Rabbi is a Keeper

Some of you may remember that, after being at a certain Reform synagogue for a year--and waiting for their conversion class to start--I was told they weren't having the class this year and that maybe I should consider going to another synagogue.

So I started going to the Conservative synagogue in December, and I contacted the rabbi a few weeks ago about conversion. Our schedules do not align very well, and he said he would have to get back with me about his schedule. I didn't hear back from him after a couple of weeks, so I sent him an e-mail to see if he had had a chance to look at his schedule and that I didn't mean to be a pest, but I didn't want to look uncommitted.

He replied yesterday or day before that he hadn't forgotten about me, he just didn't have anything open on his schedule right now. And then he said that he was very glad I was at their synagogue and that I'm welcome.

Then, this morning, he sent me an e-mail asking if I had gotten his previous e-mail and that he had missed seeing me in synagogue last week (I didn't go because the weather was kind of bad).

Do you know the rabbis (there are two of them) at the Reform synagogue have never e-mailed me since I left 2 months ago? I was there every week for a year and then I stopped going there entirely and haven't had contact with them or anyone else at the synagogue. Either they never noticed I disappeared, or they just don't care.

But new rabbi is a keeper.

Mychal wrote:

Some of you may remember that, after being at a certain Reform synagogue for a year--and waiting for their conversion class to start--I was told they weren't having the class this year and that maybe I should consider going to another synagogue.

So I started going to the Conservative synagogue in December, and I contacted the rabbi a few weeks ago about conversion. Our schedules do not align very well, and he said he would have to get back with me about his schedule. I didn't hear back from him after a couple of weeks, so I sent him an e-mail to see if he had had a chance to look at his schedule and that I didn't mean to be a pest, but I didn't want to look uncommitted.

He replied yesterday or day before that he hadn't forgotten about me, he just didn't have anything open on his schedule right now. And then he said that he was very glad I was at their synagogue and that I'm welcome.

Then, this morning, he sent me an e-mail asking if I had gotten his previous e-mail and that he had missed seeing me in synagogue last week (I didn't go because the weather was kind of bad).

Do you know the rabbis (there are two of them) at the Reform synagogue have never e-mailed me since I left 2 months ago? I was there every week for a year and then I stopped going there entirely and haven't had contact with them or anyone else at the synagogue. Either they never noticed I disappeared, or they just don't care.

But new rabbi is a keeper.

That is so good! I know it can be frustrating when a rabbi does not respond. The first rabbi I reached out to was just not responsive at all, in fact was not all that nice. I felt for a long time I must have done something wrong but then he left that temple and the new rabbi is great. I had already gone through the conversion but now I know the way he was acting had to do with the fact he was going to leave the temple and it was his way of separating.

So happy to hear that you found a Rabbi that is responsive, even if he is so busy.

I have a meeting with him this Sunday. Woot!

That's great, Mychal!

Meeting went well. I didn't do a lot of speaking (at least I don't think I did, lol), but the rabbi said several times that he had a feeling or a sense that I was very committed. He was pleased that I was on this forum, talking to other converts in a variety of denominations.

He mostly went over how he did things--that he'd like to meet every 3-4 weeks, but it's up to me to set the meetings, so if I want/need to move slower, that's okay.

He'll assign me 5 essays (I already know what two of them are about--because I've been talking to the other ger--and have them prepared, LOL), and some reading.

He said that it typically took a year to two years, although if he had someone transfer in from another program and was well into their studies, then it might be less time.

I'm supposed to wait 72 hours to get back to him on whether or not I want to work with him, so tomorrow at noon, I'll send him an e-mail. LOL.

After waiting for more than a year to get a real start, I'm rip-rearing to go.

I'm curious as to what he said about your husband not being Jewish? There seems to be a myth that Conservative Rabbis will never work with a convert if their spouse is not Jewish. I know that is not true but I'm wondering if you can tell us how he addressed the issue.

He said that some rabbis wouldn't, but that he would because if you're in a loving, committed relationship, difficulties could usually be worked out in a mutually-agreeable way. Although he did warn that it can cause some bumps when it comes to creating a Jewish home.

I know my husband is not going to go for a pork-free kitchen, although he will cook pork-free meals for me. In fact, about the only time he eats pork--other than in a restaurant--is when he's cooking his breakfast (I never eat breakfast); he likes sausage or pork chops for breakfast. He's switched to cheese pizzas plus turkey pepperoni, though. He likes to "doctor" a pizza anyways, and he said he finds it easier to only have one type of pepperoni to deal with (and he won't admit it openly, but the turkey pepperoni is more flavorful and less greasy). We even get turkey pepperoni on our shared pizza at the local pizza place.

I don't think the rabbi is going to demand we have a completely kosher kitchen (not even a possibility in our little mobile home and with our limited finances right now)--just that my husband is willing to tolerate my dietary needs.