I went to this website a couple of months ago because of me deep interest, spanning decades. regarding converting to Judaism. I had attended a Unitarian church for some years but ultimately found it unsatisfying. I've done extensive research and talked to Jewish friends.
So what held me back? 5,000 years of history and culture. Being Jewish is not just a matter of beliefs and daily practices. It's a shared 5,000 year history, and I would not share that history. I feared that I would not fit in. Even worse, a number of Jewish friends told me I was unlikely to be fully accepted.
So when I found this article online, I read it carefully. The article is about the practice of "Oneg," or a meet-and-greet, often with food, after many Reform services. The article suggested that people in individual congregations tended to cluster with their established friends and not make newcomers feel welcome. The article had a number of suggestions for fighting that tendency, which I think is just part of human nature.
http://reformjudaismmag.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=2886
After reading it, I made a post. I asked if a non-Jewish visitor or recent convert was likely to be welcomed at Oneg. It wasn't hostile or rude in any way. The article went to the heart of my only reservation regarding converstion. For me, it was a crucial question.
Posts are moderated at this site, and my post never even went up. I guess I have my answer. :(
No comments:
Post a Comment