Scan barcode
Reviews
Becoming Jewish: The Challenges, Rewards, and Paths to Conversion by Steven Reuben, Jennifer Hanin
skylarkochava's review against another edition
2.0
Disclaimer: I have had both a conservative and orthodox conversion. I blogged about conversion for two years with a fair amount of success (and my now-closed blog still attracts 17,000 views a month). I tell you this to give a basis for what I am about to say.
This book is drivel. It has pervasive factual errors. I marked over thirty as bad enough to groan at. The rabbi may be a great reconstructionist rabbi, but he appears to have a superficial (and sometimes blatantly incorrect) understanding of Jewish tradition and law.
But for those of you who have read it, you need at least two very important clarifications. Most notably, you should know that the conservative and orthodox movements do NOT require ANY actual Hebrew language knowledge. You must be able to pronounce Hebrew text aloud, that is all. Not even quickly, for that matter. You do not need to be conversational in Hebrew. Yes, you will learn Hebrew phrases and words, but you won't hold a Hebrew conversation unless you want to learn that.
Secondly, I HATED the chapter about the beit din. You are NOT a failure doomed to never convert if you go to a beit din and they say you aren't ready. It happens to a LOT of people. It is not "rare" or limited to situations where you "whip out a BLT" or profess faith in Jesus. This chapter is not just misleading, but doomed to do significant emotional to harm people who will become good Jews, if not on that day.
This book is drivel. It has pervasive factual errors. I marked over thirty as bad enough to groan at. The rabbi may be a great reconstructionist rabbi, but he appears to have a superficial (and sometimes blatantly incorrect) understanding of Jewish tradition and law.
But for those of you who have read it, you need at least two very important clarifications. Most notably, you should know that the conservative and orthodox movements do NOT require ANY actual Hebrew language knowledge. You must be able to pronounce Hebrew text aloud, that is all. Not even quickly, for that matter. You do not need to be conversational in Hebrew. Yes, you will learn Hebrew phrases and words, but you won't hold a Hebrew conversation unless you want to learn that.
Secondly, I HATED the chapter about the beit din. You are NOT a failure doomed to never convert if you go to a beit din and they say you aren't ready. It happens to a LOT of people. It is not "rare" or limited to situations where you "whip out a BLT" or profess faith in Jesus. This chapter is not just misleading, but doomed to do significant emotional to harm people who will become good Jews, if not on that day.
seethinglloron's review
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.0
If you're very new to conversion, you'll find this a useful reference. Despite a ton of research I've done, this is the first conversion book I have read that talks about wedding customs, which I appreciated!
If you're an anti-zionist, skip the last two or three chapters. Not worth the headache.
If you're an anti-zionist, skip the last two or three chapters. Not worth the headache.
zuulish's review against another edition
2.0
this might be a good resource on conversion, but it seems a bit too concerned with older converts with families and a bit too outdated for me. i left feeling a bit confused over this one unfortunately
tovahlisa's review
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This is a great book for someone interested in becoming Jewish (as the title suggests). I enjoyed the tone set forth by the authors & editor, and the testimonies from converts peppered throughout were informative, especially when coming from different lifestyles (i.e., a single person, someone whose spouse is not Jewish, etc).
The only downfall of this book was that it is heavily directed toward parents who are converting with their children. It claims to be for anyone, but as a single woman in a relationship with a non-religious person with no children (yet), I found little assistance in how to have important conversation such as "will we raise our children Jewish?" or "how do you convert alone?"
Admittedly, there could be a later edition of the book which is updated. One huge bonus is the accompanying websites and Facebook page, allowing access to more updated and timely information. I found this essential during the holiday season, as I was juggling with the question of what Christmas meant for me in the past, the present, and the future.
I took my readings slowly, generally only reading one chapter a day so that I could take the time to process the new information. However, each section was a quick read, so I set the reading pace as "medium" to account for that. Others may find their reading speed differs.
The only downfall of this book was that it is heavily directed toward parents who are converting with their children. It claims to be for anyone, but as a single woman in a relationship with a non-religious person with no children (yet), I found little assistance in how to have important conversation such as "will we raise our children Jewish?" or "how do you convert alone?"
Admittedly, there could be a later edition of the book which is updated. One huge bonus is the accompanying websites and Facebook page, allowing access to more updated and timely information. I found this essential during the holiday season, as I was juggling with the question of what Christmas meant for me in the past, the present, and the future.
I took my readings slowly, generally only reading one chapter a day so that I could take the time to process the new information. However, each section was a quick read, so I set the reading pace as "medium" to account for that. Others may find their reading speed differs.
Content Warnings
Minor: Antisemitism and Genocide
The book, of course, addresses the existence and handling of antisemitism. During the parenting chapter, one slur against the Jewish people is written in plain letters (within an appropriate context). The approach to antisemitism is one of understanding and compassion. The chapter on Israel and its position in the Middle East may be a difficult read for many, as it was for me. However, it does not get into gory details, reading more like a history book about the past 70 years or so. As would be expected, the writing is biased toward Israel and its people (and rightly so, considering the book is about Judaism). As a consequence, it holds no bars when describing surrounding nations, bringing up mentions of terrorism, genocide, war violence, and antisemitism.
More...