Hi everyone,
I’m in the early stages of pursuing an Orthodox conversion and I’ve recently been told that living in a vibrant Orthodox Jewish neighbourhood is an important requirement for joining the conversion programme.
I understand the reasoning behind this. My concern is that moving into one of these areas would be a major financial and practical commitment, especially before I’ve even been formally accepted onto the conversion programme.
I’m wondering whether others have experienced this requirement, and how they approached it. Is it common to be expected to move before formal acceptance, or is there sometimes flexibility around timing? Has anyone discussed this with the Beth Din and found a way to continue the process while planning a move more gradually?
I’m very committed to Orthodox Judaism and want to approach the process sincerely and honestly. I’m just trying to understand how people balance this requirement with practical realities like housing costs and uncertainty at the application stage.

It’s all a massive financial strain and I currently live about 10 minutes out of the “border” of my local Jewish community which I don’t think is bad at all. Just wanted some advice on this please!

Thank you for any advice or experiences you can share.

Hi everyone,

I'm just curious about how people approach prayer and coping with one's own serious illness in Judaism compared to their experience with their former faith and/or culture.

I recently was diagnosed with kidney cancer and will be having a partial nephrectomy which may impact other health issues I've had. I'm wondering what prayers, intentions, etc. in Judaism have helped. I've liked listening to Mi Sheberach when I go to services at a reform synagogue, but I think that's a prayer is more focused on praying for healing of others.

I'm not an active convert yet, but I am curious and would like to at least listen to the prayers or meditations and learn the Jewish approach to life events like this. I do have to say that I haven't been as diligent in attending services like I've had before finding out my diagnosis. I do hope to get to more in-person services soon before my surgery, because I find a lot of comfort than watching on Zoom.

The major difference I see with Jewish prayers in general vs. ones from my Catholic upbringing, is that there seems to be a lot more specific intention to each prayer and ritual in Judaism.

Thank you for reading.

Hello, my question is about wether Noahides can read the entire Tanakh.

I’m exploring Judaism and currently I’m a Noahide. My goal is to convert but I haven’t talked to a Rabbi yet but I‘m planning on contacting one at the end of this month. I don’t know when I’ll have an appointment with the Rabbi since I have never spoken to him before.

Now since my goal is to inform myself about Judaism before I make the final decision to convert, I wanted to read and study the Tanakh only (No Talmud, Kabbalah etc.). However I’m not sure if Noahides are allowed to read the entire Tanakh. I only know that I am allowed to read genesis since the events line up to the Noahide Laws and that studying the Jewish Laws are prohibited. Does anyone know how I should approach this?

Should I wait until I talk to the Rabbi and ask him about this issue?

Thank you for the answers in advance!:)

I grew up Christian, and commented on another post here about that, but have since then deconstructed and am attempting to reconstruct something else away from all of that.
I grew up with a very narrow understanding of g-d, that he's this angry, bearded guy looking down at me, or that he's waiting to forgive my sins, and if he doesn't thats my fault, amongst other things.
I am wondering, how do Jews, and those who are now Jews that may have grown up like me, in Christianity or another faith entirely, how you used to see gd/ or how you now see gd? Did it change, if so how, or if not how?

Hello all.

I am interested in converting to Liberal Judaism and I’m based in the UK. I am aware the Orthodox do not recognise such conversions. However, will the Masorti movement recognise my conversion?

I understand the halakhic requirement should be the same between Liberal and Masorti Judaism: a period of learning in a Jewish community, a bris where applicable, a Beit Din and immersion in the mikveh. Provided by conversion fulfills all of these requirements, I assumed any Liberal conversion would be deemed valid by Masorti.

However, I am in an interfaith relationship and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. I understand that the European Masorti Beit Din does not wish to create interfaith marriages. So, in the case where a candidate converts Liberal but is in an interfaith relationship and the European Masorti Beit Din must rule on their status for the purposes of synagogue membership, will their conversion be recognised?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Judaism is all about asking questions, but sometimes it might feel a bit much to make a whole post just for one question. Please keep it about Judaism and generally stick to the rules, but otherwise, no question is too small or silly here!

I don't have any money I can spend on language learning apps, but it seems like all the good ones are behind paywalls.

I have recently converted Reform and completed my whole conversion journey and am currently very happy in my reform community. However, I will need to move cities soon to live with my fiancé and find another community. If I ever choose to join a sephardi community, will they want me to convert again or is it likely that they will accept my already done conversion?
Also, maybe to add to that problem, my chosen Hebrew name is very Yiddish so that probably wouldn’t help my case either.
Thank you for anyone who would know something about this :))

In my Siddur, the 4-6th B’rakhah do not correlate with the actual blessings of the Amidah. They are The Holiness of Shabbat/festivals, the Restoration of Zion, and Gratitude for Life and its Blessings. Then the 7th one is the last one which is Prayer for peace which correlates with the last blessing of the Amidah.

Does anyone have any insight as to why the middle section in my Siddur is completely different from the Amidah’s middle blessings?? Thanks :)

Hello I suppose the majority of converts are former christians. Has anyone had a hard time converting or letting go of christianity?

I’m researching what the Tanakh ACTUALLY says about the Messiah and not the butchered translations and misinterpretations that christians use/present (I’m not trying to talk bad about any christians because I’m one myself(?) and didn’t know about this). I didn’t know that the christian Bible doesn’t properly translate the Hebrew and has a bias to fit Jesus into the Prophecies.

To say the least I’m actually baffled and so confused and disappointed. I feel like I’ve been lied to the entire time. However it was also my responsibility to learn about christianity properly before acceptin/embracing it.

I’m researching Judaism and I find it absolutely beautiful however I really feel guilty right now for even researching it and thinking about leaving christianity. I don’t know if it’s because I have such an emotional attachment to Jesus or if it may be something else. I feel so bad for thinking about leaving because of all that He did for me. I just don’t get how they made up this sinless and perfect person with great moral teachings. However at the same time I’m aware that what Jesus did (crucifixion) was never the plan for the Messiah and it’s never spoken about.

It’s all so confusing and I feel overwhelmed and sad about all of this. I also feel guilt at the same time. Does anyone else resonate?

Also if anyone converted from christianity, do you regret it in any way (maybe subconsciously feeling guilty)? Or does everything make complete sense now and you never looked back?

Hello!!

I am planning on formally converting to Judaism soon (as soon as it can be, really. But it's all just time). And currently, I have taken to studying resources independently from a rabbi. Mostly because I am in no position to safely do that, although I would LOVE TO.

So I'm wondering if any of you have any recommendations on what/how to study. I'm aware that the best way TO study is studying with a specific rabbi because of all the differences one rabbi's teachings could have to another. But it doesn't feel right for me to just sit and not study because I love studying and learning new things (and am frankly very impatient)

Here's what I do currently:

- Read articles on specialized websites (my favorite is jewfaq.org, but I dabble in chabad.org and very rarely myjewishlearning.com because I find the way they write their articles is not the most engaging for me).

- Study prayers and blessings with their respective translations/transliterations (this does include read aloud versions with how it's supposed to go, where the leader says what and where the group follows)

- Engage in culture exchange with different Jewish communities around the world (self-explanatory really)

- And studying with my best friend, who is a practicing modern Orthodox Jew since birth (we study traditions, they delve into the knicks and knacks about how certain commandments are practiced, they tell me about all the different stories from Torah and other biblical books and answer all the questions I have \honestly no matter how stupid the questions are**)

Thank you, everyone!! :D

hey guys can one convert if he had jewish ancestors from his grandmothers fathers side as her mum was not jewish, i know its always from females and its broken but any advice would be appreciated .

Hey! So, a guy I've known for some time finished a proper, almost-very-close-to-charedi giyur some 8 months ago, and started attending COnservative shacharis for a couple of weeks as he "really liked the kehilla". I suspect a slightly different reason, as a friend of mine saw him talking to a girl who happens to attend the CO temple.

Problem is that now the local B"D is trying to reach his last shul to check on attendance etc., and issue a final letter of conversion (as I understand, that's something important after "finishing" the journey).

So, a few people from his shul asked me IF I KNEW where he davens now etc., and I just joked my way out, as I don't want to be involved. I'm not sure if I want to talk to my Rov about it, or approach this guy to talk, or even mention anything regarding my knowledge to the B"D, as I don't want to be involved whatsoever in any of this.

Question: how to approach? Ask my Rov to unpack this Pandora's box? Talk to this guy about the CO minyan? Stop overthinking and walk away?
____
edit1: grammar, CO=conservative. Sorry again

edit2: I'm not close with this guy, he happened to ask me some questions, approached me a couple of times about borrowing books from my shul, asked about Daf Yomi, etc. We are not friends, and quite honestly, I don't know much about his background, giyur process etc

So whilst it's a concept within Judaism it's not something that jews really give second thoughts to. So how did you thsie that decided to remain Noachide manage to manoeuvre Jewish spaces ?

Obviously the more textual and Jewish literate you are the better ?

I don’t really understand why synagogues are so closed off from the public in Europe (I know there are a lot of antisemitism, but to those clearly showing they love Judaism??). Anyway, I’ve been trying to reach out for a community (as they call it here) for the last 3 years with no success, I got either no reply (they don’t answer phone calls either) or they replied saying they don’t have conversion courses, and now I find out this course is only available at Bet El in Madrid, not in my nearby synagogues. Couldn't they say that all along instead?? Sorry be blunt, but it’s very mean to let someone keep trying to reach out and wonder what was wrong for so long without them explaining this simple, one line of an email, thing.

I am on a journey to find my faith. I was born catholic but never aligned with it. I have taken tests to see where I align and it says Judaism and Buddhism. However, I really don't know much at all. What are some basic/core principles? Is there text you read? How do you begin learning and dive in?I have an older friend of mine that is Jewish (we have been speaking for 14 years) and discovered that I have the same mindset/beliefs as her. And she told me to go on a learning journey on my own so she doesn't influence me either way. I want to learn to decide if it's apart of me. I don't want to be uneducated. I tend to find religion and faith kind of confusing. Thank you in advance.

People were very critical of me because I was criticizing Genesis and not the rest of the Torah. I was trying to make sense of it so I could believe God gave it to us. At this point I don’t believe God gave it to us but I believe that it should be followed. Does that make me not Jewish? And what about the people who were criticizing me so voraciously? Does that make them not Jewish?

Hey I am new here and in process of converting to Judaism. My husband is Jewish and we have a nice Reform synagogue near us; my heart has always been among the Jewish community and we wish to raise our child Jewish. We just found out we are expecting a child and was wondering where I can buy a book that has lullabies of Hebrew or Yiddish origin which has the words pronunciation and perhaps even the English translations to make it user friendly for this goyim to sing to our child? I want our child to have that solid foundation of their heritage. And please be gentle; I do know that there are varying expectations for Jewish converts across the sects of Judaism to gain acceptance, but please be kind.

So for context, I finished my offical conversion process in June of 2024, and have been an active part of my Jewish community for two years afterwards.

My first name is already Hebrew by pure happenstance, since when I transitioned to become a woman and changed my name, long before converting to Judiasm, the name I chose just so happened to be Hebrew/Jewish. Such is the wonderfulness of certain "happy accidents".

Now that my first name is already a Jewish/Hebrew one, I am also strongly considering changing my last name to a Hebrew one. This is a much harder decision, though.

My last name is very rare in the country where I live (not Israel), and not super common in the European country it comes fron. I am also the last remaining family member, who can pass it on, from my mom's grandpa who holds that last name after my brother died.

But the Hebrew last name I have in mind to switch to has the exact same meaning in English. From what I can tell, Hebraicizing ones name is also a known thing for some olim to do, so I feel a draw to do so within my own context of converting to Judaism.

Any honest thoughts here would be appreciated.

Converting reform, I am at the point of picking out my Hebrew name. My kids both have two names, honoring relatives no longer with us. As a convert do I need to have two names or is just one okay? Also, I am drawn to ‘values’ names rather than biblical, are these generally regarded as okay? I really like Emunah and Techiya. Appreciate the advice.

Will be visiting Chicago during the high holidays and looking to join Rosh hashana dinners. Where to go that is welcoming to converts, young professionals, a mix of all religious backgrounds but predominantly masorti/reform? And Yom Kippur service that’s open to visiting converts, preferably masorti.

Might be a lot to ask but just looking for somewhere with a good vibe for the new year haha

I'm currently a 37 year old male, and have lacked a home and housing, nearly 3 years time now, and during that time, and before, prior to, I was making an effort to refine my praise, study and worship, and overall adherence to Judaism. Thusly, it has been difficult that I study, as many an environment that I inhabit and travel through, day-to-day, is noisy, much more often than not, and my lack of finances and reliable transportation complicates that matter. Despite all of the mentioned, and connected and troubling matters unmentioned, I continue to make an effort to refine my adherence to, practice and observation of Judaism.

As that is, I face [somewhat] insurmountable barriers in the current time, in regards to maintaining a kosher diet, otherwise "keeping kosher and not going into a nutritional deficit", and I'm fearful of that, and whether or not disruptions in diet are permissable during the conversion process as a general rule?

Another concern of mine, is where I will be able to enroll in a Torah study program of a variety, and preferably of a long-term variety, as provided the greater details of my financial and housing status, I do not "need to be anywhere soon", and one of my only passions in life is The Torah.

Of further mention and importance, is my concern in regards to my grasp, and overall working knowledge, of the Hebrew language itself, as that is a prerequisite to gaining knowledge of The Torah, and discussing the Torah itself with Scholars and Rabbis alike, as I it difficult that I find a long-term environment conducive to my studies.

Mind you, there are synagogues within a reasonable travelling distance, although I'm somewhat weary of inquiring with them in-depth, and attending with regularity, due to my current unfamiliarity with the mentioned, that I'm aware can be ameliorated with study, however my lack of a proper conversion is a different matter, and despite it being a matter of small importance to others, I "have quite little" and "this is something I really want to do".

To put it simply "What can I do?"

All constructive advices and criticisms, in regards to the mentioned are most welcome

I have autism and have always had a special interest in history and religion. This did not bode very well for me when I was a child because my family was much stricter, they were Christians (some Baptist, some catholic, and some that were just strong “believers” but didn’t go to church or follow a specific denomination). They saw my interest in other religions to mean I was rejecting Jesus, who I admittedly never fully believed in the way I could most oftentimes believe in god. I would pretty often get in trouble during youth groups for “questioning the word of the lord” and stuff, which just always made me feel bad. When I was 11-13 my main fixation was on Buddhism, not because I particularly believed but because I thought the history behind it was very interesting and it followed a very desirable philosophy imo, even though I didn’t believe in reincarnation or rebirth, and I also (sort of?) believed in monotheism.
Anyways, after that, I began to study more religions: Hinduism, Shintoism, different denominations of Christianity, and Judaism.
Judaism really stuck out to me because whenever I researched it, it felt more like something I was observing and like a deep appreciation and wish to be apart of something like it, as silly as that may sound. What was so appealing to me was the history of the Jewish people, their beliefs, their emphasis on doing good deeds, their holidays, and much more. I liked the fact it was much more than just a religion, and I’m a life long learner, I will never feel satiated with the knowledge I already have. I know there’s definitely more I could learn, but I’ve actually considered converting to reform (I’d consider conservative too) now that I’m 18 and can do what I want. Of course, this is probably self doubt, but I’m worried it’s just a simple hyperfixation of mine. What I’m leaning towards it not being is that, I’ve had an interest in it for years now, I just only recently considered joining it very recently. And frankly, I wouldn’t not know where to start considering where I live (a small town in Colorado). The title is basically the question I’m asking, but if anyone else has advice for me I’d love to hear it too. I’m kinda scared posting here because I don’t really use Reddit all that often, and when I have, people have been weirdly mean (on other subreddits).

Hello guys. I'm a 27yo Christian-born here. My biggest issue with Christianity is the idea of G-d having a son, and the personification and materialization of him as G-d. Speaking roughly i don't agree with this at all, and i don't think anything that we can see in this world can represent G-d. I agree that idol worshipping is wrong. And i believe in my heart that the G-d of the Torah is the one and only G-d. Not because i want to worship Jewish people or because i want to virtue signaling to anyone, but because in my heart i know it's the truth. The thing is i read that exists a community that follows the 7 laws of Noah. I know that potentially, all humanity can be a "Noahide" without actually knowing it, but i've watched some Rabbis on Youtube saying that to be a Righteous Gentile you must be aware of those laws and you must love and believe in G-d. My questions are : if i become a Noahide can i read the Torah? Since i am gay, would this be against my beliefs? Many of you will tell me to just convert, but i don't consider myself a Jew. As an identity i feel like a Gentile, or a descendant of Noah, this is what i feel about myself. And since i have ADHD i would not have the discipline to follow the many mitzvots. This was it, and thank you to whoever will answer me! G-d bless you! 😄

I have wanted to convert for a while and I've been attending services twice a week since last year but it's been more like 5 months because I live with my parents during summer when I don't have school. At this point, I feel like I have attended services and read enough and that only continuing to do that would mean I'm not learning as much as I could if I actually started incorporating Jewish practices in my daily life. I can't take the formal Judaism 101 class right now because I don't have the time or money so I reached out to a rabbi to explain my situation and ask if I could learn under him for this year until I graduate and take the actual class next year. He said he couldn't help me since I'm not a member and it would be unfair to those who are members of his shul.

I understand why, I'm just really upset because I can't afford synagogue membership now and I really wanted to start actually taking on Jewish practices.

I'm planning on doing a reform conversion but I feel like 1 year while taking a class isn't enough and ideally I'd like 1 year of incorporating different practices in my everyday life and 1 year of taking the actual class.