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Essay for Conversion Candidacy
1. Describe the factors which have drawn you to Judaism.
The factors that drew me to Judaism developed over several years. I tried to figure exactly how many, but am not sure. Even prior to thinking of conversion my home had a serigraph of Miriam with a tambourine after crossing the Sea of Reeds, a print of the Jewish holidays, and, probably most importantly, many books on Jewish beliefs and history. My father was Jewish and there was some observance of some of the holidays (mainly Seders), events, and a small amount of discussion on Judaism. Judaism feels comfortable and compatible with my beliefs.
My Aunt always considered me Jewish and until fairly recently, I did not know that I was not. Aunt sent me a book called, The History of the Jews, and when I visited her we made matzo soup.
At least seven years ago, I started studying why there is hate in the world. This took me to many texts. Because of its long history, I began to focus on antisemetism and started studying the history of the Jews from in the present and worked back. My studies included Holocaust studies at Temple Beth El in Rockford, the Belfer program at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and as part of the international summer seminar for teachers at Yad Vashem.
One cannot study a people, without looking at the basic beliefs and theology of the people being studied. Theologically, as I continued to study the spirituality and beliefs of the Jews, a cognitive disconnect developed between what I professed and what I believed.
2. Which Jewish values do you find most appealing and persuasive?
The Jewish values that I find most appealing are the values of living a life worth living with generosity and kindness. For my evening before bed study, I have been using Rabbi Telushkin’s book, The Book of Jewish Values. I seem to learn something more about life and relationship each time I read it. The value of Shabbat and that it is a day of rest and a gift from G-d. That life is to be enjoyed with beauty is quite different than life is to be endured for the glory of the afterlife.
3. How is Judaism more appropriate for you than your former religion?
The realization that my former spirituality and theology no longer fit my belief system was difficult to accept. Acceptance of this fact requires action to live honestly with oneself and G-d. Not believing in transubstantiation and that Jesus was the divine son of G-d ends true participation on my previous faith.
After years of study of various books, texts, discussion, it became apparent my values and beliefs feel/are Jewish. Judaism was the direction to which I was being drawn.
4. Describe your understanding of and relationship to God.
This is a very difficult question for me - the most difficult of these eight. I do not think of G-d as two men and a bird and have not for ages. The Supreme Being is a being without corporal body who loves all his creations totally even when things we do not understand why events that can happen happen. G-d gave humans the free will to choose him. G-d is more interested in ethical, loving lives than denominations.
My relationship is one of wanting to know more, of being drawn to understand G-d’s desires, and to try to live the life we are asked to do. My comfort and faith is in G-d. The hope and happiness for the world is in living the commandments and in relationship.
This is so incredibly difficult for me to explain. All life that we live is to be as a prayer. Our movements are to bring G-d into the world in the tangible ways that if G-d wanted and has shown that G-d can, but we are asked to.
My relationship has changed as I have changed and will continue to change as I change. No relationship stays the same. No relationship is truly stagnant.
5. How has your personal and home life changed because of Jewish tradition? How do you see your Jewish life progressing in the future?
I do not attend Mass nor practice any catholic specific requirements anymore.
I often think about what I have studied before speaking and when interacting with others. Instead of using examples from my previous faith during discussions, I look to my studies to garner ideas from them. I eat Kosher as closely as possible. I make mistakes and sometimes forget about a meat and milk if I am out with friends. This is getting better. I do light the candles on Friday. I am more likely to arrange to meet a friend to go out on Sunday. I attend Synagogue. My home is looking more Jewish.
On the spiritual side, I have as long as I can remember prayed during the day for big and little things. At the end of the day, I have done an examination of conscience for most of my adult life. There are differences, but they are more in feeling and awareness behind actions.
I am trying to learn Hebrew. It is slow, but I keep thinking about the tortoise and the hare.
In the future, I would like to be better at keeping Kosher. I would love to be able to attend the services and understand without needing the English. I will ask G-d to guide me to live a better Jewish life through study and prayer.
6. Describe your sense of identification with the Jewish people in relations to Israel, world Jewry, the local Jewish community and your synagogue.
Because of my family, I have always identified with the Jewish people. In Israel, I fear if all Jews cannot unite, there will always be trouble. Our lives are not to sit in judgment, but to live our lives in the law and love. There will always be Judaism, but if the current Israel is the final homeland, I do not know. I have some concerns because my cousin’s children and grand children live there. I would like to go for an extended stay after retirement.
The local Jewish community in Rockford is a great group of people. Before studying with Rabbis Ginsburg, I took the introduction to Judaism course at the reformed temple. The rabbi had trouble understanding why I would want to convert Conservative. For me, and I cannot speak for any one else and how they are called, Conservative Judaism had more substance, meaning, and depth.
7. What is your commitment to prayer, Shabbat and keeping kosher?
Prayer has always been my life blood. Everything is gift. Not always easy to say. Prayer is communication with G-d in a thoughtful consistent way. For years daily study, daily prayer and feel that prayer has been part of the rhythm life.
I will work to keeping Shabbat better. There is room for improvement. I light the candles and recite the prayers - not quite right yet. But Shabbat is important to me. I like the separation from the week of work and the day of rest. I have figured out how to make smaller challah loaves. The Havdalah is my favorite ceremony of the week though I am not sure why.
I am trying to keep Kosher. I do keep the separation of milk and meat and order from a kosher meat market. I plan to kashier my kitchen before Pasach. Everything is ready. I just need a few days to do the proper cleaning and to be able to wait the 24 hours. I think it is very important because it helps me remember to be thoughtful, that I “am” Jewish, and to keep Jewish values. I look at food differently. I think of the animals and their gift.
8. How do you plan to continue your Jewish study?
My daily study of the Tanakh and other texts will continue. I will continue to attend the activities . I have joined Hadassah.
My real hope is to be able to study at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. While, I was studying at Yad Vashem, I attended services and some of the programs. It would be wonderful to go for a year, but I would be ecstatic to be able to attend the summer program.

a.z.

ESSAY FOR CONVERSION CANDIDACY

Describe the factors that have drawn you to Judaism.
I am the product of an interfaith marriage. My mother is Catholic and my father is Jewish. My parents sought to expose my older sister and me to both Catholic and Jewish traditions. As a child and young adult I took part in Jewish holidays and attended synagogue for the High Holy Days with my father’s family. I felt like an outsider to Judaism. I was, and still am, considered a Jew by my family, friends and co-workers. However, when I attended my family’s conservative synagogue to worship as a Jew, I was not considered a Jew.
While a myriad of factors have drawn me to Judaism, the impetus of my identifying myself as Jewish was the passing of my paternal grandmother while I was in college. In addition to the loss of my grandmother, I also felt a loss of connection to my family’s past. Being a practicing Jew brings me closer to my grandmother, grandfather, and other relatives who are no longer with me physically. I can carry on their memory through my commitment to Judaism.
My parents did their best to guide my sister and I spiritually. They always communicated that we could choose our own religion, whether it be Catholicism, Judaism, or another religion. When my sister was twelve years old, and I eight, she chose to be baptized and make her first communion in the Catholic Church. At this time my parents asked me if I wanted to explore a religion and I recall telling them I wanted to be both Catholic and Jewish. As a young girl I felt connected to Judaism but I also wanted to emulate my older sister. Instead, I put off my exploration of Judaism. This is not to say I did not participate in Jewish holidays and traditions.
Another factor that has drawn me to Judaism is the fact that my best friend and neighbor growing up was Jewish. I stood by her side and cheered her on as she prepared for her Bat Mitzvah. I spent a lot of time celebrating Shabbat at her house, as well as life cycle events. In fact, my first Shabbat experience was with her family. I vividly recall watching her mom light the candles and say the prayers. Afterwards, we shared relaxing family meal. I remember having the desire to observe Shabbat after that.
Between 2001 and 2003 I attended Shabbat services somewhat regularly at Makom Shalom, a Jewish Renewal Synagogue in Printer’s Row. This was certainly a warm and welcoming community. At this synagogue I was finally able to worship as a Jew. I felt a great connection to the rabbi. However, when he retired, I found that I sought a more traditional synagogue.

Which Jewish values do you find most appealing and persuasive?
The Jewish value that I find most appealing and persuasive if Tikkun Olam. I feel a strong sense of responsibility toward social justice in both my professional and personal life. As a second grade I teacher I have the massive responsibility for preparing young people to be productive members of society. In teaching seven and eight year olds reading, writing, math, science and social studies I practice Tikkun Olam daily. I take my commitment a step further in modeling and teaching Tikkun Olam to my students. Whether they offer a hug to an upset friend, donate a can of food to a food drive or write a letter to our president advocating for education and social service programs, they are learning the practice of leaving the world around them a little bit better than they found it.

How is Judaism more appropriate for you than your former religion or worldview/lifestyle?
I do not see my conversion to Judaism as replacing another religion, given my background. I am strengthening and extending my commitment to Judaism by converting. Simply put, it is legitimizing what I have always known to be true in my heart: I am a Jew.

Describe your understanding of and relationship to God.
As a preschooler, I recall having an image of God as King Friday from Mister Roger’s Neighborhood. This is obviously no longer my image of God. God has no body, shape or form. God is incorporeal. I understand God to be Creator of the Universe. I believe that God is one. My relationship with God gives me guidance and order in my life.

How has your personal and home life changed because of Jewish tradition? How do you see your Jewish life progressing in the future?
My personal and home lives have not changed significantly because of Jewish tradition. I continue to observe holidays with family, light Yartzeit candles for family members who have passed on, and attend synagogue for the High Holy Days. I certainly see my Jewish life progressing in the future. I want to observe Shabbat on a more regular basis. My extended family and I are beginning to do this with a Shabbat gathering on March 27th in celebration of my conversion. I also have a desire to attend services throughout the year instead of just the High Holy Days. I enjoyed doing so when I was a member of Makom Shalom. Now it is just a matter of finding a synagogue where I feel comfortable worshipping. I plan to attend services at West Suburban Temple Har Zion, which is not far from where I live.

Describe your sense of identification with the Jewish people in relation to Israel, world Jewry, the local Jewish community and your synagogue.
I have always identified with the Jewish people. Israel and the Jewish people are an extension of my family’s Eastern European background and a continuation of those who were lost in the Holocaust.

What is your commitment to prayer, Shabbat and keeping kosher?
I see prayer as an ongoing personal conversation with God. Observance of Shabbat is an opportunity to devote more time to that conversation.

How do you plan to continue your Jewish study?
I am committed to learning Hebrew. I also want to broaden by knowledge of Judaism by enrolling in adult education courses.

From Alex

Esynagogue.org


ESSAY FOR CONVERSION CANDIDACY


1. Describe the factors which have drawn you to Judaism.

I am supposed to come from a catholic background. My parents never believed in God and didn’t give me a religious education (instead of it I went to catechism). Despite that, I had always believed in God. At the age of 14, I realized that Catholicism was not my religion and decided to turn myself to Judaism. I had read, learnt, tried as much as I could to understand the Jewish law, faith and History.

2. Which Jewish values do you find most appealing and persuasive?

There are a lot of Jewish values that are most appealing and persuasive. First of all, concerning the Messiah; the Messiah has nothing divine and it will come only if Jews act well. I really don t believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Then, God is all powerful and unique. He created us as his image and gave us the free will. So a human being can act and this free will drives us every day. God forgives us if we know how to repair our mistakes. The mitzvoth are very important and are positive. The 13 articles of faith are also an important part of the Jewish faith.

3. How is Judaism more appropriate for you than your former religion or worldview/lifestyle?

Contrary to Catholicism, in Judaism God is unique and not a God and Jehovah. Moreover, in Judaism, salvation is known as forgiveness and not predestination and hell like in Catholicism. For Jews, death is not the end of life and not a question of heaven/hell like in my former religion. Despite of those things, Judaism is not only a religion it is a language, a history and the community has a large power. Sharing things and time with your pairs are very important. You can have a second family with your pairs.

4. Describe your understanding of and relationship to God.
When I was younger, talking about God was not something common in my family. Since an early age, I had always believed in him. I don t blame him, don t insult him and everything there is an obstacle in my life, I turn myself to him and ask him to send me a sign. When things are easy, I just know that I still can pray and serve him. Since I started to convert and recited many prayers, my relation to God became different. I know learn how to really serve him, to understand.


5. How has your personal and home life changed because of Jewish tradition? How do see your Jewish life progressing in the future?

My home became a Jewish home. I put a mezuzah on my door step. Bought candles sticks to light up the candles of Shabbat and also have a tzedakah on my desk. I don t bring non kosher food at home and even started to cook for Shabbat. I also try to keep my house clean and not messy like before as a sign of respect toward God. In the future, my Jewish life will progress with a husband and kids I guess and will raise them as Jews with the values and beliefs. I also want to help some people who want to convert because it is a very rich experience.

6. Describe your sense of identification with the Jewish people in relation to Israel, world Jewry, the local Jewish community and your synagogue.

I ve never been to Israel but want to make Aliya. I guess it is such an honor to go to them motherland where everything started. The world Jewry is unfortunately menaced all the time but we are a community and need to protect each other. The Jewish community share values and the synagogue is the place where you can meet people, pray, share time. It is a sacred place, and as the place of God you feel safe and comfortable.


7. What is your commitment to prayer, Shabbat and keeping kosher?

I recited the holidays prayers, light up the candles of Shabbat and keep kosher, also don t bring non kosher food at home and ask my guests to do the same. I try to do many things during the week, so Shabbat is a rest day.

8. How do you plan to continue your Jewish study?

I would like to have an Israel trip and planning to take classes about the whole Judaism. I also want to learn Aramean.

Spain

ESSAY FOR CONVERSION
CANDIDACY.

1.- Describe the factors which have drawn you to Judaism.

The first factor which intervened in my approach to Judaism was a long-standing personal search of the “right path” for me; a set of beliefs and practices that agreed with me and made me make right choices. One day, I came across Judaism through a friend and since then, I have not stopped reading, learning and putting Judaism into practice.

2.-Which Jewish values do you find most appealing and persuasive?

I believe that all Jewish values are intended to make us better, but I especially like all the values that highlight kindness, charity and compassion to all our fellow creatures. I also like the values that emphasize the importance of a peaceful home and community.

3.- How is Judaism more appropriate for you than your former religion ?

In the first place, I have to start by saying that I always had serious problems in accepting some of the basic principles of my former religion, as for example the acceptance of Jesus as a Messiah. This made me uncomfortable and completely out of place. In contrast, Judaism is more appropriate for me in every way; first of all, because I accept the basic principles of the Jewish Conservative movement without reservations In addition to this, I feel that Judaism encourages me to think, ask questions, make my own choices, and most importantly: act “here” and “now”.

4.- Describe your understanding of and relationship to God.

I believe God is One and ultimately unknowable. I also believe that I connect with God through the fulfilment of mitzvot and that only God can forgive my sins against God.
5.- How has your personal and home life changed because of Jewish tradition? How do you see your Jewish life progressing in the future?

Firstly, and on a personal level, my life has changed for the better because I feel that I am doing what is right for me.. Secondly, my home life has improved greatly because by sharing Jewish values and traditions with my family, I give the best of myself to them; consequently, this has had a very positive impact on our lives, not only individually, but also as a family. Thirdly, I see my Jewish life growing through continuous study, consistency of ideas and acts.

6.- Describe your sense of identification with the Jewish people in relation to Israel, world Jewry, the local Jewish community and your synagogue.

From now on, I want to share my destiny with the Jewish People. Israel, and the Jewish community are as important to me as to any other Jew in the world.
I feel fortunate to have Jewish friends who share their Jewish lifestyle with me, and to have met Rabbi Gail Ginsburg and Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg, who have supported and guided me during the whole process.

7.- What is your commitment to prayer, Shabbat and keeping kosher?

Prayer is an important aspect of my daily life. I pray every day (Shema and other private prayers), I also say my daily blessings and read the Torah every week. I also follow the rules of “kashrut” when I go shopping, when I store, cook or eat food. Finally, I prepare and celebrate Shabbat with my family every week, which is a source of joy and fulfilment for all of us.

8.- How do you plan to continue your Jewish study?

After my conversion I plan to continue my study as I have been doing until now, by reading and learning as much as I can. I already have a small “library” of Jewish books that I plan to enlarge . I would also like to improve my Hebrew by taking classes whenever I can, and participate in Torah and Talmud discussions and lessons.

From Jehova Witness

Essay for Conversion Candidacy

I was raised in a family that strongly affiliated with the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses, a separatist Christian denomination. While I was naturally quite happy with the religion in early childhood, especially tales of our “spiritual ancestors” the Israelites, as I grew older I grew increasingly disaffected. This disaffection began as I became close to classmates outside the religion, who turned out not to be the awful people that they were so often portrayed to be. As time continued, I grew less and less comfortable with the apocalyptic nature of the religion and the future deemed to be in store for outsiders. I took my first major steps outside the religion by gradually decreasing attendance at their meetings and, later, entering college.
After entering the university from which I would receive my bachelor’s degrees, I happened to be visiting the local public library during the summer. As I was passing a bookshelf, I was struck on the foot by a copy of Chaim Potok’s The Chosen. A little startled, I checked the book out as I’d never bothered to read it. I found the depiction of the living Jewish culture fascinating, and continued reading through the night and finished early the next morning. Several days later, I found that my schedule for the following semester was in error, and needed to pick up a different class. I registered for a Jewish history class to fill the slot based on my interest in The Chosen.
Although I’d known nothing about the class or professor going into it, the class quickly became my favorite. I had been raised to believe that Jewish history had effectively ground to a halt with the destruction of the Second Temple, and I had never investigated further on my own despite being hyperaware of events like the holocaust through repeated talks at the kingdom hall on the suffering of the Witnesses at the hands of the Germans and watching the occasional documentary on WWII. Intrigued and surprised that the Witnesses could not be the “new Israel” as the “old” one had never disappeared, I took the second half of the history survey and picked up a minor in Judaic Studies. At the same time, I began reading intensely outside of class, and was shocked to learn that conversion to Judaism was possible. The next year, I took courses concurrently on the nevi’im and Biblical Hebrew. Midway through the course on the nevi’im the professor undertook to explain Isaiah 53 from a Jewish perspective. That lecture resolved my last doubts about abandoning Christianity in favor of Judaism. My coursework in Biblical Hebrew further impressed upon me the importance of the continuity, sense of community and peoplehood of the Jewish people.
As my personal and formal studies continued, I began to adopt certain hitherto unknown values as my own. While my birth religion had insisted that only certain few, the “faithful” Witnesses, were on the side of God and would survive the imminent apocalypse, I found myself adopting the opposite view, that it was possible that others could find meaning and fulfillment in other religions even as I agreed with and began to adopt a new religion that I believed was correct. Any remaining impulse to proselytize to those of other beliefs or non-belief disappeared as I found myself agreeing with the Jewish sources that I was reading that the righteous of all nations have a place in the world to come, not just the followers of certain select religions. I found myself taking up other beliefs as well that had no place in my old religion. While the Witnesses believed that they should “be no part of the world” and that there was no point in trying to undertake projects to improve it, I grew more interested in the engaging more fully with the outside world. I particularly enjoyed the new sanction given to scholarship and study, and the ability to critically analyze texts and concepts. I also engaged with the sense of community and shared history among the Jewish people, and over time came to identify more and more strongly with the Jewish people as a whole.
My conception of and relationship to God changed as well. While I had been raised to believe that God was incorporeal and indivisible, I had come to conceive of God as somewhat capricious for the bait-and-switch that I’d been taught occurred in the 1st century. Instead, a different image of God emerged, one that showed a God that was steadfast in his love and care for the Jewish people, who ensured that the Jewish people as a whole survived through the ages against all odds.
As my studies progressed, my lifestyle began to change. I began to undertake to study the weekly parsha, on my own and with the assistance of various aids. I obtained a Siddur and began to daven more and more regularly. I paid close attention to the Jewish calendar and holiday cycle, learning as much as I could about the holidays and taking on key practices. I began inspecting the labels of the food products I was purchasing for a hechsher, and began to notice and respond instinctively to the laws of kashrut. I also began to look forward to Shabbat as a time of rest and study.
What surprised me most as I continued to progress was my increasing sense of identification with the State of Israel, world Jewry, and the local community. I had previously been indifferent to the State of Israel, but now found myself very concerned with events there and passionately defending the actions of the Israeli people where appropriate and necessary. I began to keep up on the news out of Israel as I was able, and even to donate to Jewish and Israeli causes in times of particular trouble. Similarly, I came to feel a strong sense of connection to Klan Yisrael, and found myself feeling and expressing heightened concern where Jews were targeted. Closer to home, I began to carefully investigate local synagogues and other Jewish institutions, in preparation for the day that I would settle into a community permanently.
Given the above, I plan to continue to grow if accepted as a suitable candidate for conversion. I plan to continue to daven regularly, as well as take on the mitzvot of tallit and tefillin. I greatly look forward to celebrating my first Shabbat as a Jew, which will be qualitatively different than adopting Jewish practices as a non-Jew. As it would be quite difficult to maintain separate milchig and fleischig utensils and preparation areas in my home, I plan to demonstrate my commitment to kashrut by only preparing milchig and pareve products at home. It is my intent to continue to keep, and grow in keeping, Shabbat and the laws of kashrut to the best of my ability, and to continue to grow in prayer.
I look forward to continuing my Jewish study. I will continue the parsha reading cycle, and plan to also pick up the Daf Yomi cycle in May. I will continue my exploration of Jewish literature, and look forward to being able to begin taking formal classes again at the synagogue with which I affiliate.