#gerim

[germiyahu]

I roll my eyes when people whine and cry about how "seriously" antisemitism is taken (especially over other forms of bigotry), and when they so clearly display their envy that politicians and organizations pay lip service to fighting it. After starting the conversion process, and being exposed to even the barest crumbs of antisemitism for the first time in my life... it's not taken seriously. There are almost no resources outside of the Shul and the local community. And you do feel this overwhelming weight of an unspoken rule that speaking up is taking up too much space, being too self centered, making a big deal out of nothing. And importantly, you don't feel safer when slimy Republicans and weak Democrats bray about standing up to antisemitism and then do nothing.

[unsolicited-opinions]

A Brief Note to Gerim, Converts to Judaism:

Y'all are some of the most commited, knowledgeable, active members of your communities and I love you for it.

You're not a Jew because of an accident of birth, you chose to be a Jew. I can't think of anything more Jewish than choosing to be a Jew, as an adult, with full knowledge of what that can entail.

I didn't have to choose it. It was given to me, with little effort on my part. You had to work for it.

I hope you feel the love I'm trying to send to you because it is sincere and heartfelt.

Don't let the momzers grind you down.

[notaplaceofhonour]

at some point I’d like to do a close reading of James Cameron’s Avatar series through the lens of giyur

[etz-ashashiyot]

Chag erev Shavuot sameach to klal Yisrael but especially to the conversion students and recent gerim - you chose this life at perhaps the most difficult moment in recent memory, and your ahavat Yisrael and new energy and fresh eyes and open hearts and strength are such an important and vibrant part of our people. You are truly following in the footsteps of Ruth Imeinu and I have every faith you will be an integral part of geulah. I hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday, and that your community recognizes how much of a blessing you are!

[is-the-fire-real]

I took the Judaism Quiz and got a 31/32!

I feel like my Rabbi's doing a pretty decent job at my Intro to Judaism class.

[will-o-the-witch]

Hi, I want to preface this with saying that if you don't know the answer to my question that's totally fine, I'm just hitting a lot of road blocks and really don't know who to ask for help at this point.

So my moms side of the family is Jewish but she was raised to not be Jewish, I've been thinking about converting for a long time (several years), but every time I try to figure out how to do that I'm led to articles that say that most Rabbi will reject converts several times. I'm autistic and have anxiety so that really turns me away from conversion, I don't know if you'll know this but is conversion really that hard? Do you know where I could even start? I really appreciate any help you could give me

Howdy hey! Something that may help is understanding why people traditionally get turned away (though not every Rabbi does that.) Conversion is seen as a big deal; you're entering a family, not just a religion, so you take on a rich history and culture but also all of the modern-day antisemitism and generational trauma. Turning somebody away is less about your actual potential as a conversion student, and more about making sure you're really serious about it! (After all, if one rejection is enough to sway you then it probably wasn't the right fit anyway, but if you're repeatedly trying and coming back, that shows your drive and dedication to it.)

Jewish conversion is much more involved than other traditions for this reason too; they want to make sure you understand everything you're taking on! Your studies are overseen by a Rabbi who will teach you everything they feel like you need to know, and you start getting more involved in the community as well. This can take a long time (even years) but that's not a bad thing!

I'm not a convert personally, but I'm sure other people would be happy to share their experiences and can offer more insight!! Calling all converts who want to chime in and add their perspective!

[progressivejudaism]

There has been a nasty shift on TikTok to anti-convert sentiment. I am deeply disturbed. Here is my response.

[germiyahu]

Actually don't listen to me. I'm an impulse buyer with credit cards. You want a nice looking pitcher and basin to perform the hand washing mitzvot? That's an excellent opportunity to go thrifting! You might even find Judaica there, like a Chanukkiyya perhaps?

You don't want to wait 8 years for Shabbat candles to arrive from Israel? Ask your rabbi! When I asked her if you can reuse a Havdalah candle, she sensed I was worried about the cost of buying all these candles and said her shul has tons of extras.

You absolutely do need a Chumash, a Tanakh, and probably a study Bible too... but Sefaria has all that and more! Especially the Talmud and other Rabbinic sources! It literally blows my mind that this site exists and is free.

But what about all the books on Jewish history and philosophy? What about textbooks for Modern and Biblical Hebrew? See if there are scanned versions online, or go to your local library. Invest in notecards, you're going to want to write down prayers and such, this will especially help if you don't own the books you're studying from.

It's a good idea to have a Siddur, but your shul will most definitely have their own, and as others have told me, you can ask your Rabbi if you can borrow one to take home (make sure to treat it with reverence).

If you want to start baking Challah and are living on your own, or maybe in a dorm room, see if there are community cooking spaces so you don't have to buy your own materials, or just ask your parents if they can gift you some kitchenware because "You want to get into baking."

You literally don't need anything other than a cup that you think is pretty and has meaning to you for the Kiddush. And don't splurge, I've seen hundreds of very attractive Kiddush sets and candle holders and all that for modest prices.

And take it slowly! Don't buy everything at once. We're nowhere near close to Chanukka right now, so don't even put that in your mind. If you want to acquire holiday items, focus on Pesach and worry about other festivals in their due time, let your wallet recover a little. This also goes for Shabbat! You don't need a pristine set of everything all at once, I'm just an idiot. You can slowly build up your perfect beautiful intricate table as the months go by.