A.B. From Soviet imposed atheism

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

Initially, my attraction to Judaism may have been rooted in a family narrative about my maternal grandmother being Jewish. Unfortunately, after the Nazi occupation and under Stalinism, anti-Semitism produced pressure for Jews to assimilate and take great steps to erase their Jewish ties. No documents survived and I have no verifiable documentation of her Jewishness. Still, I went on to study more about Judaism and to attend the only Jewish synagogue in Odessa. Eventually I was introduced to my future Israeli husband by some Jewish friends. After the chupah, my imperative to convert became more pressing, so that I could participate in my husband’s Jewish life, and to continue our legacy into the next generation.

More than just a religion, Judaism is grounded in a hereditary covenant that is passed and renewed from generation to generation. Let the chain not end with us. Please allow me to join with Israel so that our children may inherit their birthright and responsibility. They have already been raised into Judaism and know no other way.

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

Education. The value I esteem most is the Jewish emphasis on study and self improvement. It seems to embody all that the Jewish people have become. It is so appealing to me because of my own journey to self identity. Also, the Jewish emphasis on family. Also, truth and justice.

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

It is certainly more appropriate than the Soviet atheism that was imposed upon us in my earliest years. For three generations we knew no religion at all. I was raised in a religious vacuum. As I grew up, I began to feel a spiritual hunger to know more about God, and I became increasingly attracted to my grandmother’s vanished Judaism. Now, whether my own ancestry is verifiable or not, as the wife of a verifiably practicing Jewish man, and the mother of his children, becoming Jewish is not only appropriate, but imperative.

4. Describe your understanding of and relationship to God.

I understand, and believe in, the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as one G-d, creator of all, but in unique covenant with Israel (Jews) through giving of Torah. God has other covenants with other people, but for Jews, (I include myself if accepted), our unique covenant is in Torah. Torah, along with our traditions, is the basis of our relationship to God. It is our Kettubah. I would be honored to be included in this covenant relationship. I (with my family) walk Torah to the best of our ability and understanding, striving to be in harmony with the traditions and Halacha of our people.


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

As I said, I was raised in Soviet atheism. My life now is a big change from that in almost every way you can imagine. However, by the age of 17, I was already engaged in the study and practice of Judaism. Then after marrying my husband, who is a traditional (but not orthodox) Jew, my home life has been centered on Judaism for over 8 years. But we are always progressing.

Our focus for now and the near future is on participating in our Havurah community and on educating our children. We are teaching them Hebrew and make sure our Havurah has children’s activities at all our functions. Our boys are both fluent in the home b’rachot for Shabbat, and we are teaching them the sidur for Shabbat services. We are always learning more so that we can teach our sons. As we are in a small community with only visiting Rabbis, so we must teach them ourselves. But we very much enjoy learning so that we can share more with our community. Eventually we will have a permanent synagogue with a Rabbi.

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

As my own identification with Jews and Judaism precedes my marriage to my husband, I am very comfortable with being part of our community. I never feel ‘outside’ or apart. It is very difficult for me to think of the Jewish community as ‘them’ or anything other than ‘us’. As we are quite honestly, one of the more knowledgeable and committed Jewish families in our local Havurah, there is no sense of not belonging.

My identification with Israel is also very strong. When we were first married, we lived in Israel, and my husband and both children have Israeli citizenship already.

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

Our community only has monthly Shabbat services, but we observe Shabbat every week in our home. We often have members of our Havurah as guests. We observe the Erev Shabbat service, and read the Torah portion in the morning. We do no work on Shabbat, but must drive when our community has services. We light no fire after the Shabbat candles, but do use electricity. We keep kosher, but we are not glat kosher. We are traditional, but not Orthodox. We observe, but are not perfect.

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

I love to read about Jewish history, especially historical novels. Also I read a lot of Jewish and Yiddish fiction (translated of course), especially when it’s about the old country (Shalom Aleichem, Isaac Babel, etc.). I am also learning some Yiddish. I am surprised how much I recognize from my Bubeleh. I am learning about Kosher cooking. Much East European Jewish cooking is very similar to what I was raised with in Ukraine. Borscht, Blinchki, and Bagles, and not past the ‘B’s.

Our Havurah is good about ongoing education. We just finished a session on ‘Death and Dying in Judaism’ (our Havurah has a Jewish Cemetery.) More Jewish education is in the works. I’d like to learn more about Talmud and Halacha. Learning never ends for the People of the Book.