BLOG, MY CONVERSION
My Top 6 Recommendations On How To Start Learning About Judaism 

OKTOBER 17, 2018


​When I first started to be fascinated by 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...

When you are at that point right now, I completely understand how you are feeling. And that's why I prepared a summary of my Top 7 recommendations on how to learn about Judaism and how to get step by step into the subject of conversion to Judaism. 

​1. Read, read, read...

Chabad.org is a fantastic website to get to know basically everything about Judaism you can imagine. They have hundreds of articles on Jewish history, Jewish traditions, Jewish practices, high holidays, Torah studies, interviews, prayers, etc. When I first started learning about Judaism I got lost in their website four hours and hours and would read hundreds of articles. The website is available in many different languages and gives you a great overview about every Jewish topic.

Just start with any article and follow the flow of recommended next articles. Like this you can spend hours, days or even weeks learning about Judaism. Find their website here.

​2. Dive into Judaism with the AlephBeta Academy

AlephBeta is definitely my favorite place to study Torah! Rabbi David Fohrman and his team teach complex Torah subject 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. 

With short animated videos you can learn the interesting viewpoints of the weekly Torah portion, high holidays and faith in general. I love how they make Torah so accessible! 

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

​3. Read a book on how to become Jewish

When you start to consider converting to Judaism you definitely must read one of the books about how to become Jewish. Following I will recommend you three 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 to understand the procedures, expectations and the responsibilities of becoming Jewish. The books speak about struggles of converting to Judaism, but also especially about gains :) 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 or if it was just an exciting idea. 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. 

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 be become a Jew, you need to know how to BE a Jew. My friend Judy gave me this big book. It is a great guide on how to practice the traditional laws and costumes of Judaism: the Shabbat, dietary laws, 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 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.
Get the book here.

​5. Learn about Jewish Mysticism 

For everyone who feels attracted to spirituality and mysticism and who wants to dive even deeper into Judaism, I can highly recommend Live Kabbalah, the Kabbalah online school of Rabbi Amichai Cohen.
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 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.

Find your nearest orthodox community here
Find your nearest Chabad here

7. Learn with me 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

In a one-on-one online session I can guide you into the observance of the Jewish practices. I teach you how to start keeping Shabbat, how to make your kitchen kosher, how to bless your food and how to start a Jewish prayer routine. Book your session here or watch my free recorded video "How to start observing Judaism" 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! :)

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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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