Yom Kippur

Today Jews all over are celebrating Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism. Because it is a day of reflection, I’ve tried to do my fair share of it. Recently, events surrounding me have given me a sort of a wake up call. See, the thing is, I fell in love with Judaism when I was 5 years old. I studied Hebrew, and we celebrated some of the holidays. But my mother, well, she got bored, or maybe wanted to explore something new, and since there was no encouragement for me anymore, I didn’t continue. Later on I moved to Los Angeles, where everyone is jewish. I started studying again, picking up more Hebrew, learning more about the culture, and surrounding myself with jewish friends. Then Lucy decided to convert. It was such an amazing experience, she took me with her to the classes. At that point in my life I wasn’t ready. I wanted to do it for the right reasons, for me, and because it was something I wanted to be a part of for the rest of my life. And it is hard for people to see that this desire is real, that it comes from me and not from the need to please anyone.. or anyone’s parents 😉

Last summer I got the opportunity to go to Israel. Suddenly, it was real. All those times I spent thinking about how I would love to live there now had an experience to reinforce it. I fell in love all over again. And I know, I know, unless I get a kickass job, for now moving there seems difficult, but I’d rather be ready…

The Holy Land

So I’m taking action… Lately I had been evaluating my options for doing the conversion,  And a few conversations I had over the weekend reinforced what I was thinking, that the best time to do it would be now. Because, after all, why wait? The program begins next month, and I am uber excited… I know it will be hard, that the driving to L A may become exhausting, and that I might find it impossible at times. But I know that I have a team of friends on my side, to help me if I get stuck, to inspire me to continue, to let me spend the night if I have to… and in the end, it will all be worth it. It will be the completion of a journey I began a lifetime ago. Because since I was a little girl, this always felt like the place where I belonged.