Category: After Conversion - BECOMING JEWISH

After the Pittsburgh Shootings (2)

11/8/2018

(photo taken by Sue Fishkoff, from the Jweekly coverage of bay area vigils for the victims of the Tree of Life killings.)

A woman who converted here in the Bay Area travels for work and lives for months at a time in Italy. She too replied to my question, "How are you doing after the Pittsburgh murders?"

From Binah:
I woke up this morning and ventured into the courtyard.
I smelled the signature crisp Fall air filled with lavender,
the heavy rain since last night infused with such beautiful smell.
A beautiful moment--
     made with all the right elements to uplift any walking soul on earth.
A beautiful moment--
     resonating the smell of clean innocent love on this tranquil Sunday morning.

But I have this heaviness in my heart,
and this uneasiness in my soul,
from the tragic event at Tree of Life synagogue the day prior.
I got a message from my dear friend here in Milano last night
immediately when she heard about the tragedy on Italian news.
A kind soul distraught by the hatred in this world, she is.
I had already heard of the news by that point.
But, for a moment I was still in loss of words.
How do one response to the existence of such hatred?
Does God exist, really exist?

The consolation I offered was to ask her to stay strong.
As kindred souls we are here to radiate the hope and love
we carry with the core of our souls into this world.
We are the product of love & lust of the moment.
We refuse to yield to adversity bestow upon us.
Adonai li v’lo ira

The late Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller’s poem rings in my ear…

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out--
     Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out--
     Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
   Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Jewish by choice and Single

3/26/2018

When you convert to Judaism with a Jewish partner you have an automatic "in". You have someone knows something about Judaism. You may get a regular invitation to Jewish holidays. But when you are single you have to work harder to create your "Jewish family" unit.

You may have other differences that make you feel out of step with your congregation. Perhaps you are older (over 50), are gay or lesbian, don't have children. Maybe you don't have the money for Jewish events. Bottom line, you need a circle of friends that function like family; a place where everybody knows your name and expects you to show up.

One person expressed it this way, "I was wondering if you knew of any resources or articles or books about being single and observing Judaism? I’ve been really struggling lately. Being gay is also part of that. My shul isn’t homophobic at all, but programming is for sure for straight people. Anyway, any thoughts about single Jewish observance and life would be appreciated."

This is a reoccurring issue for single Jews by choice, so we asked everyone on the email list: If you are single, can you share some of your solutions & ideas? If you are not single, do you have a suggestion that might help?

(1) I’m single and understand the challenge of ‘feeling Jewish’ without a Jewish partner.
Ways that I continue to express my Jewish identity are by attending services, celebrating the holidays, watching YouTube videos, reading Torah and staying up to date on the Parsha readings, and having Judaica around the home. I don’t “keep kosher," but I do try to buy kosher meat as much as possible. It’s important to set goals (e.g. learn Hebrew, keep mitzvot, donate to a charity, etc.) too.

I understand how lonely it can be without a Jewish partner as I went from being in a relationship with a Jewish person to being single. It’s really not the same without that social element.

The only advice I have for this for people who have converted, like myself, is to concentrate on what in particular makes that individual feel Jewish on a personal level. Then one’s Jewish identity will shine even more.
Hannah

(2) Thank you for recognizing that being Single is a challenge regarding connecting to Judaism. Especially important is around the holidays, such as the upcoming Passover.

Here's what I've done to increase my connection:
1. Participated on a committee
2. Helped with planning the update of the temple website
3. Went through a B'nai Mitzvah (by far the most connection was felt here, learned Hebrew and to chant Torah and haftarah)
4. Joining the temple choir
5. Volunteering at the temple or for special events in any small way that I could.

Overall, I've found it helpful to get involved with ongoing activities. And if the activity involves getting through struggles together (like learning Hebrew or chanting Torah and haftarah) the better for deepening the connection. After all, when becoming Jewish, it's not just converting to a belief system, but its about becoming part of a people. So becoming integrated with the people is key.
Miri

More replies will be coming so stay tuned!

Living overseas as an American convert to Judaism

3/11/2018

(Milan Cathedral)

Is it challenging to live overseas, away from one's home congregation as a Jew by choice?

Binah was raised Catholic. Her first language is Chinese, "more so Cantonese, but I can speak Mandarin." In the USA she became attracted to Judaism. She chose to have a Conservative conversion. She remains involved with her US congregation when she is in the country, but her international work takes her to Italy for months at a time. Here are her thoughts on the topic.

Living half of the time in Europe does have bearing on my Jewish practice. In the whole of Italy, there are only about 40,000 Jews. When I first heard this statistic, I thought it was a mistake on the person's part -- Maybe he meant 400,000?!
[Note: There are between 40 and 45,000 Jews in Italy today]

Honestly, it is difficult to keep up with Jewish practice. But I think the difficulties also reaffirm my Jewish identity. I remember my rabbi and teacher emphasized that Kashrut is a daily reminder of holiness. I fully agree with that. So, with the challenge of international traveling, I have to find other ways to reminder myself of the connection and the daily holiness.

There are Holocaust survivors at my synagogue in California. Once I heard an elder member commented to young women wearing Star of David necklaces. She said it is fine to wear it in the USA, but she wouldn't recommend that anyone traveling internationally wear any identification marks on them, especially Europe and the Middle East. She has a point! I usually am a little more careful about revealing my Jewish identity in Europe. But if asked directly, I never have any reservation announcing proudly "Yes, I am a Jew." Even if that may bring me certain negative prejudice (and knock on wood it hasn't happened as I spend most of my time in urban Milan). And for this, I am glad the international travel served to reaffirm my identity!!!

The conversion process opened me up to a more free-thinking relationship between God and myself. I have had a free-thinking tendency since I was born, but certainly the conversion brought about the expression of it. I feel special to have had such an experience. This is one of the reasons that I feel a sense of belonging even though I am away from my home community most of the time. Global-trotting actually reinforces my Jewish identity in my heart and soul!

Did I do "enough" as a Jewish parent?

10/15/2017

Being a Jewish parent has its worried. Sometimes for Jews by choice there is a heightened worry, did I do Jewish right or enough? I received this letter which says it all better than I can.

Its take home message is Dayenu! You did enough!

For awhile now I have been worrying that my kids really aren't that "into" their Judaism anymore. They don't want to go to shul with us and they come to holidays for the food and friends. Of course this whole fear becomes magnified when you are an entire family of Jews by Choice. Did I do enough? Should I have pushed harder? Should we have helped them find more Jewish friends their age? ....and on and on.

Well several weeks ago I found my 27 year old son visiting our house rummaging around in the cabinet where I keep the Shabbat candles. "Mom," he asks, "Can I take our Shabbat candlesticks and Havdalah set with me to Burning Man?"

Turns out he planned to lead Shabbat and Havdalah candle lighting for his "tribe" at Burning Man comprised of numerous Jews.  He said he was inspired to do it because he remembered all the years of Havdalah under the stars at Camp Newman. He still hasn't returned them, and honestly I hope he doesn't. They are his now. L'Dor V’dor.

Meanwhile, our 30 year old daughter living on the east coast called this week to say she misses us and wants to come home for Hanukkah. I asked when she wants to come. She said, “all eight nights.”

Our youngest got teary when we talked about Camp Newman burning down. He launched into his memories of Camp Newman and Camp Tzofim and how he hopes one day if he has kids they can go away to Jewish summer camp.

Post Conversion - Responding to Inappropriate Questions

7/25/2017

As I promised when I posted about the inappropriate, and even forbidden, questions and comments that Jews by Choice get, today I am posting about comebacks. Rabbi Ruth Adar of Coffee Shop Rabbi wrote both yesterday's and today's articles.

Again, feel free to comment here below or on Rabbi Adar's site or both.

How have YOU handled unwanted conversations about your conversion? Have you sought out the support of your rabbi? What did he or she say?

Comebacks for Converts
Last week I posted an entry that seemed to hit a nerve: Talking About Converts. I thought it might be good to follow up with a post about ways to deal with nosy questions, etc. What follows is a question or comment (in italics) and some possible responses.
“Are you a convert?”

Yes. So were Abraham, Sarah and King David’s great-grandmother.
Did you know that halakhah forbids that question?
Why do you ask?

“Did you convert to get married?”

Did you?
Why do you ask?

“So, Plonit* tells me that you are a convert!”

Surely you and Plonit* are not gossiping about me!
Why is this your concern?

“You do realize that you’ll never really be Jewish, right?”

Why don’t you ask the rabbi about that?
Why would you say such a hurtful thing to me?
Well, then I guess Abraham and Sarah weren’t really Jewish, either.
Why does my conversion bother you so much? Maybe you should talk to the rabbi.
I didn’t realize you are an expert on halakhah.

“I love hearing conversion stories! Tell me yours!”

No.
That’s private.
I’m too busy being Jewish to think about ancient history!

“I think Plony is a convert. What do you think?”

I think it isn’t my business.
I’d rather talk about something else.
Plony is Jewish. That’s good enough for me.
Why are you asking me?

When all else fails, sports can come to the rescue. Just change the subject as if the subject had never come up:

How about those [insert sports team name here]?

Personally, my favorite replies are “Why do you ask?” or the ever-popular “Oh?” with a puzzled look. Just put the ball in their court.
If you aren’t sure what might be comfortable for you, try different answers out, either with a mirror or better yet with a friend.
I hope that readers will chime in with their own ways of responding to intrusive or hurtful questions and comments. What do you do when someone says something inappropriate?
*Plony and Plonit are the Jewish equivalents of John and Jane Doe.

Post Conversion - Fitting In and Gossip

7/25/2017

Rabbi Ruth Adar of Coffee Shop Rabbi wrote a powerful piece, Talking About Converts, and I have gotten her permission to reprint it here.

Read the article. I also encourage you to check out the comments back at her blog. Share your own thoughts here below or over on her site. Share this post. People need to learn that it is forbidden by Jewish law to gossip and specifically to discuss someone's conversion. Many violate this rule. It can be a sore subject for Jews by choice.

Stay tuned. I will be posting about how a Jew by choice can respond to unwanted questions and comments.

Talking About Converts
I am open about the fact that I was not born Jewish. That is a deliberate choice on my part. I have made the decision to be open about my background because I find it helpful to my work.
I worry that my openness may mislead readers into thinking that it’s OK to talk about converts. You can talk about conversion all you want. You can talk about yourself all you want. But if you talk about someone else’s conversion, you are violating an important tradition.
Jewish tradition is very clear that we are NOT to talk about other people in general. We are especially not supposed to mention the fact that a person is a convert to them or to anyone else. They can talk about their history, if they choose, but we must not mention it without their permission. We should get their permission each time we talk about them to someone else.
We are also commanded not to listen to anyone else who breaks this rule: no listening to gossip about who’s a convert. No speculating, either.
We can’t ask about how a person became Jewish, no matter how curious we are, or how friendly we feel. Our intention doesn’t matter – our behavior does.
Why this tradition? As with many commandments, it’s there because our inclination as human beings is to be curious and gossipy. It is human to notice differences and exclude people on account of them. Torah calls us to do better, and it gives us rules (commandments, mitzvot) that help us be better people that we’d otherwise be.
Beside the obvious, walking up to someone and asking, “Are you a convert?” there are subtler things we should avoid.

Don’t assume that a person with browner skin than yours is a convert to Judaism. They might be a descendant of Maimonides or Solomon.
Don’t assume that the person walking down the hall at synagogue with Asian features is a convert.
Don’t assume that someone with ben Avraham v’Sarah after his Hebrew name is a convert. Guys named Abraham have been known to marry a Sarah and have kids.
Don’t assume that Jim O’Malley is a convert to Judaism. His Hebrew name might be Nachum ben Moshe v’Shirah.
Don’t assume that if someone has a funny accent, they must be a convert.
Don’t assume that if someone is a convert, they did it to “marry in.” Some of us become Jewish because it is our heart’s desire.
Don’t assume that if someone converted in connection with a marriage, that it was insincere. Falling in love with a Jew might have been the first step towards falling in love with Judaism.
Don’t assume that if a woman is a convert, she did it to find a Jewish husband.
Don’t assume that a convert is any more or less observant than you are.
Don’t assume that a convert likes telling their story again and again.

Whether you became Jewish in the waters of your mother’s womb or in the waters of the mikveh it is painful to be separated from the Jewish People, especially if a fellow Jew is doing the separating.
Don’t gossip about someone’s Jewish history; it is hurtful.
What is hateful to you, do not do to any person. This is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary. Go and learn. – Hillel the Elder, Shabbat 31a

Will I Ever Fit In?

1/10/2017

One of the questions that comes up frequently is, “Will I ever really fit in and feel totally Jewish?” This is a two way question. First, will the Jew by choice come to a point of feeling competent and comfortable with being Jewish? Will they “forget” not being Jewish and just BE?

Second, will the community accept converts as Jews?

To the first question the answer is a resounding YES. If you simply live a Jewish life, doing Jewish on a daily basis it will become who you are. There’s a good chance that it will take a few years. But it takes years to absorb a new language, get to know a new friend, learn a new skill. So don’t be discouraged, enjoy the process.

The second question is more difficult. Some born Jews will never accept the idea that a person can convert/become Jewish. For those who have less of a Jewish education and Jewish life, being a born Jew may be all the claim they have to being Jewish. They may not want others to “get to be Jewish” because it feels threatening to their own identity. Other Jews have much knowledge of rabbinic teaching and don’t accept that Judaism had accepted conversion since its inception.

Therefore, it may be hard in some Jewish environments to be affirmed as a Jew when you are a convert. If you find this to be the case – you are in the wrong place. That is not the synagogue or organization for you. Your sponsoring rabbi should be able to put you in touch with a community that is welcoming of converts.

In a class I attended an Orthodox rabbi was asked, “Are there any converts who are members of your synagogue?” He replied, “Yes! Any synagogue that does not have converts is not a real one because it would not include our ancestors Abraham and Sarah who were converts to Judaism.”

New-to-Judaism mourner didn’t receive needed support

5/12/2016

This question was sent to the Mixed and Matched column in the J-weekly.

I am a recent convert and a single mother. My sister died recently. When I got the news, I was paralyzed and didn’t know what to do. I had been told that once the word of my sister’s passing got out, people would flock to my door with food, comforting visits and offers to watch my child so I could have time to grieve, but nothing happened. I went to work and kept up with my housework. My rabbi offered to help, but I really didn’t know what to ask for. And actually, I’m not good at asking for help. It felt like people were pretty hands off. People did attend the service, but there was no food since we held the shiva at the temple. My shiva experience could have benefited from more support. What should I know for next time? — Still grieving

Dear Grieving: Please accept my sincere condolences for your loss. I absolutely understand your paralysis upon learning of your sister’s death. The process of shiva, shloshim and the first year of mourning were set up because the rabbis recognized that we cannot function at times of deep sorrow.
Being a recent convert does not solely explain your experience. This could happen to anyone who is new to Jewish communal life or is not well embedded in a Jewish community.
I did some research to get a better understanding of what is happening on the “other” side of the shiva question. I called several synagogues and asked what their process is. This is what I learned.
Upon learning of a death, the clergy makes a call to the bereaved. The rabbi is responsible for asking the mourner what is needed. The clergy arranges for shiva and for any assistance the mourners need — meals, rides, etc. Due to privacy concerns (in my opinion, this has been greatly and sadly inflated in our culture), the clergy says very little to the members. That means that you need to be specific about wanting congregants to be informed. Many, but not all, shuls send an email alerting members to a death. Sadly, what I see is that we have an American (private, autonomous, even secretive) approach to a Jewish process — mourning in community.
Mourners are best served if they have friends in the congregation who are not afraid to ignore those privacy barriers and show up to clean house, do laundry, bring food or just hold hands. It is a mitzvah to care for mourners, to bring them meals and to help around the home. Don’t hesitate to ask for people to fulfill this commandment.
I have heard from some people that they wanted to give their grieving friend “space.” Space for what? To be alone and miserable? Certainly, there are mourners who don’t want to see anyone, but I think your situation is more common. Most mourners don’t know what to ask for, don’t know what they need and want someone else to manage things. Sometimes the best thing that a friend can do is to come over and sit with the mourner, maybe take her or him for a walk to the end of the block and back.
Because we live among mortals and someone is bound to die, you need to be better prepared for future tragedies. You need to set things up so that this doesn’t happen again. I suggest that you make an appointment with your rabbi. Say up front that it is a bereavement conversation. Then tell him or her what you’ve told me and feel free to share what I’ve told you. Also, you need to become more connected with fellow congregants. Talk to the rabbi about how you can become more involved. Make time to deepen your friendships. Go out for coffee or invite someone over. Be honest and say that you need company as you recover from your loss.
You also need to tell your clergy that, for future reference, you aren’t good at asking for help and probably wouldn’t know what to ask for anyway. It is fine to say, “When the next time comes around, treat me as someone who is mute with grief and may need more than I’m able to express.” Tell clergy and friends what you would have liked to have received this past time and what you may need in the future. It will be good for you to say it out loud and for them to receive a concrete request from you.

Conversion didn’t grant ‘born-Jewish privilege’

3/18/2016

(The stories of four individuals are combine to make this letter from the Jweekly Mixed and Matched column.)

I have a Jewish father and non-Jewish mom. I was raised with some Jewish activities at home and when I got into college, I began to explore Judaism. By the time I was 27, I decided to convert. I found a Conservative congregation and converted with the rabbi. A couple of years later when I wanted to go to Israel, someone pointed out that Orthodox Jews wouldn’t consider me Jewish. I went back to my rabbi and asked him about this. He said, “Yes, that’s true. But what do you care what those people think?” I wanted to curse him with unprintable words about his “born-Jewish privilege!” How dare he be so cavalier about my feelings and my identity! I left his synagogue and am now going to an Orthodox shul and converting there. There should be full disclosure by rabbis and someone should tell them to stop leaning on their blind privilege. I’m really angry about this. — Could Have Used an Honest Rabbi

Dear Could Have Used: I can hear the anger in your statement. I am so sorry. I know that anger is one of the ways we react to pain. Clearly, this rabbi hurt you deeply.
Of course, you are right. Yes, every rabbi should clearly articulate the huge range of Jewish views and spell out who will accept what when it comes to conversion. I am surprised that your rabbi failed to do so. I am not minimizing your experience, but I want you to know that you are not alone. There are Orthodox Jews who aren’t accepted by other Orthodox Jews.
Second, you are so right, there is born-Jewish privilege and those who have it are often oblivious to how it serves them. Your Conservative rabbi may not be accepted as a rabbi by Orthodox rabbis, but he will certainly be accepted as a Jew. He doesn’t have to study or go before a beit din or go to the mikvah. He was born into that identity and it is his for life.
He can chose to walk away from it, change his name and become a Catholic priest, but the moment he returns to a synagogue, he’s in. Some would roll their eyes, but once a Jew, always a Jew, no matter how they behave.
I venture to say that part of the rabbi’s curt response was not about you; it was about him. He was quick to dismiss what “they” think because from an Orthodox perspective, it is his conversion work that is unacceptable. As you see now, the Orthodox are happy to convert you, using a process that they find kosher, i.e., acceptable and authentic. Sadly, many people are too focused on themselves to get their own ego out of the way in order to listen to the pain being expressed by another. It is also possible that the Conservative rabbi has a twinge of guilt for failing to fully inform you, and he was hastening to cover his embarrassment.
Finally, my friend, there is simply too little information available about conversion — whether for those with Jewish heritage or those with none. I hope that as more adults with a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother seek conversion, the Jewish community will take on the responsibility of providing complete information, making it easily accessible. In doing so, everyone will profit.
Remember that your voice and your experience are important and need to be shared. I can assure you that you are making yourself part of the solution to a challenge that faces the entire Jewish community. You are to be commended for that. Should you want to speak about this publicly, please let me know. I am currently planning a half-day conference for May 22 titled “Growing Up Interfaith.” Your thoughts are welcome.

Thoughts on converts in 2016

2/19/2016

This week a bay area rabbi's weekly email to his congregation focused on Jews by choice. It is a very positive message. And it contains a few assumptions that I would prefer were eliminated. But again, it is hugely positive. We would like to hear from Jews by choice - what do you think? What do you like about the article? How does your own experience compare to what is described?

Here is the article in full.

Are You a Jew by Choice? We Welcome You!
I've stopped counting.
I've just lost count of how many synagogue presidents I have worked with who are Jews by choice.
No, not everyone who converts to Judaism takes on the extraordinary responsibility of leading a congregation. But it is remarkable the degree to which the Jewish community, and Jewish life in its entirety, has been strengthened by those who chose to cast their lot with the Jewish people.
It might be said that, in our open society, all Jews are Jews by choice. That is, any Jew is a Jew because s/he wants to be. It didn't use to be that way. Social boundaries were rigid, and Jews were often regarded as "other," whether they wanted to be or not.
It is a blessing that we do not live in that kind of world any more. Yet, the choice of hundreds of thousands of people to choose to be Jewish is something that centuries of Jews could never have imagined.
Indeed, one or two generations ago, converts to Judaism were relatively rare. They certainly did not get the kind of welcome and acceptance that the Jewish community should have extended to them. Jewish tradition honors those who convert to Judaism, and considers them as fully Jewish as one born into the faith. But that doesn't mean that we always behaved that way.
Thankfully, things have changed. Maybe not everywhere, and not among all Jews. But the reality is impossible to deny. Where would we be if not for those who chose to be Jewish? They are our leaders, our partners in life, our readers of Torah and our teachers. They transmit Judaism to the next generation as their own precious heritage.
Judaism has an irreconcilable tension with regard to recognizing the convert. One is prohibited from reminding the convert that s/he once wasn't a Jew. At the same time, we are taught to honor converts. The Midrash teaches: "Dearer to God is the convert who has come of his/her own accord than all the crowds of Israelites who stood before Mount Sinai." A Jew by choice is given the honorary lineage of ben/bat Avraham v'Sarah, the son/daughter of Abraham and Sarah. You can't get more authentic than that.
No one should imagine that the journey into Judaism is easy. I realize that the challenges can appear unannounced and at awkward moments.
As a congregation, though, it is incumbent upon us to say the same words as every Jew by choice: Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.