#beit din

[my-unorthodox-life]

bestie just said once he gets paid we'll celebrate my "baked dean" and that's now the only thing i'm calling it

[becomingjuwuish]

So, a lot happened in very little time. A beit din was convening today, and about a week and a half ago my rabbi asked if I wanted to take advantage of the situation and go, about a month earlier than scheduled.

My beit din/mikvah was today and I'm Officially Jewish!

I'm literally so happy, it's been such a long time coming and I feel so much love and support all around me, it's fantastic.

It was my sponsoring rabbi, the lead rabbi from my intro to Judaism class, and a rabbi I had not met before but was lovely.

They asked me about my journey, what I had struggled with, how I incorporate Judaism into my life, and how I feel connected to my community. It was a pleasant conversation, and I had no need to be as nervous as I was.

Then, after getting the okay, I got ready for the Mikvah. It was several moments of reflection. Feeling the water go over me in the shower and feeling fresh was when I reflected the most. (I was nervous about being completely naked, but no one saw me outside of the water!) I said a prayer, and then stepped out and told the rabbi that I was ready!

My sponsoring rabbi said a beautiful blessing for me! and then I went down the seven steps, counting them as I did so. I floated in the water, and I was handed the sheet with the prayers on it. (The rabbi that was the "mikvah witness" was so sweet and respectful, she put a scarf over her face, and only watched to make sure my head went under the water) I said the blessings in between dips, reflecting on the past and hoping for the future. The rabbis sang a song of mazel tov for me(behind the curtain) and then I was given some moments of privacy and quiet in the Mikvah. I teared up then, because I was so happy and proud of myself.

I got dressed, and when I came out I hugged the rabbis and was given a rainbow kippah by my rabbi (he apparently saw it and thought of me) my mom was there too! She wasn't in the room for the beit din, but was able to hear me dip in the Mikvah, and then talk and celebrate with the rabbis while I was getting dressed.

I got to celebrate with my friends as well this evening! It was overall a wonderful day and I wouldn't change anything. I'm so happy and over the moon that I'm finally a part of the Jewish people, after years of hard work and studying.

[joshiesjourney]

I’m jewish now!

So I completely locked myself out of tumblr for almost two hecking years and I finally got back in! A lot has happened, including that I went through the Beit Din earlier this year. I am now jewish. 

It is incredibly emotional to me and I have so many words that I just cannot put together here. I am blessed and I am overjoyed. I am exhausted and I am worn down. I am exactly where I wanted to be. I have so much left to do and learn. 

But most of all: I am home. 

And I want to help form a better tomorrow for all of us. 

[haorev]

My beit din is in three hours and I’m nervous and excited and oof (yknow big life events feelings)

[ask-jumblr]

can someone who's already converted (i'm thinking of converting reform or conservative, but i'm interested in orthodox responses as well) explain what the beit din was like? is it like being tested, or more of a casual conversation? what was the setting/feel of the room? did it feel difficult or challenging? how long did it last? what happens if they decide you aren't fit to convert? what's something you would've wanted to know before going in? i'm just so anxious about the concept.

Mod here. FOR is set to converts, but if it’s alright, I think it may also be valuable to open certain questions in this ask up to any Jews who have served in a conversion Beit Din. Stating your denominational or communal FOR also seems like it would be valuable for anon.

Much thanks! (Todah rabah!)  !תּוֹדָה רַבָּה

[narcolepticgnome]

I just had a dream that I had to fight a big burly rabbi with a lightsaber for my beit din on Wednesday so I guess you could say that nerves are kicking in...

[emerging-jew]

I’m ABM!!! My Beit Din is done!

I just finished my Beit Din, which was done through zoom and now we have to find out how to do a mikveh with everything closed down. I’m so excited though! I’m gonna bake a celebratory challah right now

[soyouwannaconverttojudaism]

Questions for the Beit Din

As a prospective convert reaches the end of their studies, they’re (usually) required to appear before a beit din, a “court” composed of three learned Jews who decide whether the prospective convert is ready to join the Jewish people. The intensity and stakes of appearing before a beit din vary from community to community. In my American Reform community, there’s very little chance that a beit din will reject a prospective convert, but appearing before them is still a serious step in the ritual of conversion. 

A lot of rabbis, mine included, will provide a list of questions beforehand that the beit din will be interested in reading/hearing answers to. These may be questions that the beit din will ask in person, or they may read your answers prior to your appearing before them (the latter, in my case). 

Now, these questions are of course not going to be universal, but I thought I’d post the ones my rabbi gave me. Even if you never have to address these questions to a beit din or rabbi yourself, they’re good questions that provoke a lot of thought, and I honestly think anyone considering conversion should reflect on them seriously. 

1.       How did you grow up religiously?

2.       What did you like about the religion of your youth? What didn’t you like about it?

3.       How did you come to be exposed to Judaism?

4.       What attracts you to Judaism, to the Jewish people, the Jewish holidays, and the Jewish lifecycle events?

5.       Describe your understanding of God and how your understanding of God has developed or changed during this process?

6.       How do you make Shabbat a special day? How do you observe it now, and how do you see yourself observing it in the future?

7.       What is your favorite Jewish holiday and why? How do you make it special?

8.       What rituals or traditions do you not yet currently practice that you look forward to trying on in the next year?

9.       What are you still struggling with or have difficulty with in Judaism?

10.   What Hebrew name did you pick for yourself and why?