{"id":60097,"date":"2018-07-05T07:08:59","date_gmt":"2018-07-05T12:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?p=60097"},"modified":"2018-07-08T04:42:17","modified_gmt":"2018-07-08T09:42:17","slug":"our-journey-to-judaism-part-iii-a-new-family-is-born","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/inspiration\/our-journey-to-judaism-part-iii-a-new-family-is-born\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Journey to Judaism Part III: A New Family is Born"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">My father, a non-Jew fascinated by Judaism, started attending classes at Beth Jacob, the Orthodox shul in Atlanta, Georgia. He liked how observance was part of everyday life with the Orthodox. Classes led to Shabbos morning <i>davening<\/i>. He soon discovered the parking lot was closed-off, so he would park down the street and walk the remainder of the way to shul, beads of sweat on his forehead like the rest of the <i>shul<\/i> goers in Atlanta in the summer. He would always decline offers to have an <i>aliyah<\/i> to the Torah. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">My father encouraged my mother to set aside one night a week to have a home-cooked family meal. He suggested Friday night. The T.V. would stay off, no one would be rushing to the mall, and wouldn\u2019t it be nice if you lit those candlesticks your mother gave you. When my father started bringing flowers home, my mother agreed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">My father continued to regularly attend Beth Jacob \u2013 alone. He convinced my mother to come along, but she still harbored numerous resentments against the Orthodox. She remembered her mother talking about her \u201c<i>meshugenah\u201d<\/i> grandmother who would stick forks in the dirt in their backyard. Orthodox women were baby-making machines, although she was impressed with the stylish Chabad women she had met who made her rethink some stereotypes. And the Orthodox <i>shul<\/i> had that <i>mechitzah<\/i>. Having strong feminist tendencies ingrained in her since the 1970s, my mother had her concerns about the Orthodox and Beth Jacob.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">When my mother and I walked into the beautiful, light-filled sanctuary of Beth Jacob, veering to the right as my father veered to the left, my father noted my mother\u2019s shoulders release. She was at ease.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The more my father learned and prayed at Beth Jacob, the more he realized he had found his way. He would convert Orthodox. He first needed to find out what that meant.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">My father scheduled a meeting with the rabbi, Rabbi Ilan Feldman. Rabbi Feldman listened to my father\u2019s story but was hesitant. He told my father to come back with my mother in one month.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">At the next meeting, Rabbi Feldman was still unsure. He recognized that my father\u2019s case was different than the many cases of prospective converts he had dealt with in the past. My father was in his 50s, was married for 20 years to a Jewish woman, and didn\u2019t have a Jewish mother-in-law breathing down his neck. Rabbi Feldman also couldn\u2019t dismiss my father\u2019s sincerity. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Rabbi Feldman said that the conversion process could take two to five years, but my father didn\u2019t care if it took ten years. He wanted to do this properly, for himself and for his family. Rabbi Feldman explained to my father that he would be put to the test \u2013 my parents would have to sell their home and move into the Orthodox community. He would have to study regularly with the Atlanta Scholars Kollel. But Rabbi Feldman still hadn\u2019t said if he was willing to convert my father. He continued to push him away as he was required to do for potential converts to test his sincerity, dedication and commitment. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">At the end of the next meeting, Rabbi Feldman asked my father to come into the <i>shul<\/i> library. He sat down across a table from my father. Suddenly, Rabbi Feldman leaned forward on the table and blurted out, \u201cI\u2019m compelled to convert you!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Rabbi Feldman used to marvel at my father\u2019s innate understanding of Judaism. \u201cI wish I knew your lineage,\u201d he would say. \u201cMost converts need to figure out how to think like a Jew. You already do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">My parents put their lovely home in the suburb Sandy Springs on the market, sold it at a loss, and began house-hunting. They would also need to switch their daughter in September to the Jewish school, Torah Day School of Atlanta, which at the time, was located in a strip-shopping center.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">They did not keep kosher, did not keep Shabbos, but knew they were about to make a major commitment that would inextricably change their lives forever.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Once, my mother decided she would order her usual sandwich for the last time from the local fast food drive-thru. She pulled in, placed the order for her chicken sandwich, and took a bite. She couldn\u2019t even swallow it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The summer before we moved into the community, I attended a drama camp at the performing arts theatre. There I learned fundamentals of acting and put on a performance at the end of summer. The director of the program came up to my mother at the end of the performance with an invitation for me to join the children\u2019s troupe. The children\u2019s troupe would provide the children actors for the plays in the main theatre.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Touched, my mother had only one question: When are the practices? Saturday. My mother proudly replied that we were Sabbath observant, even though we were not yet, and her daughter would not be able to participate. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Once we moved into the Toco Hills neighborhood, word spread quickly. The community opened their arms to us and we hardly ever ate a Shabbos meal alone at home. My new teacher hosted a pizza party for me to meet my new classmates, so I would be comfortable knowing the girls before the first day of school. And my father quickly became known as the Shabbos <i>goy<\/i> on the street with an amazing story to tell at your next Shabbos table.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">After one and a half years, Rabbi Feldman decided that my father was ready to go through the conversion process. The Friday before Rosh Hashana was selected as the date. He would be converted Friday, have his<i> aufruf<\/i> on Shabbos and be remarried on Sunday. This was the year of my parents 20<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><sup>th<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> anniversary, fulfilling my mother\u2019s wish at their government ceremony in South Africa that she wanted a religious ceremony on their 20<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><sup>th<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\">. She even made my father kneel and propose to her again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">On Friday, my father had a ceremonial <i>bris<\/i> in the <i>shul<\/i> library. The Beth Din was comprised of my father\u2019s favorite rabbis who had taught him over the past few of years. Rabbi Feldman told my father he could back out now if he wanted, but there was no turning back. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">After the bris, the Beth Din would then ask my father numerous questions about Judaism. My father started to walk towards the rabbis at the table but felt the sensation of walking on a treadmill in the opposite direction. He had an urge to look to his right. Right there was a book with a prominent swastika on its binding. My father at that moment was in the middle of two poles: the Jewish pole, as represented by the rabbis in front of him, and the gentile pole, with Nazism at its extreme. He had a decision to make: should he go back and be safe or go forward and become one of them, with everything that entails? He went forward.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">My father told Rabbi Feldman about this experience. Rabbi Feldman responded that he was about to ask if he was prepared to join a people who suffered in every generation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Now it was time for the <i>mikvah<\/i>. On their way, Rabbi Feldman continued to ask my father if he still wanted to go through with the conversion. While my father was in the water, standing looking up at Rabbi Feldman, he was asked a series of questions: Do you agree to keep the Torah? <i>Yes<\/i>. Do you agree to keep kosher? <i>Yes<\/i>. Do you agree to keep Shabbos at the expense of your career? <i>Gulp, yes<\/i>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">His rabbinical mentor and friend had disappeared, and he was looking into the eyes of a steely, rabbinical scholar representing thousands of years of faith. In truth, my father realized he was getting married to G-d. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Rabbi Feldman directed my father to go down into the water. My father describes the experience as floating in the womb. When he emerged from the water, he took three enormous breaths and felt something inside of him expand. He felt like he was shining like a diamond. And now he knew that all Jews, including himself, were diamonds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">My mother\u2019s brother served as a witness to the conversion. He saw Rabbi Feldman holding onto the railing, shaking, when my father dunked into the <i>mivkah<\/i>. Rabbi Feldman told my uncle he was watching a new Jewish soul come onto the earth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Back in the library, Rabbi Feldman and my father danced joyously in the center of the circle with all the rabbis of the Beth Din dancing around them. It was a joyous <i>simcha<\/i>. Before there was a distance between my father and his Jewish mentors. Now there was none. He was one of them. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The next day was Shabbos and time for my father\u2019s first <i>aliyah<\/i>, and his <em>a<\/em><i>ufruf<\/i>. The whole community who hosted us for meals countless of times were there to witness it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">My father was called up to the Torah, and this time he was prepared and able. He recited the blessings. Suddenly there were red, yellow, orange, and green objects bouncing around him. The children rushed to his feet to gather as many as they could. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The young boys and girls ran off with their Sunkist candies, leaving behind a little boy scrounging around trying to find one. My father scooped a couple from the <i>bimah<\/i>, kneeled down, and handed them to the boy. He looked him in the eye and said, \u201c<i>Got any gum, chum?<\/i>\u201d The boy grinned and ran off.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">My father had come full circle from 50 years ago. He had found the man he was to be, the real him, and he was an observant Jew! My father had found himself, his People, his Book and his G-d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Now, it was time for my Jewish father to marry his Jewish bride. This could have been done in the <i>shul<\/i> library, but my parents felt they wanted the wedding they never had, and they wanted to celebrate with all the families who had become their Jewish family.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">This unusual event didn\u2019t occur without some element of comedy \u2013 and confusion. In their meeting with the wedding musician, my parents asked when they were to enter the hall. The musician replied, \u201cAfter the <i>chosson<\/i> and <i>kallah<\/i>.\u201d And my mother blurted out, \u201cWe <i>are<\/i> the <i>chosson<\/i> and <i>kallah<\/i>!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">After the <i>aufruf<\/i> during Shabbos morning announcements, the shul president exclaimed, \u201cWe\u2019d like to wish a <i>Mazel Tov<\/i> to Mr. Keir Beard on his marriage to Mrs. Beverly Beard.\u201d There were plenty laughs, cheers and tears that Shabbos morning.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">At 12 years old, I walked down the aisle of my parents\u2019 wedding as the flower girl. My father lifted his <i>ketubah<\/i> above his head like a gold medal \u2013 he did this! He won! <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">We danced with our whole community in celebration of a new household being created in the Jewish people. Families with little means gifted my parents with <i>havdalah<\/i> sets and kiddush cups, understanding that my parents were truly creating a <i>bayit neeman b\u2019Yisrael<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Growing up in the small religious community of Atlanta, I was always so proud of my father\u2019s decision to convert and our religious journey as a family. As I got older and left the nest, gaining more exposure to the big Jewish world, there were a few reality checks waiting for me as I navigated young adulthood.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">To be continued\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n<p>To read the first two parts of this series, please see:<\/p>\n<h5><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/inspiration\/our-journey-to-judaism-part-one-it-all-started-with-a-roll-of-lifesavers\/\">Part I: It All Started with a Roll of LifeSavers<\/a><\/h5>\n<h5><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/inspiration\/our-journey-to-judaism-part-ii-from-st-james-to-santa-fe\/?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=balak78&amp;utm_content=&amp;spMailingID=20817808&amp;spUserID=MTI5Mjc5Mzk2MjI5S0&amp;spJobID=1244509484&amp;spReportId=MTI0NDUwOTQ4NAS2\">Part II: From St. James to Sante Fe<\/a><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s2\"><i>Alexandra Fleksher is an educator, a published writer on Jewish contemporary issues, and an active member of her Jewish community in Cleveland, Ohio. You can find her blog and published articles on\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/www.alexandrafleksher.com\/\"><span class=\"s3\"><i>www.alexandrafleksher.com<\/i><\/span><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>My father, a non-Jew fascinated by Judaism, started attending classes at Beth Jacob, the Orthodox shul in Atlanta, Georgia. He liked how observance was part of everyday life with the Orthodox. Classes led to Shabbos morning davening. He soon discovered the parking lot was closed-off, so he would park down the street and walk the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133595,"featured_media":60132,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Our Journey to Judaism Part III: A New Family is Born | OU Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"While my father was in the mikvah he was asked: Do you agree to keep the Torah? Yes. Do you agree to keep kosher? Yes. Do you agree to keep Shabbat at the expense of your career? 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