Page 104 - issue
P. 104
I was already a minority, so adding “Jewish” were the most promising words I’d hear
was putting me in an even smaller group. from her; she passed away before my
But I couldn’t let the spark of interest go. conversion was completed. That night
was December 24. The next morning, I
to University of Maryland, Baltimore MP: When was your “aha moment”? was opening gifts with my mother and
County (UMBC). One of my friends sent MRF: In the summer of ’04, I remember grandmother (my last time to do so). In
me a link to: “How Religious Are You?” going to my first Shabbaton in Balti- one of the boxes I opened, there was a
a multiple-choice questionnaire. Based more. Since I was still wearing pants, I holiday ornament, but there were some
on my answers, “Orthodox Judaism” stood out quite a bit, but I wanted to see extra items in the box, too: a candy dish
was among the ones that I matched. My what a frum neighborhood was like. The with two small bags in it. One bag con-
curiosity was peaked, and the internet climax of that Shabbos was going to my tained a rosary, and the other one a Star
searching ensued. After the school year first shul, Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion. When of David necklace. I couldn’t talk. I had
started, I met Rabbi Amos Levi, who was I got there, I didn’t know about Daven- just told my grandmother about my
then the director of UMBC Hillel. I told ing, so I just looked through a siddur and intentions the night before, and I was
him how beautiful Judaism was and set tried to follow the Torah reading. The sitting there with a Magen David neck-
up a meeting to ask him about it. Unfor- most beautiful moment for me was when lace in my hand! None of us had left the
tunately, due to my heavy school sched- the Torah was being placed back in the house the night before, and the box’s
ule, we didn’t meet again until two years ark. When the singing of “Etz Chaim He” contents were sealed weeks prior! This
later, after which a member of the Hillel started, I got so caught up in the moment was it, the “message” that I was doing
group invited me to an on-campus Shab- that I cried. Here I was, among all these the right thing.
bos meal. people who wanted a peaceful existence
and singing to Him. It stirred something MP: What challenges did converting
MP: Did you have any frum friends, at within me, and I just couldn’t stop the present?
the time? tears. It was just so beautiful. Something MRF: At first, my family was okay with
MRF: Eventually, I did. I would go to “clicked” and I realized this was where I it. I remember trying to explain things
the meals off-and-on for a while; during needed to be. The spark of interest was a as I understood them. My mom asked
the two years, I hung around three sho- burning flame and couldn’t be cooled for questions, smiled and nodded, and went
mer Shabbos students most of the time anything! I wanted to become a Jew. along with it. After I went to the mikvah,
and asked about Judaism. I convinced however, they weren’t as supportive since
myself that the hardest part of Judaism MP: How did your family react to your I became so focused on my new path. I’d
would be wearing a skirt. Growing up decision? visit my mom on Sundays, and the con-
tomboyish, I was very uncomfortable MRF: The following winter, I got up the trast became a little too much. Then I’d
in skirts and dresses for long periods of courage to tell my mother about my in- hear that the stay was too short, or I’d
time. Another recollection is that some terest in Judaism. She had her concerns see the look on my mom’s face when she
of the people at the Shabbos meals but told me two things: She’d try to be saw me eating the kosher food I brought
thought it was weird that I wanted to as supportive as possible and I had to instead of trying one of her new recipes.
join. After all, being African-American tell my grandmother about wanting to I would call to check in, but ultimately, I
and female, I was already a minority, so convert. It was a scary moment for me had difficulty being in their world while
adding “Jewish” was putting me in an as I approached my grandmother, who trying to make sense of mine.
even smaller group. But I couldn’t let was a devout Catholic, but it had to be
the spark of interest go. This was some- done. Once I gently broke the news to MP: Please describe the initial steps you
thing I felt I needed to do, but I wasn’t her, she looked at me and said, “Well, took to convert?
sure why. at least you got your faith back.” These MRF: It started with getting the courage
to speak to Rabbi Shlomo Porter, at the
Etz Chaim Center. Rabbi Levi had sent
me the contact information and some
reading suggestions, but I wanted to
have some of the adjustments in effect
before I spoke with him. The first adjust-
ments were wearing a skirt on Fridays
and trying to keep Shabbos. The sho-
mer Shabbos students had graduated,
and Rabbi Levi accepted a new job with
The Associated. As a result, the Shabbos
meals on campus weren’t as uplifting,
so I stayed in my apartment reading the
96 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
was putting me in an even smaller group. from her; she passed away before my
But I couldn’t let the spark of interest go. conversion was completed. That night
was December 24. The next morning, I
to University of Maryland, Baltimore MP: When was your “aha moment”? was opening gifts with my mother and
County (UMBC). One of my friends sent MRF: In the summer of ’04, I remember grandmother (my last time to do so). In
me a link to: “How Religious Are You?” going to my first Shabbaton in Balti- one of the boxes I opened, there was a
a multiple-choice questionnaire. Based more. Since I was still wearing pants, I holiday ornament, but there were some
on my answers, “Orthodox Judaism” stood out quite a bit, but I wanted to see extra items in the box, too: a candy dish
was among the ones that I matched. My what a frum neighborhood was like. The with two small bags in it. One bag con-
curiosity was peaked, and the internet climax of that Shabbos was going to my tained a rosary, and the other one a Star
searching ensued. After the school year first shul, Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion. When of David necklace. I couldn’t talk. I had
started, I met Rabbi Amos Levi, who was I got there, I didn’t know about Daven- just told my grandmother about my
then the director of UMBC Hillel. I told ing, so I just looked through a siddur and intentions the night before, and I was
him how beautiful Judaism was and set tried to follow the Torah reading. The sitting there with a Magen David neck-
up a meeting to ask him about it. Unfor- most beautiful moment for me was when lace in my hand! None of us had left the
tunately, due to my heavy school sched- the Torah was being placed back in the house the night before, and the box’s
ule, we didn’t meet again until two years ark. When the singing of “Etz Chaim He” contents were sealed weeks prior! This
later, after which a member of the Hillel started, I got so caught up in the moment was it, the “message” that I was doing
group invited me to an on-campus Shab- that I cried. Here I was, among all these the right thing.
bos meal. people who wanted a peaceful existence
and singing to Him. It stirred something MP: What challenges did converting
MP: Did you have any frum friends, at within me, and I just couldn’t stop the present?
the time? tears. It was just so beautiful. Something MRF: At first, my family was okay with
MRF: Eventually, I did. I would go to “clicked” and I realized this was where I it. I remember trying to explain things
the meals off-and-on for a while; during needed to be. The spark of interest was a as I understood them. My mom asked
the two years, I hung around three sho- burning flame and couldn’t be cooled for questions, smiled and nodded, and went
mer Shabbos students most of the time anything! I wanted to become a Jew. along with it. After I went to the mikvah,
and asked about Judaism. I convinced however, they weren’t as supportive since
myself that the hardest part of Judaism MP: How did your family react to your I became so focused on my new path. I’d
would be wearing a skirt. Growing up decision? visit my mom on Sundays, and the con-
tomboyish, I was very uncomfortable MRF: The following winter, I got up the trast became a little too much. Then I’d
in skirts and dresses for long periods of courage to tell my mother about my in- hear that the stay was too short, or I’d
time. Another recollection is that some terest in Judaism. She had her concerns see the look on my mom’s face when she
of the people at the Shabbos meals but told me two things: She’d try to be saw me eating the kosher food I brought
thought it was weird that I wanted to as supportive as possible and I had to instead of trying one of her new recipes.
join. After all, being African-American tell my grandmother about wanting to I would call to check in, but ultimately, I
and female, I was already a minority, so convert. It was a scary moment for me had difficulty being in their world while
adding “Jewish” was putting me in an as I approached my grandmother, who trying to make sense of mine.
even smaller group. But I couldn’t let was a devout Catholic, but it had to be
the spark of interest go. This was some- done. Once I gently broke the news to MP: Please describe the initial steps you
thing I felt I needed to do, but I wasn’t her, she looked at me and said, “Well, took to convert?
sure why. at least you got your faith back.” These MRF: It started with getting the courage
to speak to Rabbi Shlomo Porter, at the
Etz Chaim Center. Rabbi Levi had sent
me the contact information and some
reading suggestions, but I wanted to
have some of the adjustments in effect
before I spoke with him. The first adjust-
ments were wearing a skirt on Fridays
and trying to keep Shabbos. The sho-
mer Shabbos students had graduated,
and Rabbi Levi accepted a new job with
The Associated. As a result, the Shabbos
meals on campus weren’t as uplifting,
so I stayed in my apartment reading the
96 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
