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By Rabbi David Kalb (JNS)
Shemini Atzeret, marking the end of the Jewish holiday season, means “the eighth day of the assembly.” Part of why we are “assembling” is to reflect, and this year that aspect will be especially poignant since on the Jewish calendar, Shemini Atzeret will mark the one-year anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023; the taking of the hostages; and the beginning of the still ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
So, let us reflect.
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It seems that for the Klal Yisrael (the Jewish people), everything has changed since the seventh of October. Obviously, this is much more intensely felt in Israel, which has been in a state of war for almost a year. However, American Jewry has also experienced a paradigm shift.
Before that Black Shabbat, American Jews were, of course, concerned about antisemitism. That anxiety is now on steroids with a study finding that nearly half of American Jews have changed their behavior or routines out of fear of being targeted. This fear is not unfounded. Personal attacks on Jews are up. The way Jewish students were preyed upon by many pro-Palestinian protesters on campuses this past spring can only be described as acts of hate. Significantly, we are seeing antisemitism on both the far right and the far left of the American political spectrum.
Interestingly, this upsurge in antisemitism has not caused greater assimilation or a slowdown in those involved or interested in converting to Judaism. My colleagues and I are seeing that if someone was already Jewish before Oct. 7, in many cases, there is a greater desire for such individuals to connect more deeply to Judaism, the community, their fellow Jews and Israel. For example, when I was in Israel on a solidarity mission soon after Oct. 7, I met so-called “secular Israelis” who have connected to Judaism religiously since the war began. I am also aware of large numbers of Jewish families from America that decided to make aliyah over the past year.
However, what has been most profound to me is what I have experienced in my work as the director of the Jewish Learning Center of New York, a program of the international Ohr Torah Stone network. One of our courses is a 36-week “Basic Judaism” class that meets once a week for two hours. Our students are people who are not Jewish but who are on a path to conversion and are taking this class together, often with their Jewish partners. (Some of our conversion students are single as well.) Once they have become well-versed in Judaic studies, fully observant and part of a synagogue in a religious community, they meet with a beit din—a three-member religious court of Orthodox rabbis who facilitate the conversion. There are check-ins along the way well before this final meeting.
As a rabbi, I have been nothing less than moved and inspired to interact with people who, in the context of such prejudice towards Jews, have made the brave decision to convert to Judaism. My students Carol and Daniel (their names have been changed for confidentiality, but “Carol and Daniel” gave permission for their story to be shared), especially exemplify this phenomenon. I met them not long after Oct. 7 to talk about conversion.
Carol, who was not Jewish at the time, said, “I have been contemplating this, and we have been talking about this for a while. However, Oct. 7 crystallized my thinking. Viewing the terrorism committed on and since that day, the vile nature of campus protests against Israel, watching antisemitism statistics increase, and the fact that we, as a couple, have personally experienced bigotry due to our engagement with Judaism ironically solidified my decision. It is my great dream to be a part of the Jewish people. I feel my fate is with the Jewish nation; it is my destiny.”
Carol did not just express her solidarity with Klal Yisrael. She also articulated her connection to Jewish wisdom, values, theology and practice. What was fascinating to me was that she did this within the context of Oct. 7. She told me, “When Oct. 7 occurred, I felt this sense of urgency to be more spiritual, to deepen my relationship with God, because one of the things that I have learned about Judaism is that every person can make a difference in small ways. I try to do that by attending rallies in support of the hostages, making donations to Jewish causes, praying, doing mitzvot (commandments) and chesed (acts of kindness).”
One of the most challenging moments of the conversion process is when the potential convert is dissuaded three times (Rut Rabbah 2:16), a process designed to make sure that they are sincere. One of the ways in which they are discouraged is by reminding them of antisemitism; this particular reminder of the potential challenges that come with being Jewish is also important because transparency is essential. While at various times in recent history, especially in the United States where not too long ago antisemitism was receding, this has felt almost symbolic; however, today, it feels very real and personal.
Carol and many others are demonstrating tremendous courage right now. It is incumbent upon us, more than ever, to fulfill the mitzvah of loving the convert (Devarim/Deuteronomy 10:19) and to warmly welcome those who have chosen to join us at this perilous time in our people’s history.
