A Little Background

Hello and Shalom!

I'm not very good at keeping up a consistent blog, but for the sake of my friend (who I won't name), I'm going to do my very best at recording some (or a few) of the trials and joys that are being thrown at me during this time in my life.

I'll start off by saying that I grew up as a Christian. Practically everyone around me--my parents, extended family, neighbors, friends, schoolmates--had some sort of tie to the Christian faith, and it was a huge part of my life. I can probably count on one hand the number of Sundays that I missed church growing up, and I did the whole youth group scene as well. Which was wonderful. I loved it. I'd never trade those memories. The thing is, though: my mom always talked about the Jewish people. I remember the exact moment when she told me I wasn't a part of G-d's chosen people, and I just sat down in the middle of the floor and cried (I was probably about four). Although she assured me that Christians also occupied a special place in G-d's heart, I just couldn't shake the feeling that Judaism was special to me. It would be years, though, before I would start to struggle with the issue.

I'll save the rest for later posts, but here I am--17 years later--in the process of an Orthodox conversion. While I'd say that I'm loving most of it, it would be a lie to say that the process isn't an extremely difficult one. I wish I could say that those days when I just want to pull on a pair of jeans didn't exist, but I can't. They do. Late night cheeseburger cravings, stolen glances at the shrimp cocktail during the Super Bowl party, a terrible urge to hit the mall on a Saturday afternoon--they don't go away. It's okay, though, because with every active choice I make to be Jewish throughout the day, I am reminded once again of the journey I'm taking.

And it's a good one.