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Converting to Judaism - Choosing to Be Chosen : Personal Stories
 
 
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Converting to Judaism - Choosing to Be Chosen : Personal Stories [Paperback]

Rabbi Bernice K. Weiss (Author), Sheryl Silverman (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Book Description

October 1, 2000
Over the years, Rabbi Bernice Kimel Weiss has shepherded hundreds of non-Jewish students into the family of the Jewish people. For most, the interest in Judaism is sparked by a decision to marry a Jewish man or woman. But that is only the beginning. In the gentle hands of a teacher who has witnessed and understands their turmoil, their conflicts, their tears, they bare their personal struggles. What emerge are amazing, powerful, soul-stirring stories of re-creation - the extraordinary adventure of becoming a Jew at the turn of the 21st century.

An Asian-American whose father owns a Japanese restaurant marries a secular Jew but leads him to Orthodox Judaism; a Belgian raised by nuns meets a Jew and finds her faith in Israel; a former Sunday school teacher from a small farm town falls in love with a Jewish girl and with her faith as well; an African-American woman lawyer, a Harvard graduate, discovers Judaism and keeps kosher in a small southern town: their varied stories and eight more are revealed in these pages. The twists and turns and the direction their lives ultimately take are a source of inspiration to those contemplating Judaism, and to all in search of faith. They are a gift to the Jewish people.


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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Historically, Jews have had an ambiguous and ambivalent attitude toward non-Jews who adopt the Jewish faith. Today, however, many Jews view conversion as one means of countering the losses to the Jewish community that result from high rates of intermarriage. Weiss, a rabbi who founded the Washington Institute for Conversion and the Study of Judaism based in Rockville, Md., is clearly among those who believe that the Jewish community should be aggressive in supporting initiatives to foster outreach efforts leading to conversion. She offers instruction to non-Jews who are interested in converting; most of these potential converts' interest in Judaism arises out of the decision to marry a Jew, although occasionally someone is attracted to her classes because Judaism appears to make more sense than other faiths. The book consists of autobiographical statements by Weiss's students who tell their life stories and frankly describe their struggles to become JewsAstruggles that include opposition from family members and the oft-agonizing first steps in carving out a Jewish identity. The book also contains effusive testimonials to Weiss's sensitive shepherding of these converts into the Jewish community. It concludes with a short history of conversion to Judaism, which might have been better placed at the beginning. The autobiographical stories are designed to inspire readers who are considering conversion, and it will achieve this objective for some. Others may find this anecdotal approach too simplistic. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Rabbi Bernice K. Weiss is the founder and director of the Washington Institute for Conversion and the Study of Judaism, located in Rockville, Maryland. Following an undergraduate education at the University of Pittsburgh, and graduate work at George Washington University, upon graduating from the Academy for Jewish Religion in 1989, she entered the rabbinate. Rabbi Weiss received the prestigious Melton Senior Educators Fellowship for Jewish Education in the Diaspora and spent 1995/1996 at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. A member of the United Jewish Appeal Rabbinic Cabinet and the Washington Board of Rabbis, she has served as interim associate rabbi for the 1200 families of Congregation Har Shalom, also in Rockville. The unique program of the Washington Institute is derived from Rabbi Weiss' experiences as a parent and active participant in the Jewish Community of Greater Washington. Her areas of expertise, upon which she speaks include: Journeys into Jewish Life, Living Judaism/Loving Judaism, the History of Conversion and the Conversion of History, and Setting the Course for Adults Studying Judaism.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 194 pages
  • Publisher: Simcha Press (October 1, 2000)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1558748202
  • ISBN-13: 978-1558748200
  • Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,151,182 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

 

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17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars fast moving stories of faith, October 29, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Converting to Judaism - Choosing to Be Chosen : Personal Stories (Paperback)
The book is very fast moving with personal testament from people who converted to Judaism. Some of these people wanted to create a more spiritual environment for the spouse and future family. Some never found meaning in their own religion. I think that the interesting part is that the stories are so personal and real. It's possible to relate.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A great resource for the JBC, September 28, 2009
By 
Anyechka (Rensselaer, NY United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Converting to Judaism - Choosing to Be Chosen : Personal Stories (Paperback)
Though I converted entirely for myself, as did Ezra and Elizabeth, and had already been Jewish for going on ten years when I finally met my (extremely non-observant) beshert, this book really helped me to understand what goes on in the mind, heart, and soul of a fellow JBC who converted for the sake of a romantic relationship. I once felt that converting just for marriage is a very insincere reason, but the people in this book aren't like that at all. There wasn't the mindset that was much more common a few decades ago, "Ooh, I'm getting married, I have to convert!" Rather, these people were moved to start (or, in some cases, continue) exploring Judaism because of the catalyst of a Jewish love interest. Many of them had been looking for deeper spirituality or the grounding of a religious faith for some time, and had been being led towards Judaism anyway. This book also helped me to understand how the Jewish partners came to be interdating in the first place. While I remain 100% against interdating and intermarriage, and am sad that so many people nowadays think it's no big deal to date people who aren't co-religionists, I came to see that these people weren't doing it out of self-hating reasons or because they deliberately wanted to marry a non-Jew and risk having their descendants lost to their birthright. Typically, most of the Jewish partners weren't very observant to begin with, and were more "culturally" Jewish than religiously so, but they still had a very strong sense of peoplehood and the need to pass that on to their future kids. The fact that many of them drew their partners into a much deeper and committed level of observance also gives me hope that someday I'll be able to bring my non-observant beshert to a deeper level of religiosity for the sake of our own future child(ren)! I think my favorite story was that of Ellen, the Japanese-American, and Joshua, who started out very unobservant but then became the driving force in them moving beyond just the Conservative Movement into Modern Orthodoxy. The story of Susan and Rob also had personal meaning for me, as Rob is a Kohein and had to work through his personal feelings (based on his parents being Orthodox and one of his brothers being an Orthodox rabbi) on the traditional ban on a Kohein marrying a giyoret (based on the offensive and severely outdated notion that someone from a foreign background was sexually suspect and not the pure untouched virgin bride required of a Kohein). My own intended may also be a Kohein (we're not sure, but we're going to do some research), and I know that I had some inner difficulties in the beginning because, in spite of not being Orthodox, I'd always taken to heart the concept of a giyoret being forbidden to a Kohein (even though I was 100% virgin till I met him, which are the requirements anyway). This book is sure to have something for everyone.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
It's by chance, they say, that they meet and fall in love. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Rabbi Weiss, Yom Kippur, Bar Mitzvah, One God, You'll Burn, Bet Din, New York, Please the One You Love, Jesus Christ, Old Testament
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