Converting – A Two Part Experience.

The next phase in this two-part experience, is the religious part of converting and the physical part of converting. The religious part of converting is also a two-part. First one goes to the Beit Din (the Jewish court) and the second part is going to the Mikvah (the ritual bath). The next phase is again in two parts; converting the kitchen and the rule regarding food, and the observance of the Jewish way of life.

On December 27, 1987, I went to one of the Beit Dins (the Jewish court) in Los Angeles and then immersed myself in the Mikvah (the ritual bath) for an Orthodox conversion. I chose the date because it was the closest Sunday to my birth date, December 23. I was fifty-seven years old and, in essence, this was my second birth date.

Going to the Beit Din was unnerving. I waited in the living room of the chief rabbi for my turn; several other people, some from as far away as Canada, waited with me. This in itself was stressful, and seeing three
men in long beards, black hats and black coats just added to it. The three rabbis were friendly and tried to put me at ease. The religious questions they asked were not that difficult -- they were more concerned with understanding why I wanted to convert to Judaism and to be sure I had not been pressured to do so.

After the interview I was welcomed into the Jewish community and given a certificate of conversion written in Hebrew. As my given name was Ruth, a name rich in Jewish heritage, I did not take a Hebrew name. In the Torah, Ruth was the first convert to Judaism; it was fortuitous that my parents gave me this name.

If the interview was a legal test, the Mikvah was my spiritual test.Preparing to be immersed in the large pool of water was extremely symbolic. First, I had to be sure nothing from the external world was on my body, like a hair from my head. To guarantee this, I showered. An attendant put a sheet over my head and I stuck my head through an opening in the center. This was for modesty, since the three rabbis would witness the immersion. After I was in the water, the rabbis entered the room. I had to lower my body under the water three times so that no part of my body was showing. I said a prayer each of the three times and the rabbis would utter the word kosher after a successful immersion. I did not realize how buoyant my body was; I could not fully submerge on my first attempt. I remember vividly the sensation of the water. It tingled and fell as if it was energizing me. I see the Mikvah as representing the womb, and walking out of the Mikvah the coming down the birth canal into a new life. The next step was to convert my kitchen in accordance to the Jewish dietary laws. (I will not go into details in this area, as it is too detailed.)

 

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

Moonlight Over The Canal. A Memoir
by Ruth Shults.