Over a year ago, we sat in our Rabbi's office and he promised, honestly and earnestly, that our conversion journey would finally end in the mikvah the coming April. This April slipped by with little fanfare and drama, peacefully but busily, as we prepared for our move. At this point, there is no more timeline … Continue reading Preparing for Shavuos and the Conversion that Wasn’t
It's a question I get asked often, particularly when non-Orthodox Jewish friends and family learn just how long our conversion has been taking. I've even had Orthodox friends on the more left side of the Orthodox spectrum question our dedication to Orthodox Judaism. My answer usually depends on how much time we have to talk. … Continue reading Why Orthodox Judaism? Why Not Another Type?
An interesting discussion wandered across my social media feed this week. It began with a post suggesting "Comebacks For Converts," basically a list of ideas for dealing with nosey questions that converts often encounter. The post itself is pretty good and has some good ideas. The discussion that ensued, however, made me think for a … Continue reading Converts, BT’s…Heck Everyone – You Can’t Control What Others Will Think Of You
Our house...isn't selling. We had two couples THIS close to making offers this week. One couple couldn't get financing enough and the other chose another house because we have a dog. The realtors did reassure them that we would be taking our dog with us, but the fact a dog had lived here was enough … Continue reading Faith vs. Trust, Thinking About the Difference between Emunah and Bitachon
The same thing happens EVERY year without fail. I always plan to "turn over" my kitchen (that is, clean and kosher it for Passover), as close to Passover as possible so that my family doesn't have to either eat kosher for Passover food longer than necessary or eat their floury, chametz-leaden food in the garage. … Continue reading “Turning Over” My Kitchen…and Turning Over my Pre-Passover Anxiety
One of the things my son was looking forward to most about 8th grade was the Advanced Orchestra trip to Hawaii that the 8th graders in his school take every year. He had been thrilled when he'd first heard of it during his Junior High orientation and he'd fundraised last year to help send the … Continue reading My Son and His Passover Sacrifice
I have a couple of really wise friends that I listen to and always learn something from our conversations. Today, we were talking about the power of teachability and it seemed to fit exactly with a lot of what has been going on in my life recently as well as struggles I have seen around … Continue reading Teachability, Conversion, and Life
This week is one of my favorite Jewish holidays. One of the very best things about Orthodox Judaism is that there are so many holidays and they're all so different in their observances and traditions. Purim is a particularly fun holiday for children, with costumes and candy galore. This year, though, as we read the … Continue reading Purim and Living Between Worlds
"April," he promised again and again his words became a mantra a lifeline in dark places we clung to April as our life raft Life spun us around in riptides April became the rope tied to the shore we saw the shore grow closer the other side of the water became clearer our eyes full … Continue reading April
This morning, I saw a particularly timely cartoon come across my Facebook feed. When something goes wrong in your life, just yell, "PLOT TWIST," and move on! My life has been full of plot twists. Interestingly, I've always, in the moment, reflected on the fact that bad news, or a major life change, never seems … Continue reading Plot Twist!
Orthodox Jewish conversion has a lot of fascinating quirks that a lot of people aren't aware of unless they've dealt with the process directly. One of them, which I mentioned in relation to my husband yesterday, is the fact that once you emerge from the Mikvah as an entirely new, Jewish person in the eyes … Continue reading Soon, My Children Will Not Be Mine
When we first began this journey, 7 years ago, a lot of our focus was to hold on to everything we could. I had originally sought conversion and in the midst of beginning that journey with my children, we suddenly found ourselves dealing with my husband's unexpected issues with his own halakhic status. It was … Continue reading What’s in a Name?
The Safek 