tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294728102011-04-21T21:27:30.033-04:00Religious conversion is one of the most significant life-decisions. This blog is a practical and inspirational companion in this process.Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.comBlogger311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1159300189025246312006-09-26T15:43:00.000-04:002006-09-26T15:49:49.026-04:00

I wish you all a Happy New Year! For the third year in a roll, the dinner was at our home. I was really happy to host this important event. It really means a lot to me. I feel that I am not only attending to a party, but that I am part of a ritual that is happening in many homes around the world. This really gives me a sense of belonging.

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1159299553811534442006-09-26T15:35:00.000-04:002006-09-26T15:39:13.823-04:00

hi Everyone, So many things happened with me on the last couple of months that I am still a little overwelmed.So, I decided to come back with an essay with my reasons to convert.First of all, I just want to remind everyone that Abraham and Sarah – founders of Judaism – were not born Jewish, so the entire Jewish people descend from a couple that decided to accept judaism as a new faith. Why would

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1156479148440104372006-08-25T00:00:00.000-04:002006-09-02T12:29:17.373-04:00

These past days I've been thinking about my conversion process. The act of becoming a Jew is really a process with final actions that include ritual ceremonies. It does not mean that an afternoon with a beit din or a mikvah will change my "status". It will be only a final ritual. I do not want to fell or think differently just because I "passed" the test. I have a friend that converted some weeks

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1156473596230123202006-08-24T22:29:00.000-04:002006-08-24T23:11:35.690-04:00

I just got an email from a long time friend asking me why I've changed my mind and decided to convert to Judaism.So many things still cross my mind. I am definitely going through this process trying to learn as much as possible. However, sometimes I question myself if I really want to do this. Well, this is a dating process and let's see how things are going to unfold. I really do not want anyone

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1155998036624488332006-08-19T10:31:00.000-04:002006-08-19T10:40:11.683-04:00

I’ve always questioned myself how will I make my children close to Israel. I have no intention of moving to Israel and raising my children there, but I do believe that I have to take steps to create a strong bond between them and Israel. I came up with some ideas and decided to share with you:1. Visit Israel: Help your kids create memories and knowledge about the country, culture and people. 2.

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1155668636051791932006-08-15T15:03:00.000-04:002006-08-15T15:05:25.460-04:00

I was reading this very interesting text from a book called Being Jewish in a Gentile World and decided to share some thoughts with you. “In Western civilization, belonging to a religion means expressing allegiance to a basic doctrinal principle without which a person cannot be said to “belong” to that religion. Essentially, Christianity is a matter of doctrine, of belief. On the other hand, a

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1155352550653746572006-08-11T23:15:00.000-04:002006-08-13T12:31:33.253-04:00

Many of my non-Jew friends ask if Judaism is a religion or a race. That is something I always had doubts about until my first course about Judaism. I learned that Judaism is much more than a religion and NOT a race. “It is a way of life” that consists of three circles: Ethics, Spirituality and Peoplehood.It is interesting that a person can live in one circle and not enter the other circles. It

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1155234040036495212006-08-10T14:20:00.000-04:002006-08-13T12:33:29.980-04:00

This is an original movie that deals with one of the most difficult issues facing the world today - especially interesting after the latest uncovered plot against american aircrafts. Paradise now is about two men that were drafted as suicide bombers in an upcoming assignment in Tel Aviv. It shows not only the groundwork for the attack but also the Palestinian families, friends and their reasons

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1155135569597527012006-08-09T10:49:00.000-04:002006-08-09T11:34:06.200-04:00

It is 10 am and I cannot stop thinking about food! Unbelievable! FYI, I am on a diet….. Anyway, I was thinking that there is no obstruction of Kashrut at the Chicken Stroganoff, right?! According to the Jewish dietary law, I am not supposed to "cook a kid in its mother's milk." Actually in the early talmud days there would have been no problem mixing chicken and milk - technically this only

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1155131795666793012006-08-09T09:54:00.000-04:002006-08-14T22:17:50.623-04:00

Yes! I made it! Feijoada is a traditional Brazilian dish made of black beans; sun-dried beef slabs, pork loins and ribs and sausage. If you know me well enough, you’d know that Feijoada is one of my favorite foods. According to the Jewish dietary laws, I am not supposed to eat pork meat. So, I mixed turkey sausage and kielbasa. Just a note, I used the turkey kielbasa from Hillshire Farm.The

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1154659329078813712006-08-03T22:41:00.000-04:002006-08-03T22:51:24.080-04:00

Tisha B'Av is the saddest day in the Jewish calendar, and over the centuries many tragic events happened, or were traditionally said to have happened, on this date - from the destruction of both Temples, the expulsion from Spain in 1492 to the World War I in 1914. The sadness and mourning that Jews feel on this day are reflected in the various practices of Tisha B'Av, including abstaining from

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1154369110363534842006-07-31T12:47:00.000-04:002006-07-31T14:05:10.490-04:00

The entire world is paying attention to the events in the Middle East. Some may have the luxury of viewing this conflict dispassionately, as if it does not affect them directly. As married to a Jew and part of the Jewish community, I feel extremely affected by the conflict between Lebanon and Israel. So many different thoughts are passing on my mind right now. Sometimes I found that the Israeli

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1154358381302157122006-07-31T11:05:00.000-04:002006-07-31T11:11:22.806-04:00

I am back!Hi Everyone, I am sorry I’ve been away for a while.If you are reading my husband’s blog, you know that he moved to Russia and I was feeling a little sad… but I am back!

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1152410749443119222006-07-08T22:05:00.004-04:002006-07-31T11:04:19.230-04:00

If you are also going through the conversion process, you will understand my comment….. I never thought I would read so much about Judaism. I finished reading this book some time ago: It’s a mitzvah! Step by step to Jewish living.The author advocates a gradual approach to the Jewish living. I totally agree with this. I would have rejected the idea of conversion if I had to commit myself to change

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1152410755859860372006-07-08T22:05:00.003-04:002006-07-13T16:53:18.220-04:00

It is fascinating the Jewish comments about “speech”. I read that in Judaism a Jew is forbidden to insult, shame, defame, embarrass or slander another person. Not another Jew, but another person. And that Lashon hara means evil tongue and that this includes not only the evil of the speaker but also the hearer. The theory being that the one who listens to gossip creates a market for it, and is as

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1152410718724837472006-07-08T22:05:00.002-04:002006-07-13T16:43:51.900-04:00

My conversion process started two years ago and I always fell that I am catching up. I think I will not be able to understand everything or have a Jewish opinion about every polemic subject. Is anyone able to do that?! I started to get discourage, but then I realized that this feeling is inevitable if one decides to study a religion that is 3500 years old. Now, I am in peace with myself. :-)

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1152410725537612822006-07-08T22:05:00.001-04:002006-07-13T16:42:30.203-04:00

“How to run a traditional Jewish household“ by Blue Greenberg is an interesting book written by an amazing woman. So many things impressed me about this book. I learnt that even the most mundane tasks are special in the traditional Jewish household. Most everyday activities have a blessing ascribed to them, and this elevation of the mundane to the divine led me to reflect upon daily life as a

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1152410762107561242006-07-08T22:05:00.000-04:002006-07-13T15:43:08.853-04:00

Since I was a child, I have a little statue of an angel near my bed. I always called him my guardian angel. I know he protects me. When I am desperate, sad, happy or lonely, I will talk with him. At the beginning of the conversion process, I was curious about the Jewish view about angels.Well, as I said before, Judaism is good because you can always find someone that will agree with you or an

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1152410681056368682006-07-08T22:03:00.000-04:002006-07-13T12:14:35.566-04:00

This is one ritual that was easily incorporated into my life. Maybe because we lack time to think about our week or to stop to really share a moment with someone special. Lighting Shabbat candles is a way to welcome the Shabbat, it means setting some time to conclude and think about my week. It is completing a cycle. Do you know that end-of-the-year-feeling when you make a balance of good and bad

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1152410544765569042006-07-08T22:02:00.000-04:002006-07-13T12:13:14.126-04:00

Sometimes I get very surprised by B. He asked me to cook chicken liver for his birthday. Have you ever cooked chicken liver??? Have ever you seen one??? I have only one word to describe it: disgusting! The color, consistency URGH … Let’s face it: one needs a lot of love to accept such a challenge.Well, my next step was finding a good recipe. I went to foodnetwork.com and found a five star rated

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1152410515087035892006-07-08T22:01:00.000-04:002006-07-12T09:31:16.253-04:00

The laws of kashrut, Jewish dietary law, are very complex and full of interpretations. I will try to address this another time. Just to make things simple, there are two basic principles: - Not eating pork, shellfish or other unkosher animals - Not mixing dairy and meat In Brazil there are not many good kosher restaurants and my first experience in New York was terrible! My husband took me to a

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1152409819318718782006-07-08T21:47:00.000-04:002006-07-08T21:50:38.343-04:00

This week I had to issue my tickets to fly to Miami for next Pesach. Yes…. April 2007. No, I do not like to plan things in advance, I just had some miles expiring soon. I know that Pesach is not a fixed date on the solar calendar because one year was on my birthday and in the following yeat was on my wedding anniversary… well my point is the difficulty of knowing the correct date for a Jewish

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1151010483070242592006-06-22T17:07:00.000-04:002006-06-22T17:08:03.083-04:00

I have a friend who will become an official Jewish soon. For me, she is already Jewish. When I compare myself with all the other people converting, one question always comes to mind: Will I be ready one day? Well, I hope so…

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1151009554352343552006-06-22T16:52:00.000-04:002006-06-22T17:01:14.493-04:00

This past weekend, I attended an exhibition about a young woman’s life in nazi labor camps. I’ve been in Jewish exhibitions before but that was my first time after I started my conversion process.Sala was taken from home when she was 16 and survived five years in seven different forced labor camps. During this time, she wrote letters. These were not mere pieces of paper, they were the memory of

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1150984610050283302006-06-22T09:54:00.000-04:002006-07-06T23:26:55.280-04:00

I know that every relationship is different and what works for me may not work for you. However, as I live this dichotomy everyday, I feel that I am knowledgeable enough to share my findings with you. Here they are:1. Be careful when accepting advice about interfaith relationships, some advice will not be relevant to your situation. This is the most important suggestion, follow your heart always!

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1150746355749937882006-06-19T15:45:00.000-04:002006-06-20T18:30:50.300-04:00

There are one part of being Jewish that I will always lack – having a Jewish background. I would never say to my children that I used to go to the synagogue with my mom, give them a menorah that was from their grandfather or that I have a secret recipe that runs in the family. This thought always disturbed me until my mom’s last visit.One cay, my mom and I were sitting in the kitchen talking

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1150727481798233342006-06-19T10:27:00.000-04:002006-06-19T10:31:21.810-04:00

In the play's first scene, Chris – the guy who wants to marry a Jewish so he’ll never have to make another decision in his life - proves his Jewish mettle to an initially skeptical Adam – the Jewish friend who needs to find a Jewish girlfriend to please his family - by successfully completing a variety of Hebrew prayers such as the Sh'ma and the blessing over wine. Adam demonstrates his ignorance

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1150688435149851902006-06-18T23:27:00.000-04:002006-06-21T15:55:51.790-04:00

Jewtopia is a very successful off-Broadway comedy by Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson that tells the story of a gentile who wants to marry a Jewish girl – any Jewish girl - so he’ll never have to make another decision in his life. And his Jewish friend that needs to find a Jewish-wife in order to please his parents and grandmother. Needless to say, I went with my husband – let’s start calling him B –

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1150259276893600582006-06-14T00:26:00.000-04:002006-06-15T23:14:04.473-04:00

First of all, I just want to remind everyone that Abraham and Sarah – founders of Judaism – were not born Jewish, so the entire Jewish people descend from a couple that decided to accept a new faith.Back to my question, why would someone decide to convert? There are so many reasons. Some came to Judaism after a long spiritual search, others to have a family religion unit and even because they are

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1150137619001897672006-06-12T14:39:00.000-04:002006-06-15T23:16:27.996-04:00

We dated for years and this subject never came up… until the day I got a break-up email because I wasn’t Jewish… I got so angry! He always knew that I wasn’t Jewish… after all my grandparents are from Japan!Anyway, I am not a devoted Christian but I always thought that obliging someone to convert is a way of domination and I am against it. So, we broke up…. After some time, we started dating

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29472810.post-1149869355557089532006-06-09T12:08:00.000-04:002006-06-09T23:02:28.803-04:00

This is my debut in the blog world. Here I will share my thoughts and I hope this will be a tool to ease ones transition from one faith to another. Also, this will be a great place not only for people contemplating conversion, but for family members, friends and anyone else interested in this issue. And above all, it is a way to express my thoughts and learn from different experiences.Enjoy!

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156172407811158366noreply@blogger.com1