The Story--Part IV Introduction into the community

Now that I'm converting I'm starting to interact with Jewish people in an interesting way. Suddenly, I'm not just Adam's non-Jewish girlfriend but I am Jewish (well almost) but that's how I am treated.

Something I remained amazed with, after choosing to convert, was the immediate change in everyone who had originally so strongly disapproved of our relationship. Everyone of Adam's family and friends were accepting and embracing.

I started taking classes and studying Judaism and Hebrew regularly as part of the process and started realizing how study is an integral part of Judaism and would be so even after the conversion was done. The first holiday was a lot of fun. Adam and I spent it in Michigan and dressed up as the “dude” from the Big Lebowski. While at first, I took on the rules with the intention of making exceptions for myself, like for example turning off the lights on Shabbos to save energy, I started to begin to realize how special experiencing Shabbos as a community with following all the rules could be and another integral part of the rules is discussing how you can save energy and make life a little easier on Shabbos without breaking any rules. Like timers to turn lights off. Energy efficient bulbs and so on.

Keeping Kosher, too, I originally started to take on while assuming I would be making exceptions. For example, I figured I could still eat at vegetarian restaurants but now I am even coming to question doing this. There is something special about making something outside of oneself more important that just ones own desires. And having a community to support one another and share ones faith with is really an amazing experience.