Our family’s excitement continues to grow over the July 26th date for our final piece to the conversion puzzle, the Beit Din and Mikveh. My family has also been working towards being more frum and my wife has taken up an obsession with beautiful head coverings (Like I have with my Kippah collection). I have been growing more and more frum/observant throughout this year and a half process, but what I like about Reform Judaism, is that I/we are consciously making the choice to be more observant, not being told we have to. I love the free will choices in the Reform movement!

I have a ton of great friends around the world, and over the past year and a half, I’ve made some amazing ones in Israel (and some of the Muslim countries around it in the process). This coupled with making some amazing Jewish friends here in Philly and our family has never felt more welcomed by anyone, ever! 

We’ve changed how we eat to (mostly) be Halacha compliant, and we read incessantly to learn and grow more and more. We have missed a couple of Shabbat services due to illness and we’re currently in B’Nei Mitzvah classes in which we become Bar and Bat Mitzvah in February 2023. We’ve celebrated all of the holidays and have lived a very Jewish life through this whole process. We also feel very connected to Eretz-Yisrael, which is what spurred us to make so many amazing friends in the ancient homeland of the Jewish people. 

This entire journey has been absolutely beyond words and something that will forever stay in our hearts as we move forward and continue to learn and grow. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Rabbi Eli for his kindness, guidance, and wisdom, Rabbi Maderer for her wisdom and leadership, Cantor Hyman for his incredible voice and knowledge, and our entire synagogue Congregation Rodeph Shalom for welcoming us and being so kind and accepting of all people. We honestly love you all!!!