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Sometimes people tell me they want to explore the possibility of conversion to Judaism, ask what their first steps should be.

Some of this advice also work imho for Jews wanting to (re?)connect with their tradition, do with it what you will.

If you're exploring the q of conversion, definitely start by trying to learn more, see if your feelings/hunches/sense so far gets stronger as you go deeper, or not so much.

Here's a booklist, for starters, w/another thread under that with podcast recs. https://twitter.com/TheRaDR/status/1081996633188061184

If you're Jewish and trying to reconnect and/or connect for the first time, that might be a pretty good place to start, too. There are some good overview/Judaism 101 books in there, and things on various aspects of Jewish life, theology, ritual, whatever. Start wherever.

The one thing might open curiosity about another thing and another one after that, like it do.

Anyway, then there's the thing about finding community.

If you're investigating conversion, you're going to want to talk to a rabbi. If you're a Jew trying to find a home, it may be that a rabbi-led community is just right, may be that something more of the grassroots/lay-led/indie minyan/havurah thing is your flavor, dunno.

Anyway, figure out what a bunch of the local Jewish communities are. Google. Look at the websites of places to see if they seem like they have a nice vibe, or just start checking out places. It's OK to check out a few, until you find your right place.

(When I was in my early 20s, I had very very many Bay Area Jewish Experiences (tm) until I stumbled on this kinda boring-looking synagogue where the rabbi inside totally changed my life. So you never know what's gonna be the thing.)

Anyway, go to services once or twice--most places, Friday night is likely to be the thing. (Some synagogues are more hopping on Shabbat AM, but fwiw the Friday night service is usually like an hour and Shabbat morning is like 3 hours many places, because Torah reading and stuff,+

so it might be easier to start with the shorter, often more musical service. And if going to services is intimidating or not what you want, you can check out Torah study or the social justice event or social or etc--tons of stuff in many communities, check out their calendar.

Anyway, yes, it can be hard to just show up to someplace where it feels like everyone knows each other and knows what's going on. That's real. But be brave and go have an experience.

And maybe you walk out of the first place going, that was awesome, when can I go back?? Then you know you've found your place.

If you're on possible conversion track, your next step is to call the synagogue office during working hours and ask to make an appointment with the rabbi. Go talk to the nice rabbi, tell them where you're at, what questions you're holding, and things should flow from there.

(If you're Jewish, you, too, can make an appointment to talk to the rabbi if you want.)

If you walked out of this first place going, ehhh or I'm not sure or etc, go to another place! And another! Let it be OK to have a few months of shul shopping (shul = synagogue.)

If you're feeling a bit crispy, let yourself have a break. And then get back into it when you're ready. But really, there are a lot of amazing communities out there, and a lot of things that can be or become home.

And obviously if you're in a major metropolitan area with tons of Jews you have lots of options viz where feels like home but also it can be kind of overwhelming. If you're in a smaller community and there are fewer synagogues, etc., you know, sometimes you make a place home+

Even if it didn't have that fireworks feeling right away. Both are possible. I've lived both in my own life.

Anyway, give yourself time and space to have a process. Becoming part of a community doesn't happen overnight, and if you're on the possible conversion side of things, it can feel even more fraught. Trust yourself. It's all process. You'll find home.

Ah, yes, and totally valid to start at a place of Jewish learning or other kind of community--a JCC, a Limmud, a Melton, a Lehrhaus, a Svara, a Gather DC, a Moishe House, whatever, there are tons of amazing places doing great work.

And of course you can get involved with your local Jewish social justice org. Most big cities have them, plus local branches of national orgs, figure out what you care about and see who's near you.

Great tip: https://twitter.com/jaypako/status/1230645405873922049?s=21 https://twitter.com/JayPako/status/1230645405873922049

ADDENDUM! Just had occasion to pull up this thread, written achingly towards the end of the Before Times. Needless to say, lots of synagogues are not meeting in person now (but hopefully will again ever at some point?) and ARE streaming services online. And I’m guessing that +