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New MOTs

5/3/2014

2 Comments

 
I was invited to a Shabbat lunch today -- always a cause for celebration, but it was especially nice because it was a nice lively bunch of people (and the food was delicious).

There are probably not too many places in the world where a bunch of people get together for a Shabbat meal and a half of them are converts/Jews by Choice, but that happens more than not in Tzfat. For some reason Tzfat attracts converts like bees to clover and a significant percentage of our population are New Jews.

I have a friend (who's husband, incidently, converted) who has an interesting theory. She said that, in the 1500s, many of the Jews who had been forcibly converted by the Inquisition and managed to escape Spanish and Portuguese rule tried to return to Judaism but were initially refused by the rabbis of that era who felt that they had committed blasphemy by allowing themselves to convert -- even under duress -- and thus, could not return.

Quite a few of these Jews made their way to Safed (the Ari Ashkanazi synagogue of Safed was originally started by such Jews...it had been named the Girigoros synagogue because it was established by Spanish Jews who converted and then fled to the Greek island of Girigoros and then came to Safed). Several Safed rabbis, among them Rabbi Beirav and Rabbi Alsheich, advocated for these Jews and were ultimately successful in convincing the Jewish leaders of that era to re-accept the forcibly converted Jews back into the Jewish community.

My friend posits that Safed has a history of acceptance and that's the reason that converts (along with other "seekers") feel so comfortable here.

Whatever the reason, it makes for a diverse community. It's also a good reminder to those of us who are Jews-by-birth that we shouldn't Judaism for granted.
2 Comments
Magali
4/22/2017 08:58:01 am

Hi Laurie,
I somehow landed on your post from 3 years ago... In case you are still active on your blog and you should read this: I am on a search for finding the right place to convert to Judaism. Maybe you could advise me ? Is there such a place in Safed? Or a synagogue or rabbi or someone you know I could talk to on this subject? I though asking because i kind of don't know where to start and you just never know who might be able to help... :-) Toda raba, Magali

Reply
Laurie Rappeport link
4/22/2017 10:35:10 am

Hi Magali,
I didn't see any direct email to write to you so I hope that you'll see my reply here. If you want to write to me directly, please feel free at laurierappeport@gmail.com

Conversion is not straight-forward here but I've been involved in 2 conversions in Israel (helping people, going to the rabbinical courts with them, etc) so I may have some insights.

First of all, where are you from? How old are you? Do you have financial resources to come to Tzfat and live while you're studying for conversion? Would you need to work? What is your background? Previous knowledge about Judaism?

Once I have that information I can give you more useful assistance. Laurie

Reply



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    Laurie

    Laurie has lived in Safed for almost 30 years. She's the mother of five kids, all of whom were born and raised in Safed.

    Laurie began to blog at Safed.blogspot in 2004. She has been writing about daily life in Safed, as well as her own involvement with the local community, Safed institutions and individuals and her goal of improving the city one step at a time.

    The blog has now migrated to this site.

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