From Asia, Latin America and Rural U.S., Diverse Group Seeks to Convert to Judaism

One of Temple Micah's recent Jews by Choice grew up in a small town in upstate New York and attended Methodist summer camp. Another was born in Saigon. Her Vietnamese Catholic parents fled their native land in 1975 just before the communist takeover. A third, a native of Mexico City, grew up in a Jewish household from the age of four, when her mother married a Jewish man. In yet another conversion, a mother and her 11-year-old son convened at the mikva as both became Jewish.

Divergent backgrounds, but these recent converts cite similar themes when they talk about what attracted them to Judaism and Temple Micah.

During a recent two-week period, Rabbi Zemel officiated at 12 conversions.

"I am getting people who want to convert, not for reasons of spouse, but for themselves," he said. "I am working with people who want to convert who are married to non-Jews.

"It's all very exciting."

Mai P. describes her husband, David R, , as "an extremely secular Jew."

She was seven-years-old when her family fled Vietnam. They settled in Philadelphia, where Mai eventually graduated from Temple University Medical School.

Her parents raised her as Catholic "but I was never entirely comfortable with it," she said.

She had many Jewish friends, and in Washington most of them belonged to Micah.

"I had never been inside a synagogue until I came to Micah."

The free flow of ideas attracted her. "You could talk about anything," she said. "I was ready to learn. I didn't want just a social club."

Caitlin R. grew up in a small town in upstate New York where she knew only one Jew, who was a close friend. She describes her parents as non-religious.

Growing up, she went to a Methodist camp every summer "because that's where my friends went."

She went on to Hamilton College "where almost every one of my friends was Jewish," including Ian, her fiance.

The couple now lives in Washington, where Caitlin is a first-year student at American University Law School.

The decision to explore conversion was one she and Ian made together, she said.

A year ago, the couple started talking to Rabbi Zemel.

"I was impressed by his emphasis on continuous learning and thinking and conversation," Caitlin said. She said he found Micah "a very accepting community and very modern and progressive."

Paulette S.was a teenager when her Catholic family moved here from the Philippine Islands.

Her husband grew up in Rockville, Md., where his parents were members of a Conservative congregation.

She said she got "a very good feeling" when they visited Micah. "Meeting the rabbi was a very important step" toward what she describes as "one of the easiest decisions."

As for the reaction of her Catholic parents, she said, "They're pretty open with it."

For her, one of the most important parts of the conversion ceremony was the inclusion of their son.

"I want to raise my son as Jewish," she said. Like most new or prospective converts, Paulette said Hebrew is a major hurdle.

"I'm learning it with my son," she said. "He's way ahead of me."

Born in Mexico City, Jennifer F. has lived in a largely Jewish household since she was four-years-old and her mother, Marina, married Larry C.. The family has been active in Micah for many years, and Larry recently became the temple's president.

In an essay written for Rabbi Zemel, Jennifer said she is "a seeker by nature and my experience of the Jewish tradition is that we must continue to grow."

Judaism, she said, asks adherents to "continue to question and learn."