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Two Feet In:

A Conversion Story
Rabbi Joshua
Weisberg

n a famous Talmudic story, a gentile idea what I was getting into. Life as a on a kibbutz in Israel. “What you do
asks a Jewish sage to convert him German in America was much more with it is your decision.”
as he learns the entire Torah while complicated than I imagined possible. I fell in love with Israel that year. At
I“standing on one foot.” I always But if it was a mistake, it was the best first it was the depth of national and
assumed this meant the convert mistake I ever made.” historical identity that hit me. Then
wanted to study with his other foot I went looking for the tradition, and
suspended mid-air, too impatient A decade later, my mom convinced my joined a small yeshivah hoping to
or shallow to open a book or join a dad that they should raise their three remedy my ignorance. I didn’t mention
yeshivah. children as Jews. that my mother was not Jewish – I
But what if that isn’t what he meant? didn’t want any trouble.
What if a convert wants to learn Torah After college, I returned to Israel, this
with the other foot not suspended, but time to study Torah more seriously. I
still grounded in the world from which began to be more interested in faith
he came? Not because he is impatient and wanted to learn Talmud. I told
nor ambivalent, but because he is “Your Judaism is my gift to you,” my Israeli rabbi after I arrived that
honest about where he stands? she told me when I graduated I wasn’t halachically Jewish, and he
high school and was boarding suggested I convert, but I didn’t want
That question is on my mind, 35,000
feet above the ground, on an El Al a flight to volunteer on a to. “I grew up Jewish and my Torah
flight from Toronto to Tel Aviv, after kibbutz in Israel. “What you do learning is a search for depth within
a week filming my mother for a with it is your decision.” myself,” I said. “I don’t mind being
documentary I am making about the complicated; I’m not looking for a new
lives of converts and their families. It “Are you sure you want to do this?” identity.”
is a personal question. “Judaism recognizes only matrilineal
he asked, largely indifferent to
In the late sixties, my father, an atheist organized religion. “Children deserve descent,” he insisted. “If you just want
American Jew, took a gap year to study a culture, an identity,” she responded. to learn Torah you can go to university
literature in the West German city of “I would be adrift without my religious or become a Reform rabbi. But if you
want to continue studying in yeshivah
Tubingen. There, he met my mother, a upbringing. I want my children to have you will have to be fully Jewish, with
20-year-old German Catholic. “Before both feet in.”
I met your father,” my mom told access to religious literature, music
me, “the only Jewish man I had ever and the memories of faith.” I was too much in love with Torah
spoken to was Jesus.” She laughed. “I I once asked my mother why she didn’t learning to walk away and I agreed
suppose your father was the second raise us Christian. “I was disillusioned to convert. When I emerged from the
Jewish man I loved.” with the Church,” she said. But mikveh and the judge wished me a
mazal tov, he added, “you are now born
“Do you know what you’re getting why didn’t she convert to Judaism again!” I wanted to deck him. “Born
into?” my concerned grandfather herself? “I didn’t believe in G-d, and again?” I muttered. “I am doing this
asked my mother before she boarded I respected Judaism too much to lie.” to become who I already am.”
the plane. “Don’t get me wrong. We She remained faithful to who she was,
like Mark and have nothing against unintimidated by the paradoxes. An
his being Jewish. It’s just that you expat German raising Jewish children. Rabbi Joshua Weisberg teaches Talmud, is a
are a German. And I wonder if you professional chef, a documentary filmmaker
understand what that means to “Your Judaism is my gift to you,” she and a tour guide. He lives in Jerusalem
American Jews.” “In retrospect,” my told me when I graduated high school with his wife Chana Jenny and their eight
mom told me, “Opi was right. I had no and was boarding a flight to volunteer children.

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