Choosing a Jewish Life, Revised and Updated

In the same knowledgeable, reassuring, and respectful style that has made her one of the most admired writers of guides to Jewish practices and rituals, Anita Diamant provides advice and information that can transform the act of conversion into an extraordinary journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth.

Married to a convert herself, Diamant anticipates all the questions, doubts, and concerns, provides a comprehensive explanation of the rules and rituals of conversion, and offers practical guidance toward creating a Jewish identity. Choosing a Jewish Life: A Handbook for People Converting to Judaism and for Their Family and Friends is the definitive guide to the conversion process—for a new generation of Jews-by-choice.

Here you will learn how to choose a rabbi, a synagogue, a denomination, and a Hebrew name; how to handle the difficulty of putting aside Christmas; what happens at the mikvah (the ritual bath) or at a hatafat dam brit (circumcision ritual for those already circumcised); how to find your footing in a new spiritual family that is not always well prepared to receive you; and how not to lose your bonds to your family of origin.

Sensitive, sympathetic, and insightful, Choosing a Jewish Life provides everything necessary to make conversion a joyful and spiritually meaningful experience. This audiobook is masterfully read by Barrie Kreinik, and includes the song Hineni: Here I Am by Sue Horowitz.

©1997, 2016 Anita Diamant. Produced and published by Echo Point Books & Media, an independent bookseller in Brattleboro, Vermont.