Welcome to Gaia! ::

You can delete this if you like cindy >.> I would just asked someone privitely but all of the people i'm really close to are gone right now on freaking school trips!
So I'm asking you guys.

I'm 17, turning 18 on August 16th 2007. I started looking into Judaism as a religion to conver to right before my 15th birthday, and before the beginning of my freshmen year. I'm ending my junior year now, you do the math.

I was told that no one could really help me or officially start a converstion process until I'm 18, but here's my problem.

I don't turn 18 until my third day of school, shortly after that I'm going on a two week-three week trip to visit family. I won't be able to start until around Rosh Hashanah time, and you all know that one you hit falls there are holidays left and right, and I have a really tough schedule. I don't want to start off with even more on my plate.

I don't want it to get pushed back until around this time of year next year!

I would like to at least just sit down with the Rabbi I have in mind talk to him a bit, and just kind of slowly start it up, maybe get a reading list and get the first baby steps in.

To anyone whom doesn't know this already and is thinking of converting ^.^ You read ALOT. I've gotten that info from a book and two people.

I have nothing but time during the summer, and if I started after school ended i'd be aviable and able to get use to the demands of converting, and be fine when school starts.


SO Here is my question, do you think I should at least ask the rabbi at my shul to even think about just starting with me. Or should I not even bother?

ahh cool ^.^ I just hate making threads where they only apply to me and not to other people>.> I mean when it's all dead .. well then we won't care aobut it lol soo thanks for telling me it's not spam!!

YAY I'M NOT SPAM ^.^ whihc is sooo not kosher 3nodding

OOo Divash you are right, that's a good idea. See the problem is that I won't be moving out after I graduate the college near my house has 6 judaism classes, and you can major in creative writing. >.> that's all I want, so I'm staying at home and going instate.

But that is a good idea to start getting my own kosher food and kind of slowly separating myself from my parents none kosher food. 3nodding

Anyone else got any other ideas?

It is normal to feel overwhelmed, kingpinsqeezels. Start small.

Start by attending synagogue once a month, then step it up to once every three weeks, every two weeks, then every week -- when you feel ready and able, and not before. Then speak to the rabbi about how to approach Judaism as a non-Jew and how that's different from approaching it as a convert. Talk to him and see if he actually will deal with conversions; some rabbis won't, and if he doesn't, he should be able to direct you to someone else who will.

Take an adult Introduction to Judaism class at the synagogue. Most synagogues teach those classes, both for converts as well as for Jews who didn't get much of a Jewish education in their youths, and for non-Jews who want to learn about Judaism just for their own edification. You'll be amazed at how much you will have already learned just by attending synagogue, but the course will help answer some of the questions you'll have. Get to know the people, because after all, they'll be the ones you'll call your own once you complete conversion and are adopted into the family of Yisrael.

You don't have to fast right away, but buy a Jewish calendar and mark the days that say Fast of ____ or which say Tzom ____ (tzom means fast). On those days, just skip breakfast, and make your lunch and dinner a bit lighter than usual, and less luxurious. Just eat the essentials, like a protein bar or a piece of toast, and not something fancy like a burrito with extra cheese and sour cream.

On the subject of Shabbat, take that slowly, too. Start by picking one thing that counts as 'work' and that you don't like to do, and just don't do it on Shabbat at all. When that feels comfortable, take a look at other activities that count as 'work' and pick one that you like, but could do without for one day. I suggest starting by knocking out spending money on Shabbat, or not logging in on Shabbat, or working at your after-school/weekend job. Substitute another activity, such as reading, spending time with your family, or being with friends that you can see just by taking a walk. Make tiny little changes, and only ones that you feel you can live with. Make one change at a time, and don't make another one until you feel an actual yearning for that change.

On the subject of kashrut, start small here, too. Just stop eating shellfish, or pork, or combinations of meat and dairy. You might forget sometimes, but that's okay, and even making a mistake will make you think, "Oh, man, I did that thing. I'll have to pay more attention in future." Just be mindful of one tiny change at a time. It also helps, when you knock out one type of non-kosher food, to learn to make a new type of kosher food. When a friend of mine stopped eating pork, she decided to buy a new cookbook and learn how to cook with lamb, and now she makes lamb dishes that will knock your socks off. She doesn't even miss pork in the least anymore.

Tiny changes, little by little. It's like the old joke, how do you eat an elephant? Answer: One bite at a time.

Yea kingspin totally take your time at first, if you go to fast you get burnt out.
With eating kosher I'd start with either a.) taking out seafood or pork or B.) not mixing meat and dairy

if you're a planner stick to a calendar be like okay every 3-4 months i'll take one more jewish thing or get rid of something over shabbos.
or if you're not a planner just everytime you feel you want somemore to do and that you've mastered the last thing take on something else. That's what I'm trying to do.

hey it's okay, just start working at stuff. I think once you start going to services you'll get that kick that'll get the wheels turning.

King it's not that people perfer you to be 18 it's just that legally, if they start converting you and your parents get iffy they could be libel for brainwashing or something. It's just safety.

hey give your family time, tell them awhile befor eyou offically convert give them time to digest it.

i'm not offically converting yet. blaugh <-- totally sarcastic

yea so I called the rabbi and he said no. I don't know if it's that stupid dening you three times thing. I'll just ask him twice on shabbos just to make sure.
I just asked if he could give me a list of books to get me started you know tie me over for a while. He just said no, he said that hwen i go to college i could talk tot he campus rabbi. when it old him i'm going to the local university, he said oh okay. so basicly if i move or travel he'll set me up.. which i don't get. he wants me to see places outside omaha, whcih i understand, but jesus it's years before i convert can't I atleast just start and feel like i've done somethign with my life. but i guess me feeling like i've done something in the past almost 4 years is to much to ask of him, so it's okay. I'm fine.

yea not many jews are here though
it really pisses me off that he blew me off again! First he said wait till i'm 18, now it's wait till i'm away at a university. I'm just going to ask him flat out if he doesnt' want to deal with me, that's fine. Just ******** tell me.

then I'm making a nice bright pin that says "I'm not the babysitter"
because I have the slight twinge that people think i'm a babysitter, cause I push the stroller for Naama and babysit for her alot. Hell worse case I find out I really am the babysitter then I can just stop trying to make them like me. I might talk to naama tomorrow