From Rabbi Adar: Dawn Kepler is my friend and teacher. Years and years ago, she mentored me through conversion. She is the founding director of Building Jewish Bridges: Embracing Interfaith Couples & Families in Berkeley, CA. Dawn has worked in outreach to unaffiliated and interfaith couples since 1990. BJB’s programs also address the unique concerns of Jewish minorities that are often a subset of the interfaith population – multiracial, multiethnic and LGBT Jews.
In response to the needs of seekers and converts to Judaism, Dawn works with Linda Burnett on programs offered through the website www.becomingjewish.net.
She wrote to her mailing list about my Who’s the Most Jewish? post and said some things I wish I’d said. So I thought, “Gosh, it’s time for a guest blogger!” Whether you were born Jewish or converted to Judaism it is highly tempting to get caught up in the mental high jinks of other people, especially ones who are verbally poking you with a stick. But don’t. Don’t let someone else’s insecurity color your confidence and your actions.
Read Rabbi Adar’s article, Who’s the Most Jewish? and ask yourself, do I need more learning? Do I want to read Hebrew better? Would I really feel better if I had converted or was converting in a more traditional movement?
Do what YOU need to feel authentic. I have a friend who began with a Reform conversion and years later decided to have a Conservative one. Then more years passed and she became Orthodox and had a third conversion with an Orthodox rabbi. Some people refer to this as an ‘upgrade.’ It’s not. An upgrade means to raise to a higher standard. What standard are you shooting for? Judaism demands that we use our brains, learn what our sages have taught and then upgrade our lives.
You know the story of Zusya who wept for fear that he had not been himself. In other words he had not fulfilled his potential. The upgrade you must pursue is to and do whatever it is that you were created for. Only you really know what that is.
So let’s think about it.
I have a friend who decided to get on the chevra kadisha (the committee that prepares the dead for burial), another one joined the hospitality committee, another volunteers at Jewish Family & Children’s Services, another donates services from his business to various agencies’ fundraisers, another reads with kids through the Jewish Literacy Project, and another heads his shul’s blood drive.
Find out what your passion in the Jewish community is and DO IT. OWN your Judaism!
Now lech lecha! Get going!
Related articles
- Part Jewish? (coffeeshoprabbi.com)
- Who’s the Most Jewish? (coffeeshoprabbi.com)
