Why did it take Ivanka Trump and Jason Kushner so long to get hitched? According to E! News, the famous billionaire daughter had to covert to Judaism before Kushner would pop the question. Actress Isla Fisher did the same thing when she married Bruno comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Other famous couples that converted before marching down the aisle? Katie Holmes converted to Scientology to
marry Tom Cruise, and Guy Richie converted to Kabbalah when he married Madonna. Her current boytoy, Brazilian model Jesus Luz, also is about to make the switch to Kabbalah.
Would you ever convert to a different religion to be with the one you love?
In February this year was my conversion to Judaism. It was an 8 month long process, with 4 hour classes every week along with many extra curricular activities I had to partake in…..I even had to learn to read Hebrew! After all of the hard work & long days with late classes, it was quite possibly the most amazing experience of my life and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I did all of this before I was even engaged. Five days after my conversion date, my then boyfriend, took me to Israel for two weeks as a “thank you” present for all of my hard work. The last day there, on the top of Masada (where he had his bar mitzvah 13 years prior), he gave me a ring and asked me to marry him. And now I look forward to having a Jewish wedding, and raising our children in a Jewish home.
I wouldn’t suggest converting if your heart isn’t into your new religion. The whole point of converting, in my opinion, is to make your relationship stronger and more connected–but if you are still attached to Jesus, and you convert, then I would imagine it would actually be detrimental to your future together. My advice; get a sponsoring Rabbi before you begin conversion classes, and have a long talk with them to make sure you are ready for this life changing commitment.
Rebecca; If your boyfriend wanted a real Jewish wife and family he should have married a real Jewish woman. You obviously went through a Reform conversion which are not considered valid in Israel. You can’t experience how it is to be Jewish if you weren’t born Jewish and raised in a Jewish family. Going to classes for 8 months doesn’t make someone a Jew. It’s a lifetime of experience. Judaism is both a religion and culture.
Real conversions are only done when only your father is Jewish or a person feels like they have a Jewish soul. Conversions should never be done for a partner. Your “conversion” was a joke. Your family won’t be Jewish because it takes a real Jewish woman to create Jewish children and home. You’ll never be a real Jew!
Hell No….
This is why I never write on anyones blogs….
I initially decided to comment on this post though because it was something that really hit home for me. Additionally, this response isn’t meant to evoke a screaming match on a blog, it’s to stand up for the one decision in my life that was ALL mine and quite possibly the best thing I’ve ever done.
Maybe I didn’t make myself clear enough when I said “I wouldn’t suggest converting if your heart isn’t into your new religion”. One thing I will agree with the “real Jewish woman” that responded to my post on is that a REAL conversion is when a person feels they have a real Jewish soul. That’s why my Rabbi teaching our class asked “How many people here are converting because they have a partner who is Jewish?” (pretty much the entire class raised their hand) then he said “okay, now imagine yourself without that person, are you still Jewish? If the answer is no, then the end of the road is here for you”. And to be honest, a lot of those people I never saw again.
My conversion was a conservative conversion and I now belong to a conservative synagogue. The conservative Rabbi from that temple apparently believes that a conversion done at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles is a valid conversion, to the point that he was completely honored when we asked him to marry us.
Lastly, I absolutely was considered Jewish when I visited Israel in February. When I touched the western wall of the Kotel, you better believe I felt Jewish with every fiber of my being. Not just at that moment, but for my entire life. You can only have a traditional Jewish wedding in Israel if you are an Orthodox Jew, but even now they are revoking marriage licenses for people that have had legally accepted Orthodox conversions. Where does this end? When do we stop pointing fingers amongst ourselves for not being Jewish enough, especially when you don’t know all of the details of my conversion.
One thing my fiance told me from the very beginning was to be ready…it’s not easy being a Jew. So thank you, Real Jewish Woman, for my first lesson in this. I am a real Jewish woman too, and I will continue to PROUDLY hold my head high when I say the Sh’ma and know what’s right in MY heart.
I wouldn’t let internet spats keep you down. I think we can all say that the topic is a personal one that everyone feels differently about.
Oh for sure I’m not letting it ruin my day (or beliefs), I just didn’t want that comment to discourage others from making the same choice as me, no matter what religion it is.
Are you kididng me? My grandmother’s secular Jewish family was wiped out in the Holocaust because they had Jewish blood. If there ever comes a day when “they” come to get the Jews you will go back to your old Christian self and deny ever being a “convert” to Judaism because you’re not ethnically Jewish.
I doubt you had a Conservative conversion since their conversions don’t take only 8 months. Your “Rabbi” is probably a convert himself who doesn’t follow Halacha. You only “converted” for marriage. If you boyfriend wasn’t Jewish you would have never “converted” to Judaism. If You had a Muslim boyfriend you would have converted to Islam. It’s as simple as that.
I’m sure in the future if you get a divorce or miss Jesus you will go back to being the good Christian you were before. I’ve seen this happen dozen of times and it will probably happen to you to.
No one would consider you Jewish in Israel, not even the secular Jews. How dare you even compare yourself to me. I was born to a Jewish mother and Jewish father. I come from a long line of Rabbis on my father’s side. I grew up in the Jewish culture and religion. I have never clebrated Christmas, Easter. Even if I ever converted to Christianity, which will never happen, I will always be a Jew because I have Jewish blood.
I grew up with hearing anti-semitic slurs and getting physically attaked for being Jewish. I have been discriminated for being Jewish. You have never experienced truly what it is to be a Jew so don’t give me the b.s. about feeling Jewish at Western Wall.
You are not a real Jewish woman. Get over it! I feel that your being arrogant and anti-semitic for claiming that. You can’t turn a Jewish woman by going to a “conversion class” for 8 months. I’m sick of Gentile women, who have phony conversions for their Jewish lovers, disrespecting Judaism and Jewish women. Enough is enough!
Hmmm, Not really sure why Real Jewish Woman is on such a band wagon.
I myself am a Real Jewish Woman and feel that for the past twenty years’ as I have reflected on our Jewish Wedding, the Bris and baby namings of our children, witnessed their Jewish Day School years from Early Childhood through 8th grade, celebrated my adult B-nai Mitzvah and celebrated my Children’s B’nai Mitzvahs that I have had such a full and rewarding Jewish Life. I have been intensely involved in my Conservative Synagogue(one of the most prominent in the country), held many leadership positions there and in the Jewish community. I have been to Israel on Missions 5 times in the last 6 years and have even helped lead a mission for Jews By Choice.
As a convert to Judaism, I have been welcomed and embraced by the Jewish community as have thousands of Jews By Choice. We have strengthened our communities and are raising children who are connected to Israel and Jewish Tradition.
You claim to be a Real Jewish Woman? Get over yourself – a real Jew would accept someone who has embraced the Faith, the Traditions and the People. Have you ever read the Book of Ruth? How dare you pretend to be a better Jew or pretend to have Jewish values with the way you speak to Rebecca and slander our religion.
I know hundreds of men and women who have chosen to be Jewish and are impacting our community in many positive ways. You need to go speak to all those Jewish men and women who choose to leave our religion or intermarry.
Leave us alone – find another bandwagon.
I am highly doubtful of ‘A Real Jewish Woman’. I’m not buying half of what was just said. This is a variation of the ITG (Internet Tough Guy). The person makes an argument, and it gets debunked or doesn’t have the clean effect intended. The ITG then starts talking about all this ‘extra’ experience that further backs their claims (even though it wasn’t mentioned before). Originally her argument was “I’m a real jew and you’re just trying to get married so nyah nyah blah blah!” However, Rebecca came back with the fact that the engagement may have STARTED the conversion, but she now actually believes and accepts what she was taught.
This, according to the ‘real Jews’ I know and work with, is a completely acceptable conversion. In my work (military) we deal with all shapes, colors, ethnicities, religions, all clamored together and working towards the same goal. This will easily a pit a converted-Jewish in the same room as a natural born Jew. There is absolutely zero conflict in this situation. This whole argument of hers sounds like a one-woman crusade for ideals that died somewhere in the B.C range.
We haven’t even addressed the ‘ITG’ properties of her wild tantrum. Her initial argument got crushed, so now all of the sudden she’s been persecuted her whole life for being a Jew. Well I guess you grew up in the center of the Illinois Nazis or something, perhaps Iran, because I’ve lived both here and Southwest Asia. 12 cities, 4 states, six nations. I’ve had Jewish friends left and right, as far out as Qatar in fact. Not only do they accept converts, they appreciate them. On top of that, they receive little to no ridicule at all, let alone persecution. Beyond Middle East radicals and small groups of Neo-Nazis, I don’t know where one would even find persecution. If you DID find those groups, why live near them so they can persecute you your whole life? Come on over to… well… anywhere else… and that stuff wouldn’t have happened. In summary, since I’m positive you didn’t actually live near something like that, I’m going to say you were making up stuff since you figure no one can verify your ‘facts’. This puts the rest of your story into question as well.
If Jews do not accept converts, then why is there a conversion process? You act like Christians made it up so they can sneak in and steal your lucky charms. Sarcasm aside, the way you speak to Rebecca violates the very religion you seem to be holding so near and dear, which makes you a false practitioner. In other words, you’re not a real Jewish woman. You’re just a woman with Jewish parents.
Rebecca, Welcome! Don’t let this sort of thing discourage you.
“And real Jewish Woman” don’t be such a barracuda. As far as what goes in Israel, the day is coming when Reform, Conservative, AND ORTHODOX will send the archaic kaftan wearing Chief Rabbinate of Israel back to the middle ages! Shared Religious Power, The State First!
You’re truly arrogant. While I don’t believe that insincere converts are truly Jewish, you presume that all converts are insincere. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t put yourself on the same level as a truly sincere convert who lives a devout life; your arrogance probably envisions that you’re higher than the convert.
You need to get over yourself, embrace the sincere convert as equal to yourself. In fact, Torah COMMANDS that you see the convert as your equal in Judaism.
Learn humility in the name of Hashem. Hashem doesn’t require hubris and probably rejects it, especially when you use it in His name.
This is indeed a very touchy, but serious subject. As an orthodox Jew, who goes to shul twice a day, follows all the halachah (laws) and commandments I have a hybrid comment to make aimed at both Real Jewish Woman and Rebecca. Firstly, it’s my belief as a natural-born Jew, that a conservative conversion is not 100% kosher. If you wish to be a Jew, especially a converted Jew, you should live a life of Torah without compromise. A conservative conversion is a compromise, it’s easier than a full orthodox conversion, being that not all the laws of Judaism are taught and practiced. In this I agree with RJW. However, RJW, I do not agree with your lack of support for Rebecca. Furthermore, I feel that your response should have not included the anger and swearing which is DEFINATELY should not be part of a true Jewish conversation.
In conclusion, Rebecca, it is possible that you have a Jewish neshama (soul) which had been misguided to a gentile body, however I would urge you, if this is the case, to celebrate and appreciate your Jewish soul to the fullest extent by having an orthodox conversion AND living an orthodox jewish life.
DS.
“real jewish woman”, I think being jewish is more about faith than blood. I’m sure you know then, “real jewish woman”, that Abraham was not born Jewish…and so it can be said he is a convert. I am very excited to soon start my conversion to Judaism and so I was very unhappy to read your negative post. I hope you are the only “real jewish woman” out there! I hope to be welcomed into the jewish community. As for all your tauntings you received as a child because of your jewish heritage, don’t you think it should be considered that converts are willing to endure any negative treatment by their conversion on their own free will..not because they were born jewish?