Conversion

Navigating Orthodox Conversion with a Feminist Sensibility

I was 75 percent Jewish, I told the Orthodox rabbi, my paternal grandparents and one maternal grandparent were all Jewish. “So, you’re not Jewish,” he replied.

Weekend at the Beach

In the Beginning, the friendship of three rabbis was created and nurtured at an annual Rabbis Without Borders alumni retreat.My plan was to enjoy a ...

Founding Father

Correction: The report of Rabbi Lerner’s retirement was greatly exaggerated.* T&V was celebrating his contributions to the Jewish People that ...

Born Jewish or Not, You Matter

The way I look — my golden complexion and the abundance of ringlet curls on my head — combined with the difference in my upbringing have always challenged my place in society and even in the Jewish community.

Why I Did a 180 on “Kosher Soul”

A friend tipped me off to a new reality TV show that was about to begin publicizing its pilot episode. ...

How to Welcome the Stranger: A Modern Midrash

1 in 6 contemporary Jews are new to Judaism. How are we supposed to welcome these converts? Rabbi Juan Mejia, a ...

Eating Bacon?

This is the third in a short series about adoption and multiracial Jewish families that Be’chol Lashon will be running over ...

Claiming Our Spiritual Ancestry

In the year 2000, I was still a newly-minted Jew, having completed my conversion in March of 1999. As Passover ...

Let’s Talk About Orthodox Conversion

I completed my Orthodox conversion with the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) in 2011. My process was an incredibly positive ...

Forget the Man, Fix the System

This week marks the fifteenth anniversary of my conversion to Judaism.As for so many others, my process of entering into ...