BLOG, MY CONVERSION
My Top 7 Recommendations On How To Start Learning About Judaism 

OKTOBER 17, 2018


When I first started my journey to Judaism, I felt the strong will to learn as much as I could about the Jewish Religion. But I wasn't quite sure how or where to start learning about Judaism, the Jewish laws and the Torah.

Judaism is simply fascinating on every level. Many people who have recently discovered the Jewish faith, think it is the best idea to buy a Torah and read the whole book. I personally do not recommend you to do it as one of the first steps of your Jewish journey. The Torah is very complex and before you dive into the biblical text of the Jewish ... I recommend you to start learning about the Jewish High Holidays, the Jewish history, the Jewish commandments and the Jewish traditions. Another thing I highly recommend you is to start learning "how to become Jewish" by reading books about the Jewish conversion or watch one of my recorded video sessions.

Needless to say, I completely understand how you are currently feeling right now: You feel that your soul is Jewish but you don't really know hoe to start learning about Judaism. I have been there! And that's why I prepared an article to help you get on the right path on how to start learning about Judaism.


​1. Read, read, read...

This website is my number one recommendation to start learning everything about Judaism. Chabad has hundreds of articles on Jewish history, Jewish traditions, Jewish observance, high holidays, Torah studies, interviews, prayers, etc. When I first started learning about Judaism I got lost in their website for hours and would read hundreds of articles per day. The website is available in many different languages and gives you a great overview about every Jewish topic. I think this is one of the best ways to start learning about Judaism, especially at the very beginning of your journey.
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I would suggest beginning with any article of your choice (eg. Shabbat, Kashrut, food blessings,...) and following the flow of recommended articles suggested by the website. Like this you can soak up a lot of important information while learning about Judaism. Find their website here.

There are many more interesting Jewish websites on the internet. Just make sure that their content is according to Orthodox Halacha!


​2. Start learning about Judaism with the AlephBeta Academy

AlephBeta is definitely my favorite place to learn about Judaism and study Torah! Rabbi David Fohrman and his team teach complex Torah subjects in a simple and understandable way and allow Torah beginners to comprehend the meaning of God's words and how to integrate Torah into our lives. Four years ago I started learning Torah with Alephbeta! 

With short animated videos you can learn the interesting viewpoints of the weekly Torah portion, high holidays and the Jewish faith in general. I love how they make Torah so accessible, especially for beginners. A great and easy way to start learning about Judaism and the Jewish Bible.

You can find some of their videos on Youtube. I highly recommend subscribing to their monthly membership for a few dollars to have access to all of their videos on Alephbeta's website or in their app (Apple and Android).

​3. Read a book on how to convert to Judaism

My third recommendation is not just a recommendation on how to start learning about Judaism, but on how to actually become Jewish.

When you start to consider converting to Judaism you definitely must read one of the books about how to become Jewish. Below I listed my top three recommendations, they are different versions from different authors and in different languages. Pick the one that resonates the most with you and let it guide you through the challenges of becoming Jewish. You can read full book reviews in my article about Jewish book recommendations.


​Reading a conversion guide helped me understand the procedures, requirements and the responsibilities of becoming Jewish. These books also aided me to gather my goals on how to start learning Judaism. The books speak about struggles of converting to Judaism, but also especially about the gains through the struggles. After reading one of these books, you will know if becoming Jewish is meant for you and if you are ready for the intense journey. Because a conversion to Judaism isn't always easy. You have to change your life, put beliefs into perspectives and overcome a lot of challenges that will come your way.
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​Following the links where you can buy "Becoming Jewish", "Choosing A Jewish Life" and "Wie Werde Ich Jude". 


4. Learn how to BE a Jew

Once you have learned HOW to become a Jew, you need to know how to BE a Jew. My friend Judy gave me this big book a few years ago and it helped me so much to learn about Judaism. It is a great guide on how to practice the traditional laws and customs of Judaism: Shabbat, the dietary laws (Kashrut),Jewish family life, prayer, the synagogue, holy days and festivals, and the guiding principles and observances of life, such as birth, naming, circumcision, adoption and conversion, bar mitzvah, marriage, divorce, death, and mourning. This book provides you everything you need to learn about Judaism and it also prepares you perfectly for the Beit Din.

"To be a Jew" is ideal for references and inspiration and is greatly valued by anyone who feels that knowing, understanding, and observing the laws and traditions of Judaism in daily life is the essence of what it means to be a Jew.

Furthermore the book gives an introduction to the Jewish history, ethics, underlying creed of Judaism and conversion to Judaism. This is a very popular book for everyone who has just started learning about Judaism.

Get the book here.

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​5. Learn about Jewish Mysticism 

This is maybe not how you should START learning about Judaism, but I definitely recommend you to have a look into Kabbalah at one point of your learning process.
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Kabbalah is the method by which a person can attain a higher level of reality through the Jewish mysticism. For everyone who feels attracted to spirituality and mysticism and wants to dive even deeper into Judaism and Torah, I can highly recommend Live Kabbalah-the Kabbalah online school of Rabbi Amichai Cohen. This will deepen your learning about Judaism to another level! Rabbi Amichai teaches how to apply the wisdom of Kabbalah with the goal of bringing positive connection to the world. 
Photo by br.de

​6. Visit the Synagogue service and become active in a Jewish community

After learning all the theory, it is time to put your new knowledge into practice!

The most important next step of learning about Judaism and the Jewish life is to find a welcoming Jewish community in your town, join them for the Shabbat services and become active in the community's activities. Like this you will learn, what it means to be a Jew, how to pray and start to feel the Jewish identity. You can celebrate your first Jewish high holidays and start to learn some Hebrew. And once you have shown the community, that you are sincere with your wish to convert to Judaism, they will support you on your journey and help you to learn everything you need. Don't be shy to contact them! If you need my help click here.

Find your nearest Orthodox community here
Find your nearest Chabad here

7. Learn in my online classes how to make the first steps into Jewish observance

Judaism is not only a religion of faith and spirituality, but of daily practice!
The main pillars of Jewish observance are:
  • Keeping Shabbat
  • Following the Jewish dietary laws (Kashrut)
  • Blessing you food
  • Jewish prayer
  • and the Jewish high holidays

I started teaching Judaism online classes for everyone who wants to start learning about Judaism in 2020. Within one year I cover every conversion relevant Jewish topic in my classes. You can join my classes at any time of the year. If you prefer to learn about Judaism by yourself you can also get my 50 pre-recorded sessions. Watch my free recording "How to start observing Judaism" here.

​Sign up for my classes here! 

By Ilana Schiffner

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3 Comments

RACHEL
NOVEMBER 19, 2018

Is it normal to feel bored while trying to keep shabbat for the first few times? I love judaism but I was wondering was it difficult for you to keep it when you weren't living in a jewish community? Did you plan all your meals for Shabbat and buy a Blech and stuff?

ILANA
NOVEMBER 22, 2018

Hi Rachel, it is indeed not easy to change the routine and integrate a day of rest with completely different habits than we are used to. And especially without company it can be boring sometimes. I tried to see Shabbat as a gift to do things, that I don't have time for during the week like reading.  I also feel that on Shabbat I have time to appreciate the small things in life, like the sounds of the birds or the colors of the nature. I can only perceive that, when I am not distracted by my phone. A perfect time for a walk in nature! :)

​I didn't buy all the Shabbat utensils from the beginning. I tried to spend every Shabbat with an adoptive family in order to experience a real Shabbat meal and be surrounded by Jewish atmosphere and people. 

NAAT
NOVEMBER 06, 2018

Hola, Ilana! Actualmente estoy leyendo: La historia de los judíos, de Paul Johnson. El autor expresa su interpretación personal sobre la historia judía y como él bien dice en los agradecimientos de su libro: "Las opiniones expresadas (y los posibles errores) me pertenecen", pero creo que habla desde un punto muy objetivo y es bastante interesante. ¿Conoces algún otro libro más en español que pueda ayudarme también a conocer más cosas sobre el judaísmo? Shalom! :)

    Leave a Comment

About Me

Welcome to "Jewishbychoice"! 
I am Ilana! 
​German, 28 years old, converted to Orthodox Judaism, currently living in Israel. Fascinated by Torah, Spirituality and Jewish values.
​Today I share my experiences on my blog and assist people in their conversion process. I teach weekly Judaism classes and offer professional conversion coaching.

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