Jewish Convert Acceptance

God and Comedy

I want to start off this post by making you feel comfortable and that's why I'd like to talk to you about Jesus (just kidding). Not many things make me more uncomfortable than talking religions and God (or Jesus). So it's ironic that I'm spewing my Jewish conversion thoughts on the internet. Speaking of religions and God, today I was reminded of a Jim Gaffigan bit about Jesus that cracks me up and hits the nail on the head.

Jim Gaffigan on Jesus

 

Jewish Convert

My second week in conversion courses, and naturally I'm still a little uncomfortable and nervous about this conversion thing. Not because I don't want to be here, I guess it's that I have a strong aversion towards religion. At least that's what I told myself many years ago. I said I'd have an open mind to religion again, and I do, so I'm listening and learning.

Today we discussed the very first known convert, Ruth. We also talked about prophets and what it means to be Jewish--rather--what we can interpret from prophets and the Bible. For me the lesson can be summed up to one thing: do the right thing, or my favorite saying "ask and you shall receive". 

Jewish Obligations

Because I haven't been religious in any way shape or form during any meaningful time of my life, I can only relate back to the real world that I'm used to. The lesson from today for me would be obligations. I realized I will have Jewish obligations and I wonder if I'm going to have a problem with them. But I usually have a problem with most obligations. What I lack is control and I'm hoping -- rather counting on -- that religion will teach me control.

Convert Acceptance

Today I am also pushing down the eerie thought of convert acceptance of people like me. But I have to remember that my own Israeli-born once-Orthodox future husband accepts me for being non-Jewish, and he will accept me for being a convert. I am certainly not converting because I need to be accepted by Jewish people, but because my partner's identity IS Jewish and I want to understand what that means and how it can benefit our lives together. I've also found that converts are usually way more Jewish than their Jewish-born partners and friends. I've also met a lot of Israelis that have stopped practicing the religion they grew up with, which is something everyone can relate to whether or not religion is involved. And most of the Israelis I know eat non-kosher, and do not follow traditional Shabbat observance.

I have no reason to believe I won't be accepted, but it's still a scary thought when all I read about are Rabbis turning people away for lack of commitment. The scariest thought is that I just won't have a connection to Judaism.