About six months ago, I came across a blog that fascinated me more than most. The writer was a young Swedish man who was about to convert to Judaism. I don’t know who the man is in real life, but reading his blog made me feel like I did. Corny, I know; but that is an effect some well-written blogs have on me.
When I turned on the feed aggregator today, I found a new entry in which the soon-to-be-Jewish blogger announces that he, after standing before a Bet Din (religious court), is now a Jew. I know it’s silly being happy for someone you don’t know, but I am.
Although I’m a very secular man and a fierce critic of religious superstition, I have always defended the right of anyone to be religious. I think there is something particularly attractive about conversion because it is a choice.
As regular readers of this blog know, I am very fond of the Jewish people and its culture. Some might think this is odd considering my somewhat hostile attitude towards religion. But there are three reasons for this. First, I had many Jewish friends growing up. Second, as a gay man I see that our enemies are often the same and use similar prejudiced arguments against us (“the Jewish/gay lobby controls politics”, “media is controlled by Jews/gays”, “Jews/gays threaten the majority culture”, etcetera). I know many feel uncomfortable about this comparison, but this is how I see it. And third, I seriously think Judaism is the sanest of the three Abrahamic religions. When I discuss ethical questions and theological matters with people of faith, I always get the friendliest response from the Jews. With Judaism’s long tradition of Talmudic commentary on the Torah, I find that even Orthodox rabbis are more open-minded than most contemporary Christians and Muslims.
I congratulate my anonymous Jewish friend on his conversion. You picked the right religion.
Postscript: Here’s a link to his new, post-conversion blog.
Update at 18:29: By the way, if I was to become a Jew, I would pick this society.
Well-written and warm post. Thanks for this!
Christopher, I am truly at a loss of words. Never in my life did I think my blog would have this kind of impact. I am truly touched. I thank you most sincerely for your kind words and hope you will continue to read my blog, as I will yours.
I'm close to tears now.
Thank you.
Akiva ben Avraham
I do envy people with faith. To believe in something that empowers oneself. To have a moral code that cherish love among people. The few people that I have known with true and deep faith, have also made the greatest impressions on me with their strong personalities. They have also been very open minded and tolerant.
Ok, I've got chills up the back of my head, first reading your blog, Christopher, and then finding Akiva's note to you.
I, too, am a convert to Judaism, after growing up in a religious Catholic family and attending parochial school from K-12. Christopher, what you've written about Judaism is exactly what brought me to my chosen religion 36 years ago. (Two times 'chai' or life in Hebrew.) Subsequently, many years later, I discovered that both my maiden name and my mother's maiden name are Italian Jewish names -- although my genealogical searches (as far as 1735) have found only Catholics on the family tree.
Mazel tov, Akiva ben Abraham and welcome. Thank you, Christopher Aqurette, for giving me something so uplifting to read before I go to sleep. It's been an interesting day -- my favorite rabbi in the whole world phoned me from Jerusalem today, where he's helping lead a mission of teens who went to the concentration camps and then to Israel on "The March of the Living."
He noticed a book on the seat of the medic on the tour bus he was in today -- it was the mystical Jewish thriller my best friend and I wrote, and which he, as a rabbi, vetted to make sure we had all our ducks in a row -- recently published in Hebrew.
It was great to have that connection to Jerusalem today as Yom Hazikaron, the day of remembrance, begins in Israel, with Yom Ha Atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, on its heels.
What a fun day...to get that phone call, to read your blog, to "meet" the two of you in cyberspace.
Karen Tintori (Chana bat Avraham v' Sarah)
THE BOOK OF NAMES, w/ Jill Gregory
www.karentintori.com