Watch for conversion posts at www.rabbireflects.blogspot.com from now on.
I'm posting all my conversion related posts now only on www.rabbireflects.blogspot.com
From now on, those interested in conversion related posts should go to www.rabbireflects.blogspot.com, my general blog. It just became overwhelming trying to keep up posts on all my blogs pus videos plus my Rabbi position. I'll label all posts about conversion as conversion in the heading there so you'll know.
Thanks for viewing and God you.
Changes from the course
Rabbi,
We both thought we should give you an update on how we're doing with the course. First of all, we want to start out again with the fact that we love the way that you've organized this, and that
we're so happy to have this opportunity. Here is an update from each of us:
The past few weeks have been truly amazing for me. We do a lot of studying as full-time students but it is such a nice contrast to study Judaism and stimulate the spiritual part of my existence. Shabbat has become such an important element in our lives. We weren't as traditional in our observance of Shabbat until this year. However, when we realized how important keeping this commandment is we have been strictly observant, and it has really benefitted us and made us stronger as a family. Shabbat is especially important to us because we are always so busy, and it is amazing how much more slowly time goes by when Friday night rolls around! It is a good time to reflect on life and spend some quality time together as a family.
Another change I have noticed is that I am becoming more and more comfortable with my identity around my family. My mom, a Catholic, is very accepting of the fact that I'm converting. She has told me that she's happy that I've found something meaningful to follow, and that I have her full support in becoming a Jew. My father, unfortunately, is not so open-minded and is really struggling with accepting it. However, I have learned that the more prepared I am for questions, the better the outcome of our conversations are. So thank you for all your YouTube videos on the subject, they have helped me tremendously! So far I have been successful at finding common ground with my father and stressing that I have nothing against his religion, it's just not for me and not what I believe. I'm sure you know that the holidays are one of the biggest sources of tension for families, but we have all compromised and decided to say "Holidays" instead of "Christmas" or "Hanukkah".
I feel like I've grown so much as a Jew; it's hard to say exactly what I mean by this, but I have so much more spiritual confidence in who I am and what I believe than I ever have before, and that's a great feeling. Also, over the past month I've made some changes that came as a surprise to myself. For example, I've begun to add elements of kashrut that I didn't observe before. I didn't really eat pork anyhow, but I would occasionally have something with pork in it. Now, I've stopped. The moment came at a dinner party recently where scallops were served. While Yvette already didn't eat pork or shellfish, I've always liked scallops, and they looked pretty appetizing, but at the same time they unexpectededly turned me off, and I knew I shouldn't eat them. I passed them up, and afterward felt great that I had. So I'm off of the treyf food, and it just feels like the right thing to do. It's a really good example of how the mitzvot are commandments, not simply "good deeds" that we should follow as the mood strikes us, and that we should try to follow them first without necessarily understanding quite why until later, or at all. (although I did want to ask you about meat/milk...what about chicken? From what I've read, the prohibition was put in place in the Talmud so that a kid or calf might never accidently be served in its mother's milk, but with poultry, since they don't produce milk, couldn't an arguement be made that that's okay?) I don't know, it's something I was curious about that I haven't been able to find a good answer to yet...
In general, one of the most major changes (to summarize the above) is that we have become more traditional in our approach to Judaism after starting your course. Before that, we thought we most identified with Reform. We didn't think the rituals were as important, or that we could get as much out of observing them; we really only focused on the essential beliefs and ethics. But once we actually started being more observant, the rituals became really meaningful to us, and we both realized how completely wrong we had been before. Not that there's anything wrong with Reform, but for us, after studying and learning and practicing more as we have been, Conservative Judaism is the perfect fit for us, and that's entirely thanks to your expertise as a teacher and guide for showing us the way. Thank you for letting us discover something so valuable.
Shalom,
Worthy to convert?
just wanted to tell you that I've been loving your videos. I see that you've been doing this for a very long time. Your congregation must love you!
I'm not (yet) a Jew, but since my earliest memory, I've been drawn to Jewish people, Jewish music, and to better understanding of Judaism. It's really the only faith centered around one G-d, that in my humble estimation makes any sense. I say that I'm not yet a Jew in that I don't know if I am ready or even equal to the task of making the kinds of commitments expected to converting and living Jewishly.
I was raised as a Mormon, which has many ideas about Jews and Judaism, many of which are uninformed or erroneous. But, I suppose the same could be said for a lot of other traditions.
Anyway, I appreciate the loving clarity you put into your videos. They are helpful in answering many of my questions.
Warmest regards,
Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg
Conservative Conversion standards
Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg, a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary (Conservative Judaism), a member of the Rabbinical Assembly of America (Conservative Judaism) and an associate member of the Reconstructionist Rabbbinic Association, directs the actual conversion requirements.
Progress report
Shalom Rabbi Ginsberg,
I writing to introduce myself. You have
been emailing my husband about our conversion to
Judaism. I am happy to say that we have still be
studying and are trying really hard to learn and write
in Hebrew. I have been listening to the memorization
CD and have really picked up a lot of things from it.
I used to have to look at the words when saying the
Candle Blessing but now I can say it without having to
look. I can say other prayers as well. I am trying
really hard to make sure that I keep on track with the
Kosher eating. Where I work we have food almost every
day and sometimes it's so hard not to just get
everything on the table. You know in the South we like
our Bacon. We are also still teaching our son how to
say things in Hebrew. He does say Shalom every time we
see someone.
On a different note. I have told my aunt a lady that
raised me since I was 8 that I am converting to
Judaism and she got really upset and started telling
me that I need to remain Christian because if I didn't
believe in Jesus then I would not get in Heaven. She
also told me that I needed to live my life according
to the new testament. I tried to explain to her that I
am doing this for me. I was raised as Baptist since I
lived with her, however I have been to many different
denominations and never found the right place. I can
tell that when I went to church on Sunday mornings the
youth group would sit in the back pew of the church
and take bets on what time we would get out and
whoever lost had to buy lunch. I finally realized that
we it came down to it I was just going through the
motions and emotions that came along. It never really
meant anything. I don't won;t to bore you but there
are certain feelings that one gets when singing or
even hearing a song and that is what happened the
night I got baptized. They played a song and I got
this weird feeling like I was supposed to but when the
song quit I didn't have that feeling any longer.
I guess you could say that when my husband I started
watching your videos, I knew then that I had Jewish
roots. I can say that I have learned more from your
videos than the whole time I was in church.
Unfortunately we don't have a synagogue here in our
town, so we can't wait to come visit with you and your
wife and the congregation. You all have helped so much
with our conversion into Judaism so much and I would
like to say THANK YOU. I learning how to cook kosher
also. I want to also say that with us observing
Shabbat we have become closer as a family and have
become closer to our friend who is converting also. I
like the TRADITIONS. If there is any advice that you
could provide us what would it be?
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I am
sorry for the life story. I just thought since you
have heard from my husband and our friend you should
also here from me as well. Looking forward to finally
meeting you.
Best Regards
Shalom Rabbi Ginsberg,
So nice to hear from you. So glad you are making good progress. Keep it up. Thanks for the background. I'm sorry your aunt feels that way. You will encounter many, especially in the evangelical world, who feel that way. Just be confident in yiour path and make sure she knows you lobve her anyway and she is not losing you as a neice, you've just found a different spiritual path to God that is better for you. You can watch my Jesus and jews and Jews not for Jesus series whenever you feel the need for balance there.
Are there any other Jews in your town or area?
