Reply to S/O Would it be okay to celebrate Jewish holidays at home, as a non-Jew, to explore conversion?

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Reply to "S/O Would it be okay to celebrate Jewish holidays at home, as a non-Jew, to explore conversion?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]No, it wouldn't be okay.  Because what you're saying is "I'm going to do the fun parts of Judaism - making the foods and saying things that sound funny - to see if I like it enough to take on this religion."  That's being culturally Jewish - those converted Jews are always the ones who make jokes about being cheap and liking bagels and then claim "I can make these jokes, because I'm jewish."

The religion is not about eating matzoh or pushing yourself to fast on Yom Kippur.

If you want to explore Judaism then GO TO TEMPLE.  Go to Friday night services and Saturday morning services, make an appointment to speak with the rabbi and ask questions.  Learn about showing up for the mourners who are there every night after dinner to be part of the minyan in case it's needed  You don't have to be a member of a temple to attend services.  Pick a temple that has a conversion program.  Ask questions about it.[/quote]

Agree with this... You need some guidance OP. Otherwise it's just cosplay. But then again, you can do whatever you want in your own home and no one would know[/quote]

+2.  You should do some learning to be able to explore this properly for yourself. A lot of Jewish holidays are more observed than celebrated, meaning they are not necessarily fun. That doesn't mean they aren't warm experiences filled with meaning and family, but they aren't 100% happy like, say, Christmas. There's a solemnity to Passover and even to Rosh Hashanah -- to say nothing of Yom Kippur. A lot revolves around remembering the suffering of our ancestors and the martyrdom of previous generations of Jews.

Hanukkah is fun but in its American form it's really a holiday for kids. The story is one of celebrating survival and resistance to assimilation. Purim is similar.

Nothing wrong with exploring them but it's kind of hard to do without context. There must be synagogues that offer classes for folks considering conversion, or non-Jewish spouses, or something. That would be a good place to start. That, and attending shul, once we can all attend again.[/quote]

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