Inspiration From a Convert

I have been associated with Machon Meir since 1995. This wonderful institution has three kinds of students. There are students going though the process of conversion, and there are Ba’alei Teshuva, formerly non-observant Jews, desiring to become religious.

The third category of students are young men who come from observant homes but are uninspired by their religious education, and feel that religion was forced upon them.

Recently, I first had a one on one session with one of these students who was willing to give Judaism one last chance before entering the secular world. He was followed by a twenty-four year old conversion candidate from Poland. I was given the task of preparing him for his meeting with the Beit Din, Jewish court, hoping to approve his conversion.

I asked my first student to stick around and watch me question the conversion candidate as if I was one of the judges of the rabbinic court.

The wavering student from the religious home looked on in disbelief. How was it possible that someone raised as a Christian could be so inspired by experiencing one Shabbat dinner, to go through Jewish conversion?

He left his family and comfortable lifestyle to study in a Jerusalem Yeshiva for over year. He willingly has taken upon himself all of the restrictions of an observant Jew. He is excited to soon be performing the Mitzva of circumcision. He doesn’t have to do any of this stuff, but wants to do it with great passion.

This meeting may have been stronger than any convincing that I might be able to do. We must remember that beautiful quote at all times, “Judaism is perfect. Those who practice it, are not.”