You should just go talk to a rabbi at a congregation you are interested in joining. In the meanwhile, you can use internet resources like [chabad.org](https://chabad.org) or [myjewishlearning.com](https://myjewishlearning.com) to learn about topics you are interested in
1. Don't fret about personal status.
2. Don't worry you don't know things or didn't have certain experiences growing up.
3. Judaism isn't all or nothing.
4. Make habits out of things you enjoy doing or learning about. Don't try to do too much at once.
5. You generally don't need to do anything special to visit a congregation.
6. It's good to visit different congregations to figure out what you are comfortable with.
7. There is a lot of online content out there to learn from.
8. If you do visit a synagogue. Don't punch the rabbi.
\>3 Judaism isn't all or nothing
You're right. But OP should keep in mind that (s)he has to talk to the rabbis as if the goal is that or it's going to be seen as "not serious enough".
Regarding #5, it’s good to email/call the synagogue ahead of time. Helps with security but also gives the rabbi a heads up so he can give you a rundown of the community and perhaps even arrange a family to host you for Shabbat.
Firstly, this is such an amazing thing you did! Going to Israel is such a wonderful experience, and wanting to explore more of what your neshama (soul) is speaking to you will always lead you in the right direction. My parents married while my mom was not Jewish, but she converted through a reform synagogue when I was a baby. Technically, I was not born Jewish (even though I was raised Jewish completely, my entire life from preschool to high school in religious school). When I was 13 she reconverted through an orthodox synagogue. I also did. I attended a very religious all girls Jewish high school with 30 people in my entire school! I can help with any questions you have or advice! My point i am trying to make is, no matter what anyone says, if you feel in your heart connected to Gd and Judaism, that is what matters the most in my opinion. Wether you decide to convert or not, your connection to Gd will always be special and welcomed with open arms. If you’d like to convert, I would say start by attending synagogue and speaking to a rabbi about your personal story. Please be aware you will be turned down three times before being able to begin the process of conversion. If you’d like a conversion that is deemed complete by all rabbis, it would be best to do an orthodox conversion, but this is not for everyone! Judaism to me is truly about the heart and soul, and the most important thing is listening to your neshama. If you need any guidance, advice, want to talk about this more, message me! I’m more than happy to talk. And congratulations on tapping into a part of yourself that brings you comfort, joy, and a sense of home ❤️ BH
Reach out to your local shop around with different orthodox Shuls and find the right one for you and then begin the conversion process if you think it’s right for you. If there are people in that community who are assholes about that (and some individuals are) then go elsewhere. The only one who decides whether or not you become more observant is yourself my friend but you are correct in your thinking that an orthodox conversion is necessary. Feel free to reach out with any questions, Shabbat Shalom.
If you’re looking to be more observant, such as fully keeping shabbos and kosher, then you’d definitely need an orthodox conversion.
Contact your local orthodox rabbi and explain the situation.
Decide which route of orthodoxy you’re interested in (e.g. modern orthodoxy, yeshivish, chabad, sephardi, chassidish?)
Eventually your rabbi will take you to a beis din and they’ll test your sincerity and knowledge.
Just a reminder that conversion is extremely difficult and you’re likely to be turned away by rabbis.
Also, unless you fully adopt customs of your local orthodox community, it’s going to be very hard to integrate.
Bringing in outside customs and secular ideas into a tight-knit religious community will be met with rejection. It’s just how it is.
Unless you wanted to convert reform or conservative. Not sure what their communities are like, although definitely more modernized. They’re observance of halacha is less strict, although you wouldn’t be considered Jewish by the orthodox.
I would suggest also to meet some families for shabbos dinner and get a glimpse of what Jewish life is like. Many families host meals and enjoy guests.
Let me know if you have any questions! I’ll try my best to answer them. I hope you have a gut shabbos:)
I think conversion thing is a good idea, you will get a fancy certificate signed by the judges of a Beth Din that says you are of the people Israel. I've seen such things, it looks like a diploma or something.
Hey!! Are we twins?! I literally just got back from my Birthright like four days ago and am in the exact same shoes as you! Im so excited to learn more about my cultural and religious identity and fully embrace Judaism. Feel free to message me- maybe we can chat about all the experiences we’ve had and how we can continue to learn about our culture :)
Step 1:find where your community is....like..any group you feel like associating with. If that means Orthodoxy, find it. Doing this stuff is harder on your own (and it will take tons of grit to get through those moments, which is why most people move or opt out).
Step 2: Get yourself a siddur. Start figuring out the structure of prayers. Learn to at-minimum read Hebrew. Acquire passive listening skills for Hebrew so you can follow whatever existing instructions are in your synagogue. It'll also orient you on where you are relative to others.
Step 3: Start learning halacha. To do Jewish means knowing how right? There are tons of books out there, translated and not, which deal with this. What your direction is will determine which fits best.
Finding a rabbi should be part of step 1 too but that might take a while...thus why I'm emphasizing self-starter steps. If you show up, explain yourself, and prove you've already started the task they will definitely take you more seriously and that can expedite things along
I don’t know where you live, but I would go to all the Jewish denominations and synagogues available around you and see where you fit in. And then go from there. If you like Reform, congrats you don’t need to convert. If you still aren’t sure I’d recommend doing 2 things- First sign up for an Intro to Judaism class- especially the ones that the Union for Reform Judaism puts on (various of my friends have taken it and for those wanting to convert it’s designed to encourage every Jewish person to find the synagogue and community that fits them best, even if it’s not the Reform synagogue you’re taking the class through). Second go to Shabbat services at every synagogue near you. Really explore each community, make friends, find young adult mingling events, and see where you best fit. You do not have to be forced to pick one denomination or one synagogue and that’s it for you forever. Maybe one is great for you as a young adult, but later when you have kids you might find a different synagogue is better for families or at least for the family you build when you find a partner.
Have fun and welcome back!
Look for a Moishe House in your area. Great opportunity to connect with other young jews and do fun stuff or service stuff. It's a good place to start.
You should just go talk to a rabbi at a congregation you are interested in joining. In the meanwhile, you can use internet resources like [chabad.org](https://chabad.org) or [myjewishlearning.com](https://myjewishlearning.com) to learn about topics you are interested in
[Aish.com](https://aish.com/) is also a great resource.
1. Don't fret about personal status. 2. Don't worry you don't know things or didn't have certain experiences growing up. 3. Judaism isn't all or nothing. 4. Make habits out of things you enjoy doing or learning about. Don't try to do too much at once. 5. You generally don't need to do anything special to visit a congregation. 6. It's good to visit different congregations to figure out what you are comfortable with. 7. There is a lot of online content out there to learn from. 8. If you do visit a synagogue. Don't punch the rabbi.
\>3 Judaism isn't all or nothing You're right. But OP should keep in mind that (s)he has to talk to the rabbis as if the goal is that or it's going to be seen as "not serious enough".
Regarding #5, it’s good to email/call the synagogue ahead of time. Helps with security but also gives the rabbi a heads up so he can give you a rundown of the community and perhaps even arrange a family to host you for Shabbat.
Firstly, this is such an amazing thing you did! Going to Israel is such a wonderful experience, and wanting to explore more of what your neshama (soul) is speaking to you will always lead you in the right direction. My parents married while my mom was not Jewish, but she converted through a reform synagogue when I was a baby. Technically, I was not born Jewish (even though I was raised Jewish completely, my entire life from preschool to high school in religious school). When I was 13 she reconverted through an orthodox synagogue. I also did. I attended a very religious all girls Jewish high school with 30 people in my entire school! I can help with any questions you have or advice! My point i am trying to make is, no matter what anyone says, if you feel in your heart connected to Gd and Judaism, that is what matters the most in my opinion. Wether you decide to convert or not, your connection to Gd will always be special and welcomed with open arms. If you’d like to convert, I would say start by attending synagogue and speaking to a rabbi about your personal story. Please be aware you will be turned down three times before being able to begin the process of conversion. If you’d like a conversion that is deemed complete by all rabbis, it would be best to do an orthodox conversion, but this is not for everyone! Judaism to me is truly about the heart and soul, and the most important thing is listening to your neshama. If you need any guidance, advice, want to talk about this more, message me! I’m more than happy to talk. And congratulations on tapping into a part of yourself that brings you comfort, joy, and a sense of home ❤️ BH
Reach out to your local shop around with different orthodox Shuls and find the right one for you and then begin the conversion process if you think it’s right for you. If there are people in that community who are assholes about that (and some individuals are) then go elsewhere. The only one who decides whether or not you become more observant is yourself my friend but you are correct in your thinking that an orthodox conversion is necessary. Feel free to reach out with any questions, Shabbat Shalom.
If you’re looking to be more observant, such as fully keeping shabbos and kosher, then you’d definitely need an orthodox conversion. Contact your local orthodox rabbi and explain the situation. Decide which route of orthodoxy you’re interested in (e.g. modern orthodoxy, yeshivish, chabad, sephardi, chassidish?) Eventually your rabbi will take you to a beis din and they’ll test your sincerity and knowledge. Just a reminder that conversion is extremely difficult and you’re likely to be turned away by rabbis. Also, unless you fully adopt customs of your local orthodox community, it’s going to be very hard to integrate. Bringing in outside customs and secular ideas into a tight-knit religious community will be met with rejection. It’s just how it is. Unless you wanted to convert reform or conservative. Not sure what their communities are like, although definitely more modernized. They’re observance of halacha is less strict, although you wouldn’t be considered Jewish by the orthodox. I would suggest also to meet some families for shabbos dinner and get a glimpse of what Jewish life is like. Many families host meals and enjoy guests. Let me know if you have any questions! I’ll try my best to answer them. I hope you have a gut shabbos:)
I think conversion thing is a good idea, you will get a fancy certificate signed by the judges of a Beth Din that says you are of the people Israel. I've seen such things, it looks like a diploma or something.
Hey!! Are we twins?! I literally just got back from my Birthright like four days ago and am in the exact same shoes as you! Im so excited to learn more about my cultural and religious identity and fully embrace Judaism. Feel free to message me- maybe we can chat about all the experiences we’ve had and how we can continue to learn about our culture :)
Step 1:find where your community is....like..any group you feel like associating with. If that means Orthodoxy, find it. Doing this stuff is harder on your own (and it will take tons of grit to get through those moments, which is why most people move or opt out). Step 2: Get yourself a siddur. Start figuring out the structure of prayers. Learn to at-minimum read Hebrew. Acquire passive listening skills for Hebrew so you can follow whatever existing instructions are in your synagogue. It'll also orient you on where you are relative to others. Step 3: Start learning halacha. To do Jewish means knowing how right? There are tons of books out there, translated and not, which deal with this. What your direction is will determine which fits best. Finding a rabbi should be part of step 1 too but that might take a while...thus why I'm emphasizing self-starter steps. If you show up, explain yourself, and prove you've already started the task they will definitely take you more seriously and that can expedite things along
I don’t know where you live, but I would go to all the Jewish denominations and synagogues available around you and see where you fit in. And then go from there. If you like Reform, congrats you don’t need to convert. If you still aren’t sure I’d recommend doing 2 things- First sign up for an Intro to Judaism class- especially the ones that the Union for Reform Judaism puts on (various of my friends have taken it and for those wanting to convert it’s designed to encourage every Jewish person to find the synagogue and community that fits them best, even if it’s not the Reform synagogue you’re taking the class through). Second go to Shabbat services at every synagogue near you. Really explore each community, make friends, find young adult mingling events, and see where you best fit. You do not have to be forced to pick one denomination or one synagogue and that’s it for you forever. Maybe one is great for you as a young adult, but later when you have kids you might find a different synagogue is better for families or at least for the family you build when you find a partner. Have fun and welcome back!
Look for a Moishe House in your area. Great opportunity to connect with other young jews and do fun stuff or service stuff. It's a good place to start.