Choosing a Jewish Life: A Handbook for People Converting to Judaism and for their Family and Friends

296 Pages·1998·1.03 MB·English

by  Anita Diamant

Contents
Title Page
Dedication
Epigraph
Acknowledgments
Preface: My Conversion Story—and Yours
INTRODUCTION: THE JOURNEY TO JUDAISM
PART I: Making Your Way
NEW DEFINITIONS
FAMILY MATTERS
PART II: Preparation
CHOOSING YOUR RABBI
STUDY
AM I READY?
CHOOSING A HEBREW NAME
PART III: Rituals and Ceremonies
THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION
FINAL EXAM: THE BET DIN
MIKVAH: A RIVER FROM EDEN
CONVERSION CEREMONIES
CONVERSION OF CHILDREN
PART IV: Celebrating Conversion
CONVERSION CELEBRATIONS
TZEDAKAH
HIDDUR MITZVAH: MAKING IT BEAUTIFUL
A WORD ABOUT WEDDINGS
PART V: Becoming Jewish
CREATING A JEWISH IDENTITY—LIVING A JEWISH LIFE
YOUR MITZVOT
YOUR TORAH
COMMUNITY MATTERS
YOUR FIRST YEAR AS A JEW
WHO NEEDS TO KNOW?

PART VI: Your History: A Short History of Conversion to Judaism
AFTERWORD: KAVOD HA-GER: HONORING THE CONVERT
Resources
Converts and Conversion: A Bibliography
Glossary
Notes
About the Author
Also by Anita Diamant
Shocken Books
Copyright
For my father,
MAURICE DIAMANT,
an eternal optimist
whose memory is a blessing, and
for my teacher,
RABBI LAWRENCE KUSHNER
A young man studying for conversion
turned to his teacher and said, “But, Rabbi
Kushner, Fitzpatrick isn’t a Jewish name.”
To which Kushner replied, “It will be.”
Acknowledgments
Dr. Judith Himber, Rabbi Larry Kushner, Rabbi Barbara Penzner, Rabbi Carl
Perkins, Leslie Tuttle, and Rabbi David Wolfman are thoughtful, wise, generous,
and extremely busy people who took the time to read this book, chapter by
chapter, as I wrote it. Friends and teachers, they were unfailingly helpful, and
their comments made this a far better book.
My research put me in touch with many wonderful people. Thanks to Rabbi
Norman J. Cohen and Professor Egon Mayer for sharing their respective
passions with me. Thanks also to Drs. Joseph Adolph and Robert Levenson, my
mohelim. For their contributions, I gratefully acknowledge the help of Elaine
Adler, Rabbi Al Axelrad, Rabbi Lewis Barth, Sylvia Beller, Janet Berkenfield,
Teddy Bofman, Rabbi Lenore Bohm, Paula Brody, Robin Braverman, Karen
Shevet Dinah, Cantor Roy Einhorn, David Fitzpatrick, Rabbi David Gelfand,
Rabbi Myron S. Geller of the Gerim Institute, Ellen S. Glazer, Sheila Goldberg,
Dru Greenwood, Shoshana Brown Gutoff, Brad Harvey, Pamela Hitchcock, June
Andrews Horowitz, Jack Jacobs and Ellen Simpson, Kathy Kahn, Susan Kanoff,
Sheila Katz, Susan M. Katz at Stars of David, Rabbi Samuel Kenner, Karen
Kushner, Rabbi Steven Kushner, Gila Langner at Kerem magazine, Lori and Eric
Lass, Marilyn Levenson and Mark McConnell, Susan Leviton, Judith Lytel and
Leslie Sternberg, Rabbi Bernard Mehlman, Debra Mikkelson, Rabbi Steven H.
Moskowitz, Dr. Ellen Pashall, Brian Rosman, Rabbi Dennis Sasso, Rabbi Sandy
Sasso, Carol Scheingold, Cantor Robert Scherr, Hannah Tiferet Siegel, Rabbi
Mark Dov Shapiro, Danny Siegel, Ellen Simpson, Debra Goldstein Smith,
Cantor Louise Treitman, Shirley Waxman, Cantor Jennifer Werby, Kai Wilson,
Chris and Nancy Winship, Rabbi Paul Yedwed, Cantor Lorel Zar-Zessler and
Arnold Zar-Zessler, and Rabbi Elaine Zecher.
I would also like to thank everyone who attended the 1995–96 conversion and