I’m not quite pissed enough to take it to the pit, and it’s not really a question, so here it lies.
I’m Jewish. I was born Jewish, raised Conservative and lived in Israel in the late '80s. For the past 20 years, I’ve only considered myself “Jewish by birth,” and didn’t practice at all. Lately, however, I’ve been feeling drawn back to Judaism.
Last month, my wife (we’re newlyweds–yay!) and I were talking about religion in general, and she droped the C-bomb on me. Conversion. Very cool! This gives her a path and a faith that suits her perfectly, and allows me to explore as well.
Bit of background: Swampwife was raised Catholic when she was very young, but after leaving Catholic school was raised as a militant athiest. Her parents are very intellectual, but not spiritual; she was taught to question and to discover that all religion is bullshit. (Yes, we’ve discussed at length how that is just as much an indoctrination as being raised religious)
She is a very spiritual person, being a Dianic (Wicca) priestess and a Buddhist, but isn’t really feeling them. She questions everything, seeks knowledge wherever is may lie, and has (if there is such a thing) a very Jewish way of thinking. She has studied and is teaching herself to read and write Hebrew (with a little of my help), and has learned more in a month than I think I did in three years of going to Hebrew School.
On top of all this, her paternal grandfather was Jewish until he and his younger sister emigrated from Germany in 1937 or 39. They left the rest of the family behind, and converted to Catholicism. We also have suspicions about her father’s mother (little things that point to her having been Jewish, but nothing solid).
And now, Swampwife wants to convert, which I am, of course, 100% supportive of. She wants to convert via an Orthodox Beis Din, because she wants to be, as she put it, “Not only be Jewish, but be accepted everywhere as Jewish.”
Here’s where we’re running into problems.
Our local Chabad doesn’t do conversions. We’ve been in contact with a Rabbi in Miami, but he sent us to a website for info. We’ve gotten the books recommended, but haven’t heard anything from either our local or Miami rabbis.
We’re considering going to a Conservative synagogue, as she is disabled and we live far enough out of town that walking to services would be impossible, if not fatal. So we want to be able to drive to services (but still be somewhat shomer-shabbos at home). Unfortunately, the local Conservative shul is peer-led, and doesn’t have a Rabbi.
The Reform Temple is out. Swampwife’s parents are more spiritual than these folks.
At this point, we’re both getting extremely frustrated with the lack of communication and support we’ve been getting. We don’t know what steps to take next or where to go to find out, as people aren’t getting back to us. We know that she will be turned away three times, but when she spoke to the Chabad rabbi, she told him flat-out “I know you have to turn me away three times, but if you turn me away a hundred times, I’ll come back 101.” This is what she wants to do, and she’s the most tenacious person I’ve ever met. If she wants to do something it WILL be done. We just don’t know where to turn.
Any converts out there who can give some advice? Any would be helpful. Any Rabbi dopers? Anything…
Thanks in advance!
