green | (no subject)

Okay, so the guy in Miami is a ripoff and his conversions aren't recognized by the majority of the Jewish community. I'm glad I found that out before I paid any money. HOWEVER, I met the most charming Israeli rabbi online who has agreed to help me convert -- for free! We had our first lesson last night. I didn't learn anything I didn't already know, but it was a good basis for our classes. We're doing them over Skype.

The rabbi -- Hillel -- is Masorti, which is the Israeli (and other countries that aren't the US and Canada) equivalent of the Conservative movement.

He told me to save the money I would have paid the other rabbi and save up for a trip to Israel. Which is scary and exciting.

We are not just talking about Jewish stuff, either. He's funny and absolutely charming. He's gotten pretty much my whole life story out of me and I've learned a lot about him, too. He's originally from Canada and made aliyah when he was 19. Like me, he's divorced and has three children. His kids live in Jerusalem. Hillel lives in Netanya and is a full-time pulpit rabbi to a large congregation.

Now that I've completely bored you...

Something is wrong with my cat's leg. She's dragging it and it appears to be broken or out of joint. We're taking her to the vet today. :(

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I definitely want to convert Conservative. I've thought about it a lot. I have a friend who converted Conservative and is now in the process of converting Orthodox, so more options are open to him.

I would do the official stuff in Israel, yes. He has a congregation of about 150 in Netanya.

It's been very hard to find my fit, especially when my Jewish community is online. I mean, I think of you as part of my 'community' and I am so grateful for that. I will move eventually to a place with a large Jewish community (where, I don't know yet, neither do I know when) and that will help me a lot. Right now I can't do it, though.

The main reason I'm not encouraging you to convert Orthodox now is that they won't allow you to convert if you can't easily live a Jewish life. It seems like you have figured out a way to keep kosher--you've shown a lot of ingenuity and committment. I hope the closest Jewish community will reach out to you and support you. In some ways it might make sense to convert through a rabbi who is closer who is a respected member of a more local community.

Not completely kosher - I need new dishes/utensils and pots and pans, and my home needs to be kashered, but I'm doing what I can. Going vegetarian is a big part of that.

The closest Conservative congregation is lay-led. I've tried to get in touch with the rabbi at the closest chabad, but I haven't heard back yet.