#converts

[date-a-jew-suggestions]

I desperately want to convert but I am chronically ill and I am afraid I cannot live up to the standards. I am afraid I can't keep holidays or keep kosher even though I really want to. Do you know if it's possible to be Jewish even if you can't do it all the way? I feel such a strong sense of love and reverence for Judaism and I have felt drawn to it since I was 15(I am 21 now) but I became disabled at 19 and have lost so much in the way of being able to be present or consistent.

Short answer: yes absolutely 100% you can be Jewish, and if it’s something you feel would bring you happiness, you should pursue conversion.

The longer answer is that while our customs and traditions are important, we believe that human life is more important. Part of what that means is that Jewish tradition should not come before your physical OR mental health. If your chronic illness is preventing you from going to synagogue, that is okay. Most synagogues livestream their services now too, which makes it a lot more accessible for some people!! It’s also not the end of the world to miss a service. And having to alter the rules a bit or not keep kosher for health reasons is very common. I know a lot of Jews who just choose not to keep kosher.

My advice would be to talk to the rabbi of the synagogue you decide to join, and ask them what accommodations are available. They should be able to help, and hopefully they can work with you to figure out what would be best for you.

I am physically abled, so there are probably things I’m missing on this post. If any disabled Jews have anything to add, please feel free 💙

#jumblr #judaism #converts #jewish conversion #disabled jews

[girlactionfigure]

#Jews #Judaism #Converts

[portraitsofsaints]

Saint John the Baptist

Died: 30 AD

Feast day: June 24 (birth) August 29 (death)

Patronage: convulsions, epilepsy, hailstorms, baptism, converts, lambs, Jordan

John the Baptist was the son of Zachary and Elizabeth and cousin of Jesus. John began his ministry around age 27, preaching a message of repentance to the people of Jerusalem. He converted many and prepared the way for the coming of Jesus. He Baptized Christ, after which he stepped away and told his disciples to follow Jesus. Imprisoned by king Herod and was beheaded.

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase here: (website)

#St John the Baptist #catholic church #Converts #catholic saints #artist on tumblr #catholic art

[microwave-gremlin]

You know the drill, reblog for a bigger sample size!

(I'm making versions of this poll for different Jewish diasporas, and I might do a denomination version, too!)

#jupi gets jewish #jumblr #jews #jew #jewish #judaism #polls #tumblr polls #poll #jews of tumblr #converts #conversion #jewish conversion #jewish convert #jew by choice

[skyblue-haxi]

You are going to hate me after this, but I think that by drinking Kool aid, you are drinking the metaphorical blood of the Kool aid man. If you have it with ice, you are eating his skin (he has ice skin not glass). So, many people think that Jesus has left the planet for good. No, he has reincarnated, and taken the form of the Kool aid man. Reblog with "amen" to convert to Koolaidism.

#shitposts #kool aid #shower thoughts #belief #church of the kool aid man #amen #amen kool aid converts #join us in our enlightenment #joinus #converts #jesus conspiracy #kool aid man #kool amen #Koolaidism #he has returned #plese im so sorry christians #dont hate me #this is tumblr #a place of all religious people

[fieriframes]

[Don’t go out of their way to attract converts.]

#s16e12 layers of flavor #guy fieri #guyfieri #diners drive-ins and dives #way #converts

[seveneyesoup]

#TO CLARIFY ON THE SECOND POINT: VAMPIRES *HAVE* A REPRODUCTION METHOD THAT IS NOT SEX-BASED #THAT IS THE MAJOR POINT OF THAT ONE. THAT VAMP REPRODUCTION IS BASED ON CONVERTING INTO UNDEAD AND NOT PREGNANCY #what i think i keep coming back to is that a vampire is like. a form of pathogen or perhaps parasite #is the individual vampire meaningfully distinct from that? maybe #sort of a made up question #but that’s not a mammal #so neither is a vampire #but also like. a human is a mammal #this question sponsored by my friend who said she was done keeping mammals bc ‘they have so much fluid in them’ #and my thought that a vampire Wouldn’t #not a lot of fluids. happening there

[strangesmallbard]

#if this gets to the wrong circles i’m deleting it but i’m honestly so curious #EDIT: should have put this in the poll but convert students you can press the jewish button! #yell.txt

[lygma-nygma]

Learning that Jason was Red Robin first (during Countdown to Final Crisis) and that Tim actually stole that name and costume has made my entire week. Honest to god Tim Drake is the funniest character of all time. Imagine getting your ass beat for stealing from a guy and then doing it again anyway, top-tier character choice. I think he should take Red Hood next.

#red hood #jason todd #tim drake #red robin #batfamily #Every day I am closer and closer to converting into a Tim account

[aioome2]

#ai #aianimation #aianimationcreator #aianimationdance #aianimationgenerator #aianimationtutorial #aianimationvideogenerator #aianimationvideomaker #aiart #aiimagetoanimation #ailockup #aimakeanimation #aitoanimatephotos #Animated #animationai #animationcreatorai #animationcreatoraifree #animationtutorial #Animations #Converts #CreateFunnyAnimationWithFREEAI #free #freeaiimagetoanimation #Generate #Hilarious #imagetoaianime #imagetoanimationai #imagetoanimeai #Images #phototoanimationai

[officialspec]

i always roll my eyes a little bit when someone openly looks down on people who are religious/spiritual. ur telling me youve never made a wish before?? never sent a little prayer out into the universe???? get real

#like its worthwhile criticising shit like homeo medicine or evangelism #but ur gonna call someone a brainless moron for doing a tarot reading???? come on man #EDIT OH MY GOD IM AN ATHEIST. I AM AN ATHEIST. IM NOT TRYING TO CONVERT ANYONE ARE YOU SERIOUS

[date-a-jew-suggestions]

Is it hard to keep track of both calendars (the Hebrew and Gregorian)? Because I don't know what the date is on the Gregorian calendar half the time. Also do other jews expect you to know the date? I'm considering converting and am trying to prioritize what to start with. There's a lot to learn, it gets overwhelming to try and do everything. Obviously knowing when holidays are is necessary, but do I need to actively concern myself with the whole calendar?

I'm well aware these are probably stupid and very basic questions to you but these aren't really google questions and the only Jew I'm close friends with doesn't follow the Hebrew calendar at all. Small very christian towns suck.

First of all, there are no stupid questions when someone is converting or considering converting. Don’t worry about that.

Secondly, to answer your question, I don’t really keep track of the Hebrew calendar on a daily basis, and I don’t know many Jews who do. It’s definitely not something that is expected of you by other Jews. Also, having to Google when Jewish holidays are happening each year on the Gregorian calendar is something basically all of us will have to do from time to time. There’s nothing wrong with that.

Wishing you good luck with this decision, wether you convert or not 💙

#converts #jewish conversion

[girlactionfigure]

JEWS DON'T PROSELYTIZE

So let’s get onto the topic of Jews and proselytizing. It’s a topic that surprizes me when I reflect on how strongly I feel about it. I’ve noticed that others also feel very strongly about it. I wanted to unpack why it triggers something so powerful in me when I see Jews appearing to proselytize - that is - attempting to convert non-Jews to Judaism. It’s precisely because proselytizing is so alien to Jews in feeling and practice that I was struck by the posts of this online account:

Similar messaging even appeared on, (what presumably are), paid for adverts on roadside billboards:

Firstly, let’s not allow people of bad faith or bad intellect to pretend there’s some kind of anti-convert sentiment behind my reaction to this advert and my antipathy towards proselytizing. Converts are as Jewish as the prophets. My two favourite Jews in real life happen to be converts and they’ve enriched and deepened my relationship with my tribe. 

The question is really one of how non-Jews come to Judaism. 

As I understand it, converts are people who come to Judaism of their own volition. They are not caught by casting out a net as these billboards attempt. Following the compass of your own heart which points you towards the Jewish people is a beautiful power. The unique, organic footsteps that bring each convert to the true home of their soul are less likely to be reversed, retraced and tip-toed back out of than someone who was sold the religion as if it was a Subway sandwich. These are people who truly want to bind their destiny with us because they truly are us. Those who fall in love with Jews and convert before marriage have also experienced a calling of the soul - the organic flourishing of love within their heart. 

None of these converts were cold-called by a telesalesman offering them an opportunity too good to be true. They weren’t cynically recruited as an exercise in numbers. They weren’t randomly solicited, persuaded, manipulated, hunted or worked upon - which is exactly what these billboards are doing. They are trying to manipulate and work on non-Jews in order persuade them to abandon who they are - as if whoever they are is inherently a lesser thing - and to become Jewish. These adverts are capitalism in action. They are as tawdry as an advert for Doritos. Surely advertising the Torah like it’s some cleaning product competing against other cleaning products is rank? And I write this as a secular Jew. If you want Judaism to compete in the marketplace like Kentucky Fried Chicken or Mountain Dew - then I think that cheapens and degrades what you’re “selling”.

Adverts also target our insecurity. The heart of advertising is to tell us we’re not good enough unless we own this product. You smell bad. You look ugly. You’re uninteresting. Firstly, a non-Jew is as perfect as a Jew. They don’t have to become Jewish to have value - and Jews don’t need others to become Jewish for our tribe to have value. We don’t need to be validated by getting non-Jews to join us. Secondly: I think it’s irresponsible and distasteful for Judaism to proselytise as it risks taking advantage of the weak and vulnerable. If someone succumbs to your idealistic sales pitch when not at their best - you’re inflicting a lot of damage if they decide it’s not for them in the future. Someone extricating themself from a religion they adopted whilst in a bad place is more emotionally complicated than someone trying out a hair product and deciding it’s not for them. 

I also think we should be unashamed in saying it’s better to have quality over quantity. We don’t need members of the tribe just for the sake of it. In any venture in life, it’s better to have a small group of people whose hearts are truly into something than simply going for numbers. We have to ask the question: why proselytize in the first place? What’s the goal? We’re a tiny minority but our numbers are fairly stable. We’ve been around for thousands of years and aren’t going anywhere soon? Why proselytize? Why would we want to go out converting non-Jews? And why don’t we?

This leads to the most profound reason for not proselytising - one that’s important not just for the Jews - but for the world at large.

Jews choosing not to proselytize is the most beautiful rejection of an anti-totalitarian instinct. We don’t proselytize precisely because we’re not trying to take over the world. We just want a small corner of it where we can be free. And we’re happy for others to be free. We’ll mix and get on with everyone and participate fully in the world. But we’d be awfully unhappy if people didn’t accept us as we are and tried to stop us being Jews. We hope that everyone else mixes, interacts and participates as fully as they want to with the world. But we don’t think they should have to stop being themselves to do so. 

Whether people like it or not there’s a totalitarian instinct ingrained in the act of proselytizing. And it’s not just confined to spiritual faith groups. Political sects such as communism are also on a mission to convert people.

The starting point and end goal of those who proselytize is thus: if everyone is the same then the world will be a good place. If everyone accepts Jesus there will be heaven on earth. If everyone accepts the prophet Muhammed there will be peace. If everyone accepts the teachings of Marx there will be utopia. 

By NOT proselytizing, Judaism communicates that people can be different and the world can still be a good place. We don’t all have to think the same. We don’t have to dress the same. We don’t have to pray to the same God. We don’t need to dominate others and turn them into us. People are allowed to be different. It is the most profound example of live and let live in action. It is a rejection of mass uniformity and global group think. Jews - with their passionately held convictions and belief they possess certain truths - are not trying to force it on others. 

We need to absorb how revolutionary and powerful this concept is. To have ideas you cherish and believe are life enhancing - and to be able to enjoy them without trying to force them on others. It is bizarre that some people’s enjoyment of a thing is reduced if other people aren’t enjoying it too. To then go out and try to convert others by persuasion or the sword is an insane level of insecurity.

Proselytizing is not just questionable because it leads harassment, bullying and domination - the goal of global group think would be awful if achieved. A healthy nation, a healthy civilisation, a healthy planet will venerate difference - not domination. The friction of different perspectives is absolutely essential for human vitality and progress. 

So I honestly don’t know what the people who post materials that stray into proselytizing are playing at. Converts will come - as they do and as they always have done. And they are among the best of us. But going out hunting them isn’t bringing something to Judaism. It’s taking something away.

Anyway, it doesn’t affect me - I worship Zeus.

Only joking.

Thanks for reading. I hope I’ve converted you to the beauty of accepting converts without actively trying to convert people. 

Sending love to all Jews who are beautiful and perfect as Jews - and love to all non-Jews who are beautiful and perfect as non-Jews.

Once again, if you think my articles are welcome contributions to ongoing debates and have some value, please do subscribe:

LEE KERN

#Judaism #Proselytize #Jewish #converts

[sangled]

pomni: why does the moon call u babygirl

#the amazing digital circus #tadc #digital circus #caine #bubble #pomni #fanart #sang art #character design #bubble my precious creature i converted into a human-sized small thing #1kn #5kn

[missjojokiss]

Sweet Potatoes with Brandy and Raisins These not-too-sweet baked sweet potatoes are a great fall and winter side dish.

#raisins recipe #fall #side dish #converts #potatoes #oven

[orcasharks]

Sweet Potatoes with Brandy and Raisins Recipe These not-too-sweet baked sweet potatoes are a great fall and winter side dish. 1/2 cup raisins, 1/4 cup brandy, 4 sweet potatoes, 2 tablespoons softened butter, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

#non-sweet-potato-believers #side dish #sweet potatoes #brandy #converts #raisins recipe