some notes on exploring Judaism
Sometimes people tell me they want to explore the possibility of conversion to Judaism, ask what their first steps should be.
Some of this advice also work, in my opinion, for Jews who seek to connect, or reconnect with their tradition, since I get asked about that a lot, too.
If you're exploring the question of conversion–
definitely start by learning more, to see if your feelings/hunches/sense of being drawn to it gets stronger as you go deeper, or—you know, not so much.
You’re allowed to investigate something and discover that it’s a place you enjoyed visiting, even if it’s not where you ultimately want to live! Or maybe the deeper you go, the more it feels like home. Only one way to find out.
Also, to make explicit something I hope has been clear this whole time: Learning is good! Expanding in all the ways is good! It's totally possible, even advisable, to learn and read and explore and become more knowledgeable generally, including about religious traditions not your own. Speaking personally, my own study of Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and other traditions have only enriched my own experience of being a human being, being a person in the world interacting with other people, and, in some ways, a Jew. [[1]]
So it's perfectly fine if you're not Jewish and just go after more learning because you want some.
And if you're investigating conversion and decide we've got a great vacation spot even if you don't want to set up permanent residence– that's also totally OK. Be where feels Correct for you with all of this.
If you're Jewish and trying to reconnect and/or connect for the first time, that might be a pretty good place to start, too.
This button below links to a list of books and podcasts and websites and stuff. There are some good overview/Judaism 101 books in there, and things on various aspects of Jewish life, theology, ritual, whatever. Start anywhere.
Also remember that Life is a Sacred Text is here to help you grow and grapple as you go!
If you don't get Life Is A Sacred Text Monday essays, they're FREE and totally accessible ways to get some brain and heart nourishment--have a look around the site for the kind of stuff that happens here. If you’re not a paid subscriber, I might note that our Thursday sessions are often deep dives into more text, more discussion, and are way more interactive than the Monday sessions are. Start there!
*support@lifeisasacredtext.com as always. And if you're able to subsidize these donated subscriptions, you can subscribe at a higher tier.
Learning about one thing might open a door into curiosity about another thing and another one after that, as it sometimes does. Start somewhere, see where things lead you.
Then there's the thing about finding community.
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