Ren and Ben's Jewish Journey

HowHillelhelpedRenGhandehari(Classof2026)andBen Tomlin(Classof2024)converttoJudaism

ManythankstoRabbiBenHermanandMosaicLawCongregation forassistingourstudentswiththeconversionprocess

Ben says, "I grew up vaguely Catholic. I never went to church, and I didn't really do much other than a Bible study camp when I was little." Before coming to Hillel, Ren was exposed to Judaism mainly through friends who she met in high school Ren says, "they seemed like they had fun events going on at their student clubs. I always heard them talking about their bar and bat mitzvahs and traveling to visit family around the world. It made me interested in learning more. Looking back, I wanted to convert because I felt like Judaism aligned with my life, emphasized kindness, and was about spending time with friends and family. It was the right path for me."

During the summer after her freshman year, Ren decided to convert to Judaism She approached one member of the staff, Seth Browner, who pointed her in the direction of different synagogues in the area that could help her take that exciting step. Ben says, "I met Ren through Hillel who was also converting like me, and she recommended a conversion class at Mosaic Law Congregation. I decided to go with that one."

The future has only just begun When asked about what he's looking forward to the most, Ben says, "no matter where I go now, I'll always have a community like at a synagogue. There are so many people who I'm connected with now in a way that feels very meaningful." As she reflects on her year at Hillel, Ren says, "my favorite events were Sukkot, the High Holidays, the Passover seder, and learning Hebrew. One moment that stood out for me was picking my Hebrew name Rina Shira bat Avraham v'Sara."

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