Pawel in the Warsaw synagogue. A former truck driver and neo-Nazi skinhead, Pawel, 33, has since become an Orthodox Jew, covering his shaved head with a yarmulke and shedding his fascist ideology for the Torah.
No less than half-a-dozen readers forwarded this wonderful story.
When Pawel looks into the mirror, he can still sometimes see a neo-Nazi skinhead staring back, the man he was before he covered his shaved head with a skullcap, traded his fascist ideology for the Torah and renounced violence and hatred in favor of God.
“I still struggle every day to discard my past ideas,” said Pawel, a 33-year-old ultra-Orthodox Jew and former truck driver, noting with little irony that he had to stop hating Jews in order to become one. “When I look at an old picture of myself as a skinhead, I feel ashamed. Every day I try and do teshuvah,” he said, using the Hebrew word for repentance. “Every minute of every day. There is a lot to make up for.”
Pawel, who also uses his Hebrew name Pinchas, asked that his last name not be used for fear that his old neo-Nazi friends could harm him or his family.
Twenty years after the fall of Communism, Pawel is perhaps the most unlikely example of the Jewish revival under way in Poland, of a moment in which Jewish leaders here say the country is finally showing solid signs of shedding the rabid anti-Semitism of the past.
Full story here.
Last night Karen and I attended a Purim meal where we met a young Japanese man, a political science Ph.D candidate in here in California. He was wearing a yarmulke and explained that he was in the process of converting to Judaism. “All my life, ” he said, ”I felt like I didn’t quite fit in to Japanese culture.”
I told him how happy I was that he was converting and what a relief it must be that he has discovered his true social and religious community.
Too often, converts to Judaism are discouraged by other Jews—usually ignoramuses—who tell the potential convert how hard it is to be Jewish, that it’s a burden.
This is nonsense.
Judaism is a blessing and a gift. We should encourage Orthodox conversions.
Ariel Chaim Avrech, ZT'L, May His Righteous Memory be a Blessing.
23 Comments
I agree with Jake (and Robert). It’s up to the rabbi with whom the person is working to help them to see the potential ups and downs of conversion. I have always connected with the Jewish faith since I was a child. There is no real explanation for it and have strongly considered conversion myself, so this is something I have thought a great deal about.
I think that ultimately life will be tough and beautiful and everything in between whether or not you convert. I also have found that since I let go of the idea of conversion and focused on being the best Bat Noach I can possibly be that my connection to God is just as fulfilling. Besides, the Seven Universal Commandments that are laid out in the Torah for people of all nations are at the core of the commandments that Jews themselves must follow. Anyway, that’s a bit of a digression.
Converts are an integral part of Judaism. Without Ruth we would not have had King David.
I know converts who have had a hard time. I also know very happy converts. I also know many people who are born Jews who have gone through the whole pedigree wringer, despite having Jewish parents.
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Moishe:
Thanks so much for the summary of your geirus. Fascinating and heart-warming.
Let us know how the shidduch search goes.
Who knows, maybe one of our readers…
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Jacob:
Several years ago I was involved in a project about an American Neo Nazi who converted to Judaism. It finally got shot down as being “too Jewish.”
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Dr. Carol:
Thanks so much for your words of support. As you know, we at Seraphic Secret are enthusiastic supporters of our Christian allies.
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Exdem:
Thanks so much for the divrei Torah and the wonderful and wise anecdote.
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Alter:
Agreed, we must welcome the sincere convert in every possible way.
Our Purim was lovely and loud.
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PCD:
I have no idea of the motivations for secular Jews who deride conversion. In truth, I’ve never run into such a creature. For most it’s a non-issue. But for Orthodox Jews to look down on the sincere Jewish convert is nothing less than a chilul HaShem.
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Mrs. Frum:
Thanks so much for spending time at our little corner of the blogosphere.
It pains us to hear your story. Please know that for most sane Jews the sincere convert is not just welcome but greatly admired.
Do stay in touch.
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Is it a phenomenon that globally individuals are “overcome by a strong desire to become Jewish”? I wasn’t so aware of this particular yearning in the last decade.
Torah is the exact opposite of a burden; often it is life itself.
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yes..you’re quite right. It’s up to the Rabbi to make the determination and have the conversations.
I misunderstood what you were trying to say.
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Yay!
Many years ago, when I was taking the late Matriarch / Bubbe, whose Name is remembered for a blessing, of our community home in a wheelchair on Shabbos, we were talking and she said, “It’s hard to be Jewish.”
It was not really meant as a complaint – this woman didn’t complain about anything, but she was simply saying this as a simple fact that she knew.
I believe that in the 10 years that I knew her, this was the only time I ever corrected her or “gave her Mussar.” I told her that: ” No, it wasn’t hard to be Jewish, it was fun!” And then I proceeded to wax enthusiastic on how it was so “easy” and wonderful to be Jewish!
I agree Robert. More Converts!
The thing is that we don’t actually so much discourage folk from converting as we do explain the simple facts of life, whether it be the World vs.the Jews or Torah observant Orthodox Jews and our little ways that we make life a tad more complicated.
I am, indeed, a convert and, I never felt that I was either Jewish or supposed to be Jewish in my earlier life.
However, a year before my oldest son’s Bar Mitzvah, when he insisted on not violating the Laws of Shabbos, and we started walking two miles to shul each Shabbos, I realized that – as we kept a kosher home; my wife was Jewish; my kids were all Jewish; my friends were all Jewish; my community was Jewish; most of my business contacts were Jewish; my religious practices were Jewish… maybe I ought to be Jewish too.
So, I converted. It seemed like the thing to do.
I did get halachically proscribed discouragement, but it was mainly due to the fact that I wanted to do it “now,” then, a month before my son’s Bar Mitzvah as opposed to taking classes for the next couple of years or so…
And, whereas the “problem” of my geirus (being a convert) has come up vis a vis my lovely; talented; Bais Yaakov and Sarah Schneier educated with a Master’s in Special Ed Literacy; tznius; hard working; intelligent daughter and shidduchim – and, it really ticks me off at times… It was not a problem vis a vis my oldest son and, I know that Divine Providence is firmly in control.
(And… although I am not supposed to talk about such things, especially not on the Internet, if anyone does happen to know of a nice boy that wants to Learn in Kollel while his 24 year old wife supports him… who knows…)
We also had a couple at our Shabbos table and Purim Seudah who just converted through R’Karelitz from Bnei Brak last month and their married children are frum and learning in Israel!
They are in the process of selling their farm in North Dakota to find a community to work and live in! (He spent Rosh Hoshana of 2003 in one of Saddam Hussein’s palaces in Iraq with a bunch of other Jews.) Now, these are interesting people!
Judaism is, indeed, a blessing and a gift.
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amazing story that reminds me movie fanatic-is there any chance that this true story is a base for the movie?
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I would first like to say, that I love your blog and visit almost every day.
As far as converts being accepted into Orthodox Jewish communities as real ‘Jews’ , well I could only wish it to be so. I feel that converts are scrutinized mercilessly as to how they behave and dress and clean for Pesach.. well just about everything. And people never tire of repeating when a convert is introduced… ‘and he/she converted to Judiasm…’ This is from personal experience. I do not tell people that I converted (over 25 years ago in Jerusalem) because I can’t stand the scrutiny and double standard that exists. I do not up front, before meeting, tell prospective shidduchim partners for my children that I converted for the same reason. I live a frum life, send my children to orthodox day school, cover my hair, tznius dress, keep mitzvot, but somehow, for some people that is not enough. Please be kind to people you know are converting or have been converted. It is such a difficult process as it is… and the ‘scars’ that remain in the heart from thoughtless comments and actions never heal. The conversion to Judiasm that I did was the most important event in my life ( outside of marriage and children) and the fact that I did it, and am still ‘doing it’ 26 years later should be enough to be accepted as Jewish with out ANY qualifiers.
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I am so glad this young man has dedicated himself to following G-d. I am reminded of John Newton, the composer of Amazing Grace, who came out from the debauchery and debasement of the slave trade to become a renowned pastor and scholar–but never forgot that he was a great sinner. I pray this young man immerses himself in the Torah and touches other needy souls as John Newton did.
We Christians like to say that when a person finds G-d the angels in heaven rejoice. I think they are rejoicing over Pinchas. I know I am.
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” … All my life, ” he said, ”I felt like I didn’t quite fit in to Japanese culture.”
I told him how happy I was that he was converting and what a relief it must be that he has discovered his true social and religious community. … ”
When the Gemorrah speaks about Converts, it uses the language:
‘A Convert who has Converted’
not ‘A Non-Jew who has Converted’.
At the time the Torah was given, it is written that G-D asked all the nations whether they wanted to accept the Torah, and they answered ‘no’.
This was the ‘majority’ vote for each nation.
Within all those nations, there were individuals who thought it was a ‘good idea’ to accept the Torah.
These are the Converts, who have *always* accepted the Torah, no matter which nation they were from, and throughout the generations, eventually find their way to the Torah they have already accepted.
” … I know of a handful of converts who are extremely Orthodox…yet I wonder still how some community members view them when it comes time for shidduchim for these converts’ children. … ”
My wife has personally assisted two such children to find their Shidduchim, (one was married just a few weeks ago ) .
It’s actually not really worse than Shidduchim in general. If anything, it’s paradoxically somewhat easier, as it might otherwise take a considerable amount of time to discover the true narrow-mindedness of some people.
I heard an interesting thought about Shidduchim from a mother to her son, who has a minor medical condition.
The mother spoke about a girl who had a physical ailment, and when she was younger, was worried about who would want to marry her. The mother answered that this girl’s husband would. The others don’t really matter …
The people whose narrowmindedness won’t let them see the Essence and Desirability of the wonderful people who happen to be a little different from them, whether in background or family or appearance or whatever, don’t really matter …
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Pearl:
There is no question that certain segments of Torah Jews view with suspicion the offspring of Orthodox converts. It’s an unfortunate and truly narrow-minded outlook. Need I remind my fellow Jews that Ruth was a convert?
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Mata Hari:
Jake is quite right. And let me add that this young man is studying with an Othodox Rav whose conversions are beyond reproach. To discourage such a person would be a chilul HaShem.
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Mata Hari:
Testing the potential convert by letting them know of the hardships and severity of the commitment is the converting Rabbi’s job not the layperson’s. And it’s up to the Rabbi how to gauge the potential convert’s sincerity. He does not actually have to send the person away three times before he agrees to speak seriously with him or her.
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It’s amazing how every single convert I’ve ever met tells me the same story. They all say that all their lives, they felt that they really were Jews. This is regardless of whether they lived in a country with many Jews or knew many Jews in their travels.
I don’t see how you can’t encourage someone like that.
And unfortunately, Robert is right. I know many, many stories of actual and potential converts who were discouraged by Jews who thought it was their obligation to really test them by shunning them in some way.
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Fascinating – we had a family of converts at our Purim dinner yesterday! It is SO critical for these people, both emotionally and spiritually, to find a community that accepts them and keeps them connected. Hope your Purim was fun.
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Robert, I wonder how many of the conversion deriders are Jews in spiritual crisis themselves and are considering converting or dropping religion all together?
I don’t see Boxer, Feinstein, or Schumer actually practicing Judiasm, but I do see Joe Lieberman “walking out his faith”.
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I know of a handful of converts who are extremely Orthodox…yet I wonder still how some community members view them when it comes time for shidduchim for these converts’ children. In an everyday situation, shadchans are looking into a propective bride’s/groom’s background to see if they or their “checklists” are suitable. Perhaps I should ask a shadchan, but maybe you’ve heard how such situations are handled…if at all any differently…between the children of a convert and those of a born Jew.
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Hi Robert. It was my understanding that we’re supposed to discourage conversions or warn of the difficulty. This is not to take away from the beauty of an orthodox lifestyle, but rather to underscore the seriousness of the commitment. This lifestyle is not easy. If you’re going to commit to it, then you have to understand what’s entailed and you have to know what you’re getting yourself into. Once you do decide to convert, you can’t go back on it at will. Of course, once someone has converted, we should welcome them with open arms.
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