r/JewsOfConscience Jewish Anti-Zionist 23d ago

Discussion - Flaired Users Only problems with jewish identity

i was not raised as a jew. my great-grandmother was jewish, but she was forced to convert to catholicism in order to marry my great-grandfather. after discovering this, i began to study judaism and felt extremely comfortable and happy with the religion, and began to contact my local synagogue for conversion. problem is: i didn't like the people that ran the local synagogue. i didn't felt welcomed for who i am and what i belive, they are staunch zionists.

there is no other synagogue in the city (i live in a small state capital in brazil).

i don't know what to do. I wasn't raised jewish, but fell in love with the religion and began to study the Halakah and observe the mitzvot.

i don't like to call myself a jew because i never did my formal conversion, but i don't feel like anything else.

what am i?

59 Upvotes

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17

u/sudo_apt-get_intrnet LGBTQ Jew 23d ago

What branch of Judaism are you trying to convert into? Maybe some relatively nearby synagogues have a way to do at least most of the process online? Depending on where you are I know Sao Paulo and Rio have relatively large populations (my father is from the latter) so if you're even relatively nearby them you might be able to find something that only makes you visit in person a couple times.

Converting to Judaism is a difficult process. Historically some Rabbis have even claimed that you need to completely reject a potential convert three times before they can even START the process. Most denominations have it require years of formal study before they finally consider you a Jew.

I know there are some converts/converting people in this sub as well; might be worth trying to DM them?

16

u/DeadRat__ Jewish Anti-Zionist 23d ago

The Synagogue in question is Conservative, there is no other nearby.

if depended exclusively on my will, i would convert to a Reformist or Reconstructivist synagogue.

i live far from Rio, São Paulo or any large population center, i feel completely alone in this process!

thank you so much for the help.

13

u/eitzhaimHi Jewish 23d ago

First of all, welcome home. Formal conversion is certainly possible as other posters have said. The Bnei Jesherun referral is a good one! Also you might contact the Reconstructionist seminary and see what they can do. Perhaps they could arrange structured online study and conversion. Also, they have a policy of accepting non-Zionists.

If your neshama is calling you to Judaism, please don't give up! We need your Torah.

8

u/DeadRat__ Jewish Anti-Zionist 23d ago

thank you so much for your kind words!

17

u/richards1052 Jewish Anti-Zionist 23d ago edited 23d ago

In this day and age, I'm certain some rabbis would do a virtual conversion process. There is a Conservative rabbinical seminary in Buenos Aires. I would Contact them and ask if this is a possibility. If that doesn't work, I would contact Rabbi Matalon at Kehillat Jesherun in NYC. He trained at that seminary and might be able to help

As I understand, the conversion process involves reading, study and conversations between yourself and the 3 rabbis who would preside over your conversion process. I don't believe it's as onerous as a prior commenter said. But it does require extensive study and commitment.

8

u/DeadRat__ Jewish Anti-Zionist 23d ago

thank you SO MUCH my friend!

5

u/acacia_tree Reform Ashkie Diasporist 23d ago

It’s Rabbi Roly Matalon at B’nai Jeshurun. He’s from Argentina

2

u/richards1052 Jewish Anti-Zionist 23d ago

Yes, that was a typo on my part. I knew his last name, but left out the last letter.

2

u/richards1052 Jewish Anti-Zionist 23d ago

More more than welcome.

5

u/Baka-Onna Vietnamese Gentile Ally 23d ago

It depends on your disposition. I have a lot of acquaintances from different backgrounds, some of them not even Rabbinical. Karaite Judaism is probably even harder to access depending on where you are, but if you proceed with Rabbinic Judaism… Reform, Conservative/Masorti, Orthodox (which Hassidic and Open Orthodox), Renewal, and Reconstructionist can fall under.

A number of individuals who cannot convert currently are encouraged to be Noahides and engage in things like Pūrīm, which aren’t necessarily forbidden for Gentiles to participate in, according to the educated Orthodox and Masorti folks i asked.

4

u/Loose-Tutor-5983 22d ago

You’re Jewish. You’re just not officially a Jew yet.

Keep Shabbat the best you can. Keep studying Torah, keep davening, keep being grateful, keep being kind, and keep looking for signs of the divine everywhere you go. That’s the most important part. Just build from there.

3

u/auggie_sochalski Jewish Democratic-Socialist 19d ago

So, hi. Fellow Brazilian jew here (vou colocar as coisas em inglês pro resto do povo entender. E aqui, de qual cidade você é? Se bobear da pra arranjar algo) So yeah, first of all: is that your maternal grandmother? Because if it is, it doesn't matter, you are a jew. A similar thing happened to me throughout my life, but with my mother trying to give me a jewish name (I was supposed to be named David) and raise me in a jewish school; my godmother tried her best to prevent it, being afraid of what antisemitism could do to me. My father was a non religious jew and my grandmother was an atheist, so nobody cared. It was only later that I discovered all of that, and jumped right into the religion (keeping the shabat, consulting with rabbis, praying, etc.). Don't be afraid to answer your calling. Don't be afraid to question your pears. There are a lot of good people here to help you. And hey, we live in the same country, so don't be afraid to contact me either!

Muita paz, Baruch H'shem!

2

u/DeadRat__ Jewish Anti-Zionist 16d ago

Shalom e saudações, amigo! Sou de Natal-RN.

My jewish great-grandmother comes from my mother's side! So i think this makes me a jew!

Thank you for sharing your history, and thank you for your kind words.

6

u/GB819 Deist Ally 23d ago

There is something called a Noahide. A Noahide abides by the Torah and Jewish laws but is still a Gentile.

2

u/growing-gold Jewish Socialist, Ashkenazi 23d ago

Isn’t Noahidism explicitly tied to Zionism?

4

u/specialistsets Non-denominational 23d ago

The concept of gentiles observing the Seven Noahide Laws is ancient. Maimonides urged Jews to encourage gentiles to observe them. Chabad is a big proponent. There are also a subset of Religious Zionists who strongly advocate for it because they believe it will bring the Messiah sooner.

1

u/GB819 Deist Ally 23d ago

Maybe it is. If it is, I gave bad advice. Then I retract it.

2

u/nah-chill 21d ago

you should look into Judaism Unbound. they are pretty woke and hippie-y mostly in ways I find cool. they have an online conversion program and are open to everyone. one of the rabbis is on the board of jvp even. honestly if they encountered someone who really pushed their boundaries they'd probably be grateful for the project

1

u/DeadRat__ Jewish Anti-Zionist 21d ago

thank you so much!

2

u/Bright_Beginning_273 17d ago

No advice, but I also had a Jewish great-grandparent (Dad's maternal grandmother) who converted to Catholicism to marry. I have also wondered "what" I am, but I am also an atheist, so I don't think about it much religiously. I do wonder sometimes where my "place" is within the movement though bc I'm neither Jewish nor Christian but I grew up in the Episcopal Church. People who are Christian don't usually want to hear anything from people who have left Christianity