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P. 106
recommended books. I wasn’t complete- get in touch with the Rabbi again. And still in Israel that there would be a second
ly familiar with all the rules, but knew I did, first by leaving a message at the trip and that I might stay longer than six
I couldn’t truly keep Shabbos; I kept to beginning of the month, then leaving a months. Later, after leaving Israel, I told
myself during Shabbos mornings. message each week the second month. my dad that since I enjoyed learning in
Around the same time, one of my friends Israel, I would try making a life for my-
MP: What happened at your meeting who had graduated earlier invited me for self there. Then my little sister revealed:
with Rabbi Porter? a Shabbos in Baltimore. Over time, he “They thought you were going through
MRF: My first meeting with him was introduced me to some of the families a phase.” That’s when I explained to
after graduating from UMBC in win- he’d met there. From this, I began an them gently yet firmly that this was not
ter ’06. Looking back, my expectations eight-month commute between Waldorf, a phase; it was a life choice. My mom
were much higher than how the meet- Maryland (where I was living with my felt like she had done something wrong
ing actually went. I felt spiritually ready, father at the time), Rockville/Frederick, in my upbringing, and I assured her that
but he made me realize that I had so Maryland (where I was working) and Bal- she didn’t. If she had not insisted that
much to learn. Eventually, he told me timore, every Friday and erev Yom Tov. I “find out the truth,” I wouldn’t have
to read Martin Gilbert’s History of the found Truth. I was grateful to her for it.
Jews and contact him once I finished it. MP: When did you finally convert? Before my aliyah flight, I went to visit
Little did I know what I was getting into MRF: By October ’08, Rabbi Porter said her, and we were able to talk things out.
when I started this book. In high school, I was ready to begin my conversion pro-
the Holocaust was considered a “grave cess and was given my new reading list, MP: How has your adjustment been to
tragedy,” but I was completely unaware which worked out beautifully since I was the language and lifestyle of Eretz Yisra-
of the process that led up to the camps starting around the time that I found out el, and what are you doing now?
being formed. At one point, I stopped later was my Hebrew birthday (Rosh Ch- MRF: I started in one Ulpan class in Je-
reading it because it was becoming odesh Cheshvan, Parshas Noach). I was rusalem, which I did well on paper. I was
too much. True, I knew how the book ready to immerse myself in all that the advised to “keep talking in Hebrew, even
would end, but the tortures and atroci- Baltimore community had for me – no if they talk to you in English.” This works
ties that occurred were painful to read. looking back, no regrets. Rabbi Porter, sometimes. For now, I’m in my second
For about a week, I stopped reading and along with Rabbi Menachem Pinck and Ulpan class and trying to speak up more.
had the most disturbing dreams about Rabbi Shmuel Silber, converted me on
the camps. June 6, 2010. I recently started a job, b”H, with a
start-up biopharmaceutical company.
This was a “nudge” for me saying I MP: Kol hakavod for making the move What I like about it is that it combines
needed to finish the reading. Yes, it was to Eretz Yisrael, especially as a single the skills I used in various jobs I held in
painful, and even one of my coworkers, woman. When and why did you decide the U.S. as well as showing me how a
who was of German descent, said she to make aliyah, and where did you settle? company gets “up and running,” espe-
was embarrassed to admit that her peo- MRF: In summer 2011, Rabbi Porter sug- cially in a place where numerous start-
ple did these awful things. After eight gested that I try learning in Israel for a ups are so frequent. It also helps that I’m
months, I was able to complete the read- while. I hesitated since I’d be so far from in a Hebrew-heavy environment; I con-
ing and called Rabbi Porter. I admitted to my family and it would be my first trip sider this my third Ulpan session.
him that this was uncomfortable for me overseas. I attended for only six months,
to read, but it spoke volumes – that even but by the end of the second month I MP: Thank you, Miriam-Rochel, for shar-
though so many people were killed, the knew that Jerusalem was where I want- ing your inspiring personal geirus story.
Jewish people still thrived in the world. ed to be. Most of my life has consisted in MRF: My pleasure! Looking back, what
The fact that I can see someone wear moving from place to place, so realizing brought me to Yiddishkeit was seeing
their kippa and tzitzis and the fact that I that I knew where I wanted to be after something familiar but not quite recog-
got to walk into a shul and see so many years of living out of boxes and bags, nizing it completely. It was feeling, a pain
people still living because of the kindness brought me to tears. At the same time, in my heart and the ability to let it go. It
of others was a beautiful thing. I wanted I knew this would be hard on my family. was looking for another path when I re-
to be a part it. That weighed heavily on me during the alized I was on the wrong one. It was lis-
rest of my stay. In May ’14, I went on a tening to the hints and nudges and signs
MP: Then what happened? one-week pilot trip to Eretz Yisrael, and along the way. In short, it was Hashem,
MRF: I received a message from Rabbi it confirmed my decision to settle in Har with His testing my faith in Him. Yes,
Porter saying that he wasn’t taking any Nof. it’s been a challenge, but it’s worth it.
students for the year. Heartbroken, I was Because if it’s worth dying for, it’s worth
still reading from Rabbi Levi’s reading MP: How did you break the news to your living for!u
list. It wasn’t until a few months lat- parents?
er that someone told me that this was MRF: At first, I told my mom while I was This article originally appeared in the
“the turn-away” and that I needed to Lakewood Shopper.
98 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
ly familiar with all the rules, but knew I did, first by leaving a message at the trip and that I might stay longer than six
I couldn’t truly keep Shabbos; I kept to beginning of the month, then leaving a months. Later, after leaving Israel, I told
myself during Shabbos mornings. message each week the second month. my dad that since I enjoyed learning in
Around the same time, one of my friends Israel, I would try making a life for my-
MP: What happened at your meeting who had graduated earlier invited me for self there. Then my little sister revealed:
with Rabbi Porter? a Shabbos in Baltimore. Over time, he “They thought you were going through
MRF: My first meeting with him was introduced me to some of the families a phase.” That’s when I explained to
after graduating from UMBC in win- he’d met there. From this, I began an them gently yet firmly that this was not
ter ’06. Looking back, my expectations eight-month commute between Waldorf, a phase; it was a life choice. My mom
were much higher than how the meet- Maryland (where I was living with my felt like she had done something wrong
ing actually went. I felt spiritually ready, father at the time), Rockville/Frederick, in my upbringing, and I assured her that
but he made me realize that I had so Maryland (where I was working) and Bal- she didn’t. If she had not insisted that
much to learn. Eventually, he told me timore, every Friday and erev Yom Tov. I “find out the truth,” I wouldn’t have
to read Martin Gilbert’s History of the found Truth. I was grateful to her for it.
Jews and contact him once I finished it. MP: When did you finally convert? Before my aliyah flight, I went to visit
Little did I know what I was getting into MRF: By October ’08, Rabbi Porter said her, and we were able to talk things out.
when I started this book. In high school, I was ready to begin my conversion pro-
the Holocaust was considered a “grave cess and was given my new reading list, MP: How has your adjustment been to
tragedy,” but I was completely unaware which worked out beautifully since I was the language and lifestyle of Eretz Yisra-
of the process that led up to the camps starting around the time that I found out el, and what are you doing now?
being formed. At one point, I stopped later was my Hebrew birthday (Rosh Ch- MRF: I started in one Ulpan class in Je-
reading it because it was becoming odesh Cheshvan, Parshas Noach). I was rusalem, which I did well on paper. I was
too much. True, I knew how the book ready to immerse myself in all that the advised to “keep talking in Hebrew, even
would end, but the tortures and atroci- Baltimore community had for me – no if they talk to you in English.” This works
ties that occurred were painful to read. looking back, no regrets. Rabbi Porter, sometimes. For now, I’m in my second
For about a week, I stopped reading and along with Rabbi Menachem Pinck and Ulpan class and trying to speak up more.
had the most disturbing dreams about Rabbi Shmuel Silber, converted me on
the camps. June 6, 2010. I recently started a job, b”H, with a
start-up biopharmaceutical company.
This was a “nudge” for me saying I MP: Kol hakavod for making the move What I like about it is that it combines
needed to finish the reading. Yes, it was to Eretz Yisrael, especially as a single the skills I used in various jobs I held in
painful, and even one of my coworkers, woman. When and why did you decide the U.S. as well as showing me how a
who was of German descent, said she to make aliyah, and where did you settle? company gets “up and running,” espe-
was embarrassed to admit that her peo- MRF: In summer 2011, Rabbi Porter sug- cially in a place where numerous start-
ple did these awful things. After eight gested that I try learning in Israel for a ups are so frequent. It also helps that I’m
months, I was able to complete the read- while. I hesitated since I’d be so far from in a Hebrew-heavy environment; I con-
ing and called Rabbi Porter. I admitted to my family and it would be my first trip sider this my third Ulpan session.
him that this was uncomfortable for me overseas. I attended for only six months,
to read, but it spoke volumes – that even but by the end of the second month I MP: Thank you, Miriam-Rochel, for shar-
though so many people were killed, the knew that Jerusalem was where I want- ing your inspiring personal geirus story.
Jewish people still thrived in the world. ed to be. Most of my life has consisted in MRF: My pleasure! Looking back, what
The fact that I can see someone wear moving from place to place, so realizing brought me to Yiddishkeit was seeing
their kippa and tzitzis and the fact that I that I knew where I wanted to be after something familiar but not quite recog-
got to walk into a shul and see so many years of living out of boxes and bags, nizing it completely. It was feeling, a pain
people still living because of the kindness brought me to tears. At the same time, in my heart and the ability to let it go. It
of others was a beautiful thing. I wanted I knew this would be hard on my family. was looking for another path when I re-
to be a part it. That weighed heavily on me during the alized I was on the wrong one. It was lis-
rest of my stay. In May ’14, I went on a tening to the hints and nudges and signs
MP: Then what happened? one-week pilot trip to Eretz Yisrael, and along the way. In short, it was Hashem,
MRF: I received a message from Rabbi it confirmed my decision to settle in Har with His testing my faith in Him. Yes,
Porter saying that he wasn’t taking any Nof. it’s been a challenge, but it’s worth it.
students for the year. Heartbroken, I was Because if it’s worth dying for, it’s worth
still reading from Rabbi Levi’s reading MP: How did you break the news to your living for!u
list. It wasn’t until a few months lat- parents?
er that someone told me that this was MRF: At first, I told my mom while I was This article originally appeared in the
“the turn-away” and that I needed to Lakewood Shopper.
98 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
