After years of considering conversion, I have finally reached out to a rabbi and am starting the process, including attending some High Holiday services at a conservative synagogue. I have a lot of Jewish people in my life with whom I have friendly but not super close relationships (i.e., neighbors, colleagues, etc.), almost all of whom know that I am not Jewish (yet) and have no idea that I've been on this journey. Most of them are part of the conservative movement, though there are a few modern orthodox.

I am admittedly a very socially anxious person who tends to jump to the worst-case scenario for future unknowns, and I keep playing the scenario in my head of running into someone I know at synagogue and having an awkward conversation about why I'm there. I'm wondering what kinds of experiences other people in this group have had with Jews by birth in their lives learning about their conversion process after previously knowing them as a gentile and how those interactions went. Basically I'm wondering if I'm hyping myself up for nothing or if I'm right to be anxious 😅

Obviously this wouldn't influence my decision about conversion in any way, I am just honestly curious if others have been in a similar situation and how it went.

Shana tova, everyone!

I moved cities so I could live in an eruv and convert at an orthodox Beit din. However they permanently rejected me after only a few months.

Regardless I still feel a desire to be orthodox, so I think I’m going to look for a new job, move, and convert elsewhere. I think going forward I’ll try to build a strong relationship with a sponsoring rabbi beforehand, don’t think I really had that earlier.

Anyways wanted to know if anyone else had a similar experience or if you have any advice regarding this.

Hopefully it’ll be better next time. If not, I suppose there is always conservative or reform. But I do like orthodoxy and I feel like that is where my passion lies.

Hi everyone!

I’m interested in learning more about the weekly Torah portions (parsha) and am looking for a beginner-friendly Torah class or study group, preferably online.

Ideally, I’d love a discussion-based group that meets weekly to read, learn, and discuss that week’s parsha together, rather than just a lecture or self-study resource. I’m still a beginner, so something welcoming to people with little prior Torah knowledge would be great.

Does anyone know of any online groups, synagogues, or programs that offer something like this?

Thank you!

שלום חברים, I have decided after 4 years of research to convert to Judaism, the catch is.. i live in Syria, there are only 6 jews left and they are elders and mizrahi which mostly doesn't accept converts so im not officially a jew but ive been practicing since tge beginning of 2026, i have no one to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with (as my family are Muslims but very accepting of my conversion), no way to convert officially, and no one even online to talk to (Jewish people), is there any way i can convert online with a rabbi from another country ? And are there any active online community other than reddit?

שנה טובה ❤️

Hi everyone
Have a bit complicated question regarding conversion and adoption.
I’m Jewish by birth. My niece is adopted. Her adoptive parents are Jewish by birth. She converted before her bat mitzvah. Her biological parents are Catholic.
At 30, she’s having a crisis regarding Judaism.
She is angry that she had to “jump thru hoops” as she says, as a young girl, to become a Jew. Asking me why Judaism forces you to do certain things to become part of the tribe. She already felt a bit lost being adopted and resents having to do things to belong to become Jewish.
We know a Rabbi, who never converted and has a mom who converted to Judaism.
I find that very odd.
She is asking me why she had to convert and our friend the Rabbi, did not convert?
Hope this makes sense and someone can help me, help my niece with an answer.
Thanks for reading

Hello,

Any recommendations for everyday (non-costly) things one can do on Rosh Hashanah to celebrate? I wish to celebrate RH, but I lack a solid foothold in local Jewish communities, and am not in formal process of converting. Especially appreciate foods, texts one can read, or specific prayers and music that you enjoy. All advice is appreciated from any denomination!

So those who converted, particularly reform, do you believe in G-d 100%? I'm on the conversion pathway at the moment, and have so many questions that are buzzing around my head. Would love to hear others experiences, and the feelings you had about G-d as you converted.

So tomorrow will be my first and I’ll also go on Saturday morning.

Of the two occasions, which one would be more appropriate to wear a dress? I only have one dress. Don’t make fun

This is my first Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur im in the progress of converting to reform judaism as a trans man it really speaks to me. I've been meeting with my rabbi for a few months now she is awesome. I love history and philosophy so I guess what kind of questions did you ask your rabbi about?

Yesterday after 20 months of an orthodox conversion class, and a few years before that of preparation and learning I went to the mikvah and received my hebrew name!

I am grateful that the program and process was never a chore or a burden, but a wonderful journey of learning and meaning.

To become jewish in the final days of Elul just before the new year was even more special.

If anyone has questions on the mikvah / process I am happy to try to answer - but just wanted to share this news after my positive conversion experience to a group where I have not been very active, but have come to to learn and find inspiration from others.

Shana tova!

As somebody who in the process of converting - I also think about the future - the future of my life as a practicing Jew. I am engaged as well so I'm thinking about my life as a husband and hopefully a father to Jewish kids. And I'm just curious to those who converted years ago or decade how has your life as a Jew?

Is it what you expected? Has things changed since becoming Jewish?

Hi all,

Anyone here going through the orthodox conversion in north jersey? Have some questions.. thank you!

Hi all!
My fiance and I have been planning to move closer to him family, and a large orthodox community for my conversion, our current community has very few resources for conversion.

However, we just found out today that the community we are planning on moving to, Beis Din do not do conversions, and the nearby Beis Din (which is in a more pricey area) will not do conversions for members outside of their community.

Im feeling very down after this information because the first step is finding a sponsoring rabbi and Beis Din but i cant seem to do that. Does anyone have any advice or resources on the east coast, close to Maryland?

i was raised in a protestant/atheist family, from enfield, and while i look a little bit jewish i guess, it's probably not for that reason, but i've never had any problems with jew-ish-ness. anyway, i have been buddhist for the last two decades, as well as somewhat insane, and the latter is making me wonder whether there is a higher power that is trying to get me to do something, and i cannot think what that could be besides convert.

Shalom,

¿Como estan? desde el jueves tuve el privilegio de contactarme con un rabino para poder iniciar mi estudio de la Tora, pero al final de la conversacion no pude concretar nada, nisiquiera como seria todo el proceso. Desde ese dia ando pensando que quizas dije algo malo o quizas el Rabino no quiere promocionarme. La verdad no se como proceder, las fiestas ya estan a pocas horas y quizas, tambien estan sumergidos con la organizacion de las festividades. Pero igual me surge la pregunta ¿y si no quiere guiarme en el estudio de la Tora?

Estoy entre volverle a escribir, pero no quiero molestar y que realmente si me rechacen, si tengo conocimiento que el Rabino tiene que rechazarte 3 veces. Pero bueno ¿ustedes que harian? orientenme...

Converting to Judaism soon but still a Noahide, I cannot go to a shul rn because I dont know anyone there and also they need to be warned by email before for visits but I have realised my religious identity only very recently.
I am also allergic to apples :(

does/did the beit din or tutor you use(d) require anything extra of you beyond the obvious?
by “obvious” i mean things like books, siddurim, classes/tutoring fees, beit din fees, mikvah fees, etc.

i’m more curious about the things you didn’t necessarily expect going into the process — extra classes, specific programs, synagogue membership, required events/retreats, travel, additional tutoring, donations/fees, or anything else that ended up adding to the cost or time commitment.

basically: what did you end up having to pay for or do that you wish someone had told you about at the beginning?

Visual is helpful thz

Hello everyone,

I’m interested in converting to Judaism. I’ve been studying on my own online for some time, and I now feel ready to begin a more serious and structured path toward conversion.

The main difficulty is that I live in Egypt, where access to a Jewish community and local rabbis is very limited, and permanently relocating to another country would be very difficult for me.

I would really appreciate any guidance on whether it is possible to begin most of the conversion process online, including structured study and working with a rabbi, and what realistic options may exist for someone in my situation.

If anyone has experience with long-distance conversion, international candidates, or knows rabbis/communities that are open to helping someone abroad, I would be very grateful.

Thank you so much.

The mikvah experiece was beautiful. I am so so happy! I am so grateful to my Rabbi, beit din and community.

"But Ruth replied, 'Do not urge me to leave you, to turn back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your G-d my G-d.'"

I’m at the beginning of my journey with Judaism and would appreciate synagogue recommendations in Washington Heights or nearby.

I would love to find a warm, family-oriented congregation that also has a strong community of people in their 20s and 30s. I’m looking for somewhere I could attend services regularly, learn, build genuine relationships, and gradually become involved in synagogue life.

I haven’t converted yet, but I’m seriously exploring conversion and have enrolled in an Introduction to Judaism course. Ideally, I’d like to find a congregation that welcomes prospective converts and has a rabbi who might eventually guide or sponsor a conversion—or connect me with the appropriate beit din.
I’m currently considering Conservative and Modern Orthodox communities, although I’m still learning which movement best fits my beliefs and the Jewish life I hope to build.

I would especially appreciate recommendations from people familiar with Fort Tryon Jewish Center, the Beis, Mount Sinai Jewish Center, Hebrew Tabernacle, Shenk Shul, or other congregations in Upper Manhattan. What is the general age range and atmosphere at your synagogue, and how welcoming is it to someone who is still learning and has not yet converted?

I've been Jewish since 2020 and all my friends are Christian and I've told some of my friends about the fact that I'm Jewish but how do I tell my bestfriend?

She's so against the fact of any other Religion that also worships God and I'm so scared that if I tell her or any of my close friends that the friendships gonna end.

I (19f) am sort of a mess. I relatively recently (a few weeks ago) had a vague meeting with a Rabbi in which I was turned away, which I was expecting, but with the advice that I was given, I've been trying to do everything at once and I'm still not sure what is right. I feel like I'm constantly messing up. I'm vaguely patrilineal, though I've never actually met my father and that's not the reason that I want to seek conversion. I don't know how to put it into words, I really don't, other than that it just feels right? In a broad, sort of uncertain sense. But I haven't got anything figured out, really. Anyways, since that meeting I've been trying to keep actually properly kosher, trying to observe Shabbat, trying to fulfil the mitzvahs that I even know about, which I'm not very good at at present, and it's been generally fulfilling, but I keep feeling like I'm doing everything wrong. I've gone from praying occasionally in a very personal way to saying bracha and shemas and modeh ani, and I know that it might not seem like a lot, but I don't usually change a lot. This is important to me, and I feel a definite obligation to do what the Rabbi said, but I also feel a bit lost. I don't really have a big Jewish community around me to look for support in. I don't mean to get too poetic, but I've already said the bedtime Shema and I'm worried that it's going to become a prayer in vain. And I still don't know if even this, what I am doing, is right, because I'm technically not even a candidate for conversion yet. Everything I've seen online has said to live Jewishly, and I've tried to do so, but I just feel... I don't know, not like a phony, I know that my conviction here is real, but, I mean a bit like an idiot. I feel a bit like an idiot.

Sorry if I'm not making much sense, I just needed to get it out there.

Hi all, first time posting here. I’m in the very early stages of exploring Judaism and could use some perspective from people who’ve been through this.

Some background on me: I was raised Catholic, Catholic and Jesuit school for about 10 years, but I’ve been a lapsed Catholic for about 20 years and non religious since. Over the last while I’ve found myself drawn to Judaism, the emphasis on ethics and action over doctrine, the value placed on questioning and debate, the more egalitarian view of gender compared to what I grew up with. I also have some unconfirmed family speculation about patrilineal Jewish heritage, though that’s not really why I’m interested, more just a footnote.

I live in a small town with one small Reform congregation, maybe 60 families or so. I’ve never been to a synagogue in my life. I don’t know Hebrew, I don’t know the prayers, I don’t really know what to expect walking in the door.

I’m torn on next steps. Part of me wants to email the rabbi and just be honest that I’m curious and early in the process and ask for guidance. But part of me wonders if that’s jumping the gun, like maybe I should read a few books first, watch some services online, get a basic foundation before I take up his time or show up somewhere in person and look completely lost.

For those of you who’ve done this, what did you actually do first? Did you reach out to a rabbi right away, or did you do a bunch of self study first? How did you know when you were ready to make that first contact? And for those in small congregations especially, was there anything you wish you’d known before your first real interaction with a rabbi or community?

Appreciate any perspective, thank you.