Jew By Choice

[Guest jacob_rhys]

I was born into a Christian househould. Not just any X-tian home, but the home of a fundamentalist father. Intent on Sunday church services being led astray by faulty preachers, my father often gave informal sermons in our home.

He taught me about why it is important to give to less fortunate people, even when we were not wealthy or well to do. He told me about sacrifice for the good of the family, community, society etc... He also made it clear that homosexuals were all deviants and perverts. TG people were only presumed to be biomen who were mentally disturbed.

I took in everything my father taught me and questioned him frequently. I asked himw why only the Christian God was acceptable and why Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Wiccans etc were wrong. He does not believe in religious duality or pluralism. I disagree. I think that G-d is G-d, in only one form, in all forms. Religion might vary from people to people but it is only a system of worshipping the higher power that one finds compelling.

I questioned him about why homosexuals were bad. He informed me that they gave society HIV/AIDS. I asked how and he explained that sodomy spread the disease and only gay men did that. I was too embarassed to ask how straight people got AIDS if only the gay men were doing the so called 'sodomy' thing.

I also asked him how we could clsim to be Christian and yet seem to hate gay people. He said that their choice of lifestyle was condemned in the bible and was immoral. They corrupt children and they have an agenda for society. He did not elaborate on the hidden agenda or recruitment practices of gays and lesbians.

This dialogue continued until I was about 20. I had been living as a bisexual woman for about 5 years. My parents were divorced and my mother knew of this. When I came out to my father I was terrified. I knew he would reccomend reparitive therapy and would distance himself from me. He ended up only saying two things.

First, he said he would always love me even if he did not agree with me and second, that he would attend family gatherings with a partner of mine, and basically that the woman I was living with would not be welcome to come to his family events.

My stepgrandmother is a minister and every family function centers in her church or home. She is welcoming and loving but the only one of the group. She still does not know I am trans to this day. Well, I have not TOLD her. I think she knows. She is very intuitive and smart.

So my conversion began at 24. I was struggling to find a religious and gender identity that suited me. I was not female, I was not Christian. I read a lot of books. I talked to a lot of people about their beliefs and at about the same time concluded I was transgender and also Jewish.

Once I realized both things life got a lot easier for me. I felt connected to G-d after a great long time of being agnostic. I felt more comfortable in my skin as I adopted 'Jack" as my male identity full time as opposed to having more 'boy-days' than girl days. I found a therapist who worked with a lot of trans people and also helped me approach Judaism thoughtfully.

I contacted a Reform Synagogue to see if there were classes I could take to learn more. they said there were, but not for almost 5 months. So I read and read and read. Then I took the class and realized I finally had a spritual home. I connected with other jews on so many levels. I am still converting. I won't be done until after my top surgery.

When I am up and moving I will go to the Mikvah and be born a male Jew. I do not have to wait until then, the cantor will do it now. I have chosen this time to be the right time for me because then I can be welcome as myself. Free of those dreaded parts and free to be me.

[Guest]

Here is a link for a Jewish Organization that accepts LGBT's http://www.glbtjews.org/ .LGBT's are born as they are and most know it from an early age. A gay gene was found last year and is on several forums over whether parents should screen for it. There is also a recent discovered transgender gene affecting FTM's. The link is in our research forum. These are natural occurences and not anyones fault.

Laura

[Guest raydub]

Thank you Jack for sharing your story with us!

It always brings joy to my spirit to hear that someone has found their place close to G-d.

Congratulations and good luck in the rest of your journeys.

Truth be told years ago (while i was still in denial about my transsexualism) I considered converting to Judaism, but the process for a woman bore heavily on me for some reason...More than likely due to the fact that I wasnt exactly a woman.

At any rate, I believe that we all end up exactly where we need to be.

take care and keep sharing with us.

Raymond

[Guest Adoni-Michelle]

I soul searched religions for 30 years and had surgery 32 years ago in beligium I have been Christian, Hindu, Luthueran, Mormon, Catholic and Baptist and Jewish I was brought into the world intersexxed and jewish I had surgery at 4 and 26 I have finally found my way home to being reform jewish again and take great pride in mother Israel. I have always believed in God as a entity and never considered it a problem for TG/TS people actually I felt that those persecutued actually have a closer link to God All in all I have been blessed God has guided my hand over the last 30 years Adoni surely has guided my actions I have excapped death numerous times Now I worship Adoni and keep the holidays

God Bless,

Michelle

[Sally]

Dear Jack,

I am so glad that you have been able to keep faith in God through all of the misuses of the written word. I have been able to remain a Christian because the foundations were laid in Judaism, the old testiment of the Bible contains much of the Tora, and Christ - in my way of thinking - reinforced so many of the early teachings with sermons and parables about loving and helping one another. I find it so hard to believe, and yet I see it everyday, that someone who claims to be Christian can tell someone that they are doomed to Hell for any reason - I remember the Quote from Jesus saying , "judge not, lest ye be judged" and "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" - these are never mentioned while condeming those who disagree.

I hope that you find peace and contentment in Judaism, I guess I should say Shalom (I'm a lousey speller) because it is one of those wonderful words with so many meanings and all of them are good!

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest mia 1]

You guys ahve it so right. I was born Jewish and grew up in a Reform Temple, and grew up in that Jewish community. I rejected the community when I thought they were just a bunch of upward mobile hippocrites. I moved out west and had no true spiritual thoughts or beliefs. I really was somewhat angry and deep down antisemetic. Hard to believe but common among rebellious youth.

Later in life I joined a warmand open Christian church. Felt good there for quite awhile, but after reading and rereading the writings of Paul, I realized he was an antisemetic Jew.So my heart wandered and rediscovered the joys of Judiasm and recognized that my heart, my DNA and spirtualness belonged with my true heritage.

One more important thing,,Only Reform Jewsa except the LGBT community for who they are the Othodox would follow the commandment to expel us and/or "stone us" like the commandment says. Not litterally stone us but in their hearts reject who we are and exclude us from the community........................Mia.

[Guest KaylaK]

I wish I could be Jewish. Still, they won't accept me as a man. They won't accept me as a girl, and the problem has nothing to do with my gender. It has to do with the fact that I can never learn Hebrew or Yiddish, and the is the real barrier. I guess I will be the only thing I can be and that is an Atheist who believes in the oneness of the universe and the amazing power of nature that make all off nature work. Still. I am getting a little side tract. Not gentile enough to be gentile. Not Jewish enough to be Jewess. Not Atheist enough to deny G-d, but not religious enoth to see the face of G-d.

When I was 22 I stopped hearing the voice I could Dr. MLK Jr, and that voice changed my life, so I am not Black enough to be Black, and I am not male enough to be male or female enough to be female. I guess I will always be like that. Stuck in the middle of no where.

Your,

KaylaK

[Sally]

Where are my manners? With all of the Political Correctness and wishing of Happy Holidays and Seasons Greetings, we are around the half way point and I haven't wished you a Happy Hanukkah!

We often forget about the importance of the lamps burning for so long, but then we also fail to think about Christmas as a celebration of an important birth and reduce it to exchanging presents.

In honor of both of our traditions, I would like to offer you the present of love and understanding - this present should be shared with everyone.

Shalom,

Sally

[Guest Evan_J]

Definately Happy Hanukkah

I had a wonder time at Christmas Eve service last night in which my friend, a tirelessly active transwoman, delivered the Hanukkah blessing -in Hebrew, yes- while lighting the menorah within a protestant church service.

This to me is the true will of God, that all people, regardless of what groups, labels, and criteria we all adopt and sometimes ascribe to each other while we figure out how to live next to one another, are in the end all just one group of his kids that he loves.

[Guest Adoni-Michelle]

Laura read your information on Judiaism found it helpfull although I am reform Jewish and the article stated that that happened in the UK and Eurupe mostly but I did find it helpfull also listen to audiobooks from aish audio at www.aishaudio.com for tapes from lessons from israel.

Shalom,

Michelle

[Guest perlitarose]

You guys ahve it so right. I was born Jewish and grew up in a Reform Temple, and grew up in that Jewish community. I rejected the community when I thought they were just a bunch of upward mobile hippocrites. I moved out west and had no true spiritual thoughts or beliefs. I really was somewhat angry and deep down antisemetic. Hard to believe but common among rebellious youth.

Later in life I joined a warmand open Christian church. Felt good there for quite awhile, but after reading and rereading the writings of Paul, I realized he was an antisemetic Jew.So my heart wandered and rediscovered the joys of Judiasm and recognized that my heart, my DNA and spirtualness belonged with my true heritage.

One more important thing,,Only Reform Jewsa except the LGBT community for who they are the Othodox would follow the commandment to expel us and/or "stone us" like the commandment says. Not litterally stone us but in their hearts reject who we are and exclude us from the community........................Mia.

Hi, Mia and all,

Thank you for sharing your stories. Like many of you, I was born christian, and learned about budihsm, zen. lamaism; but found "call" in any. I always heard the soft word of G-d, and never stoped praying and beliving. I was told that my mother's mother come from Germany escaping from Hitler. So, I always belive that I was Jewish. Several yea ago I saw an add in the local newspaper, inviting people to come for a vist and talk with the local Rabbi. I went for the "knolege." The Rabbi explained the basic belifs of the Jewish faith, and then proceed to invit us to the sanctuary, then an epifany happen. I felt a communion with G-d, like I was finally home. I took several class offered by the temple, and attended Shabbatt servcies every Friday. My spouse was supportive at the begining, but later on turned against the idea. One day, this spouse of mine, run on the Rabbi on the marke and insulted the Rabbi. The Rabbi decided not to offer me the conversion. Things got more difficult at home. So when I am not working, I am at home with my children. Hope things will get better so I can resume going to the Temple again. To make things even more hard, I recently had my DNA analyzed, and turned out that genetically I am German, Dane, and Dutch, no traces of any Jewsish genes. I was so hart broken. Fortunaley my son come, and said: "Oh, for us you always will be Jew." I realized then, that I am what I belive I am. So, in my hart and in my mind I am a Jewish Woman.

Thank you listening to me

Perlita

[Guest NatashaJade]

One more important thing,,Only Reform Jewsa except the LGBT community for who they are the Othodox would follow the commandment to expel us and/or "stone us" like the commandment says. Not litterally stone us but in their hearts reject who we are and exclude us from the community........................Mia.

Not quite true, Mia. I am a humanistic Jew and we accept people as they come. Of course, we're not burdened by a deity either...

luv

Gin

[Guest perlitarose]

Hi, all,

Perhpas I should have added that my spouse was also supportive of mychoice to expres my true gender at the begining of our relationship, leter it turned into olerance, and about 5 years ago into heatread. We are staying together for the children. I mourned the loss. So sorry to dump all this on you

Perlita

[Guest v4leri3]

As a reform Jew myself, I have always found Judaism to be a very progressive and accepting of LGBT people. When I went to Sunday school in the mid-90s, we were taught that the famous verse from Leviticus had been taken out of context, and that being gay was OK.

Unlike some religions, reform Judaism emphasizes personal autonomy- you have the freedom to interpret the Torah as it makes sense to you. There's no talk of moral absolutism or threats of Hell and damnation.

My partner is converting to Judaism as well, and we're enjoying learning more about it. I wish the rest of society were as forward-thinking as our synagogue!

[Guest praisedbeherhooves]

Interesting story. My mom converted to Judaism herself. I have to say, I find the phrase "Jew by choice" mildly annoying. Jewish born Jews are Jews by choice too. At least in mainstream Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism, no one is pointing a gun at your head and saying "be Jewish, or else!" Personally, I do not believe in God, though I was raised Jewish, but I think that people have the right to their beliefs as long as their beliefs don't influence them to be jerks.