Journeys to Judaism

By Marshall Weiss, The

Observer

Israeli American Ofir Ravin, 27, beams from the front row of Beth Abraham Synagogue's main sanctuary as her husband, Ryan Lechich, 25, is called for an aliyah to the Torah for the first time.

On this Shabbat morning, June 17, Ryan carefully intones the blessings before and after the Torah reading. He then receives several blessings from Rabbi Aubrey Glazer, who prepared Ryan for his conversion.

Earlier that week, Ryan had met with a bet din (court of Jewish law) comprising three rabbis, and immersed in the Miami Valley Mikvah. He is now a Jew.

Ryan is one of dozens of people in the Miami Valley who have recently converted to Judaism or are studying toward conversion. Rabbis at three area congregations say they've noticed an increase in conversion students and conversions to Judaism since the Covid pandemic has receded.

"It's a large influx of people — and younger people — which I find to be really fascinating," says Temple Israel Senior Rabbi Karen BodneyHalasz. "I don't know if any of them would say it has to do with Covid. It's hard for me not to think that Covid gave them more time to think in trying to decide what is meaningful, with everyone realigning what's important to them. There's been a lot of reflection."

She says more than 40 people are on Temple Israel's roster of those asking about conversion,

Bark going through conversion, or who have converted over the last five or six years.

"Of the 40 I have, 13 have completed conversion," Bodney-Halasz says. She estimates that over the coming year, eight to 10 more conversion students will complete the process. Before Covid hit, Temple Israel would facilitate four or five conversions a year.

Temple Israel Rabbi/Educator Tina Sobo adds that because some whole families have gone through the conversion process, she had three children join her third-to-fifth-grade religious school class after the High Holidays last fall.

"I've never had that happen before," Sobo says.

Temple Beth Or Senior Rabbi Judy Chessin says she has "lots of conversions on the docket."

She agrees with Bodney-Halasz that she hasn't heard anyone say it's because of Covid, but "in a post-lockdown society, people are searching for meaning, rootedness, and healing."

"There's always been a group of people en

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Though The Observer has presented some stories about people who have become Jews over the years, I've shied away from these articles for two reasons. First, is the value that once someone becomes a Jew, that person is in. In Jewish tradition, we are not to "other" those who weren't always Jewish. It's an individual's choice whether to talk about the journey. One's beliefs about God are personal and private whether one is born a Jew or becomes a Jew. Some people are more comfortable than others about sharing their beliefs. The other reason is because Judaism does not proselytize. We don't seek out non-Jews to become Jewish. We don't aspire for everyone else to become Jewish. For those who aren't Jewish, there are many paths to God. And not all Jews believe in God, either. One conversion student I interviewed for the story above remarked how fortunate I am to meet so many new and soon-to-be-new Jews and hear their stories. I'm very fortunate indeed. Thanks go to the area rabbis who guided me for this piece.