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Tablet Studios

The Conversion Episode, 2019: Ep. 184

Tablet Studios

Tablet Magazine

Judaism, Society & Culture, Religion & Spirituality

4.61.5K Ratings

🗓️ 6 June 2019

⏱️ 86 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Last May, in honor of Shavuot, the holiday that celebrates the most famous convert to Judaism, Ruth, we put together a special episode all about conversion. We were so moved by the overwhelming response, both from converts and not, that we made another episode. This year we're back with a whole new range of stories. We hear from Ashley Wallace, who grew up in a Christian family in Alabama and who found support throughout her conversion from her friend Will Docimo. We talk to Rabbi Dr. Stuart W. Halpern, author of the new book, Gleanings: Reflections on Ruth, about why Shavuot is the perfect time to celebrate conversion stories. Listener Rebecca Cynamon-Murphy lets us listen in on her conversion audio diary, all the way to the mikveh. Pittsburgh record store owner Eric Ackland shares his journey from secular Judaism to Orthodoxy (not technically a conversion, but still a great story). Plus we hear from listeners who called in to share their own conversion stories. We'd love to hear what you thought of this week's show. Email us at Unorthodox@tabletmag.com or leave a message at our listener line: 914-570-4869. We’re heading to Chicago! See us live Wednesday, June 26 at 7 p.m. at the Logan Square Auditorium with special guest Blair Braverman, who recently became the second Jewish woman to complete the Iditarod. Presented by Hadassah Chicago-North Shore. Get your tickets here. This episode is sponsored by Harry's. Get your free trial shave set at Harrys.com/UNORTHODOX.

Transcript

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0:00.0

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from Jewish history, pop culture, holidays, and of course food,

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all with our trademark, irreverence, and love.

0:17.5

Our publisher is offering a special 20% discount on newest Jewish and their entire Hanukkah shop.

0:22.4

So head to Artisan Books.com and use the code

0:24.9

unorthodox at check out.

0:26.6

That's artisan books.

0:28.2

Discount code unorthodox, all caps.

0:35.0

I was raised to be Catholic and Protestant. It was a war of wills by my divorce parents on whose religion would win out.

0:39.0

But I defied them both and said no to Catholic confirmation when it came up and before I graduated high

0:45.0

school I thought what if I had been born Jewish?

0:48.5

After about a decade I found myself in Israel at the Kotel thinking about my last remaining grandparent who was very sick.

0:56.2

The Catholic prayers I was raised with were not doing it for me.

1:00.4

I looked around and I saw the rolling shelf of cedarim. I pulled one out that was

1:05.0

transliterated and landed on the prayer for healing. I started reading it and it

1:10.5

felt like coming home. This is unorthodox, the universe's leading Jewish podcast.

1:17.0

I am Mark Oppenheimer.

1:18.0

Joined as ever by my co-hosts, tablet senior writer, Leel, Leibowitz.

1:23.4

Shalom.

1:24.4

Did you just how I tried to go between the V and the W is like not Leibowitz, but not Leibowitz.

...

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