Talking with the Rabbi

Earlier this week I contacted Rabbi Daniel Bogard, the Rabbi for Bradley University Hillel, and one of the Rabbis from Anshai Emeth. I asked him if he could meet with me and have a talk, so eventually we agreed to meet earlier this afternoon. Rabbi Bogard had no idea what I wanted to talk about, but he was very accommodating and willing to talk and get coffee.

When he finally asked what I wanted to discuss I told him that I wanted to talk about Judaism and the process of converting to Judaism. He and I were both surprised immediately following this, but for different reasons. Rabbi Bogard was surprised because he thought I was already Jewish, and I was surprised that he thought that I was Jewish. I do admit that it is understandable that he assumed that I was Jewish though. I have been very active with Bradley Hillel, he has seen me there several times throughout this semester, and he has seen me at Shabbat Services saying several of the prayers almost every Friday night.

Upon realizing that I was not Jewish and that I wanted to talk about converting he then asked me about my background and why I wanted to become Jewish. So I told him my story, a story which I will discuss in a later post. We then discussed my reasons for wanting to convert, how he views conversions, what the process is like, and some things that come along with the process. He then opened it up to any questions that I might have. We got into some good conversation topics that gave me a good basis as to where I should go from here.

I have been thinking long and hard about converting to Judaism for quite some time. It isn't something that I take lightly. I know that there will be obstacles, challenges, and hard times directly attributed to my decision, but I am ready for whatever comes, and I know that G-d will be with me every step along the way. I'm glad that I'm finally starting on this exciting new path to learning more about, not only Judaism, but about myself, about my world, and especially about G-d.

With this blog, I would like to chronicle my process of converting. I am just now starting, but I want to keep you updated as to where I am, and what I am learning. I would also like to hear from others who are Jewish, those who have gone through converting to Judaism, and those who are currently converting to Judaism. Why did you decide to convert? What is it that you like most about Judaism? What are/were some of your major challenges? What advice do you have for me?