Converting to Judaism After a Life of Christianity

In the late 1980s, even though I had no intentions of converting to Judaism I took a class in the basics of the religion. I had no intentions of converting to Judaism when I took these classes but found them stimulating and thought provoking. Even though I was a member of two previous religions -- Lutheran and Religious Science --I did not believe converting to Judaism was on my horizon. However, the pull to converting to Judaism was like a very soft whisper in my ear. It was like an emotional pull from my past was guiding me in the direction of
converting to Judaism.
I learned about Kabbalah, the heart of Jewish mysticism and ancient wisdom. After studying Religious Science, it was easier for me to understand the abstractions of Kabbalah. I studied The Ten Sefirots, which teach the essence of God and the relationship between man and God. These classes thoroughly challenged and stimulated me to the core of my being. Then in 1986 this whole process got escalated up to the next level.

I had a session with Lucy and Joshua during which Joshua suggested that I visit Israel. In January 1987 David, our teacher, took us on a two-week spiritual and historical journey to the Holy Land. The first week we stayed in Safad and studied Kabbalah and the Golden Age of Safad in the 16th century, at the Ascent Institute. We visited most of the points of interest including seeing an Israeli military camp. The second week we spent in Jerusalem, taking day trips and studying with local rabbis. We walked through the Old City and prayed at the Western Wall (called the Kotel).
While praying at the Kotel, I had a deep emotional experience that I felt was more than a non-Jew might have. I had an internal vibration so strong I began to sob uncontrollably. When we returned home, I again contacted Lucy andJoshua to discuss this internal upheaval. Joshua explained that I had been a Jew at the time of the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. So, did the simple action of putting my hand on the remains of the Temple connect me to that lifetime long ago? I suspect it did. This concept was indeed a leap of faith, but it gave meaning to my emotional reaction, something I could not otherwise explain. Was this the reason Joshua wanted me to visit Israel?
After hearing this story, I took David's instructions in Judaism more seriously; I also began to think about converting to Judaism, or as I now say it, returning to Judaism. (In a class from a rabbi I took sometime later, he felt someone converting to Judaism already has a Jewish soul. If you can believe both stories this certainly would be true in my case.) Without a doubt, the most powerful reason behind my conversion was the bservance of Shabbat. Shabbat is a space in time where it seems that time stands still. In the book "To Be a Jew", Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin writes of Shabbat, "It is a glorious release from weekday concerns and routine pressures. It is a day of peaceful tranquility, inner joy and spiritual uplift, accompanied by song and cheer. It is a time to refresh the body and the soul." Outside concerns hold no power during this time. Shabbat starts at sundown on Friday with the lighting of candles, and concludes with the Havdala ritual, 25 hours later.

At first I thought I will never finish all the things I did on Saturday, but it was amazing how everything did get accomplished -- certainly all the important things.

This is the background of why I made the decision to convert to Judaism. This is my unusual story of why I converted to Judaism. I have often told people my conversion to Judaism is an example of why I feel there is an invisible force -- God -- guiding me. Conversion to Judaism was never on my list of things to do, but converting to Judaism was one of the most important actions I have taken in my life.

 

 

 

 

A spiritual and inspirational guide. Drawing From The Well by Ruth Shults

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