was great, with all the pumpkins and fall leaves a girl could ask for plus great Halloween decorations. Now I’m anxiously awaiting the Christmas decorations because I’m sure this

As some of you may remember, I’m very passionate about the “forgotten” victims of the Holocaust and Nazi Germany, such as the Roma and gay men. Thanks to the Jewish Book Council, I got a free copy of the book Branded by the Pink Triangle, which is a very short book about the Nazi experience

Since I last posted, I’ve become a kollel wife. I’m a married woman who learns full-time in a beit midrash. I suppose that’s not the first image that pops into your mind when you hear “kollel wife.” But isn’t that the idea behind a punch line? Perhaps it’s more appropriate to refer to my husband

So…you finally got a meeting with a conversion beit din! Mazal tov!  Now the fear really sets in. You know you’ll be asked questions about your Jewish lifestyle and knowledge, and you know that you know a lot. Your local rabbi knows you know a lot or he wouldn’t be approving you for this next step.

Has a stranger ever approached you in public to rebuke you for your religious observance? The very idea seems absurd to me, but I know it happens with disturbing regularlity.  The nice ones try to do it in a nice way…the backhanded Southern way:  “I bet you didn’t see there’s not a hechsher on that