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Mazel Tov! This sounds exciting. I hope that when restrictions ease, you will be able to join a community on at least some occasions, even if it's an hour away. As Rachel mentioned, community is important.
How are your studies going? The sites that were provided might be able to help, but I've also found that sometimes help comes in unexpected places.
At work, we've been working from home at my full-time job and one of our partners in another state is Jewish. Our leader opened up an interfaith dialog and prayer. He leads the Jewish prayer and someone else leads the Christian, they're looking for other faith groups. Anyway, I love the Jewish lead and hearing him recite to Torah and discussing it, it makes my day. He makes it secular, as does the Christian, but there's something about that that brightens my day.
However, as Rachel pointed out, there's a lot of risk with Zoom, especially Zoom bombers. Most of the Zoom chats I participate in, whether for work or Shabbat or anything else spiritually, they are password protected.
Best of luck to you!
Shalom
Wow, your first sentence reminds me. When I first joined this site (early June) and Rachel had mentioned how the community is important, although I agree it is at the time I thought "yes I will visit the temple once a week. This didn't sit right in my head somehow because visiting once a week, and being involved in the community daily are very different. But moving within a community I thought is something I cannot do, I have work here, I study here, my son's school is here, etc everything is nearby.
In a space of a few weeks I didn't even realise but now I feel those things are small, and our purpose on this earth is greater and so I must make these small sacrifices. I am looking for a place to move, please pray it goes well and smooth as this is a huge step for me.
That sounds very positive and inspiring, as the discussion part helps you understand (I have seen videos) where they give examples and explain. Something I will look into as I have seen videos. (That is the reason why I suggested the zoom group). I will find one surely
Wow, your first sentence reminds me. When I first joined this site (early June) and Rachel had mentioned how the community is important, although I agree it is at the time I thought "yes I will visit the temple once a week. This didn't sit right in my head somehow because visiting once a week, and being involved in the community daily are very different. But moving within a community I thought is something I cannot do, I have work here, I study here, my son's school is here, etc everything is nearby.
In a space of a few weeks I didn't even realise but now I feel those things are small, and our purpose on this earth is greater and so I must make these small sacrifices. I am looking for a place to move, please pray it goes well and smooth as this is a huge step for me.
That sounds very positive and inspiring, as the discussion part helps you understand (I have seen videos) where they give examples and explain. Something I will look into as I have seen videos. (That is the reason why I suggested the zoom group). I will find one surely
That makes sense. I'm fortunate enough to live in a community that welcomes everyone and there's something for all faith traditions around. I'm hoping to move to New York, then Toronto and I know it'll be the same type of thing. Sometimes living in a metro or city is easier. Good luck to you!
Chabad.org is good resource and if you are on Reddit, there are many Jewish/Judaism subreddits as well. They're helpful, though some aren't as welcoming as here. There are some gate keepers who love quizzing newbies.
... you are on Reddit, there are many Jewish/Judaism subreddits as well. They're helpful, though some aren't as welcoming as here. There are some gate keepers who love quizzing newbies.
FWIW/FYI: As a majority of the people on Reddit are in the US, if you're going to ask questions it's best not to do so from Friday sundown in NY to a hour past sundown in CA on Saturday.
FWIW/FYI: As a majority of the people on Reddit are in the US, if you're going to ask questions it's best not to do so from Friday sundown in NY to a hour past sundown in CA on Saturday.
Yep, I know. Thanks for pointing it out to others because even though I was patient, a lot of people who are starting out might not understand.
Yep, I know. Thanks for pointing it out to others because even though I was patient, a lot of people who are starting out might not understand.
We've had the same custom of avoiding posting during Shabbat on this forum as well. It has never been a rule -- it's just a courtesy for those of us who are more traditionalist about observing Shabbat.
I may access the forums during Shabbat, but I generally try to limit my activity on this forum to only those posts that appear to require immediate attention.
I registered on the website suggested by a member on this thread 'partnersintorah', however, I got a reply back to say that I am unable to join (only Jewish). Due to the fact that I have not yet converted although I thought that was a great way to learn.
I am learning how to read Hebrew. I brought a book online and it is super cool and fun. It's spread over 6 weeks. And what you learn each week, literally you won't forget
Before I go sleep I go over what I learned and smile because it is that easy, that I memorize it. I am learning the alphabet and by the grace of Hashem soon will be able to read the Torah in Hebrew.
I often heard people say when you are older it is difficult to learn another language, I guess I had that thought too. But it is not true at all.
I changed my name to Mya Abraham I had no idea at the time that both were, in fact, Jewish. I changed my name before I decided to convert.
Speaking of names, there are many names I have heard throughout my life of people from other religions e.g. Christian, Muslim names. And now that I study Judaism I say "wow that name is actually Jewish!" It's such a shocking discovery lol. I remember having this conversation with another convert online and it was so funny as we shared this. And he told me that I remind him of when he was going through the conversion process 2 years ago. And he too made these name discoveries.
Rachel is a name I had often heard of Christians (where I have lived have mostly been Christian, Muslims) but in fact that is such a Jewish name. So alot of these names I see every differently now.
All these years I have associated names with certain people or religions, but I was not aware that these names go back way back, before Islam and Christianity.
Mya, the Hebrew that you are learning from your book will show you how to "read" Hebrew in the siddur, not the Torah. Torah studies require an additional skill set. You are learning how to "pronounce" Hebrew using the most rudimentary rules. Hebrew is not an easy language for English speakers and writers to pick up as an adult. Most likely, you haven't been introduced to the cursive alphabet yet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cursive_Hebrew. Unlike English, Hebrew vocabulary is based on the roots of words. You are at the very tip of the iceberg. Ask any bar mitzvah boy who studied Hebrew in an American after-school program if he can understand Hebrew and he will answer in the negative.
Udacity used to offer some free Hebrew language courses and there is an excellent series for beginners on the website for JBS TV called "from the aleph Bet" that has links to the youtube videos
You should read the story about Rachel, Leah, and Jacob. That is how Rachel became a common Jewish name.
Mya, the Hebrew that you are learning from your book will show you how to "read" Hebrew in the siddur, not the Torah. Torah studies require an additional skill set. You are learning how to "pronounce" Hebrew using the most rudimentary rules. Hebrew is not an easy language for English speakers and writers to pick up as an adult. Most likely, you haven't been introduced to the cursive alphabet yet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cursive_Hebrew. Unlike English, Hebrew vocabulary is based on the roots of words. You are at the very tip of the iceberg. Ask any bar mitzvah boy who studied Hebrew in an American after-school program if he can understand Hebrew and he will answer in the negative.
Udacity used to offer some free Hebrew language courses and there is an excellent series for beginners on the website for JBS TV called "from the aleph Bet" that has links to the youtube videos
You should read the story about Rachel, Leah, and Jacob. That is how Rachel became a common Jewish name.
Don't discourage her...I don't know if it is just me or that HaShem gave me a gift of learning, but I do not find the Hebrew language any more difficult than the Chinese that I learned when I was 15 years old, in fact, I find it easier...It is actually, for me, easier to understand than English...But, Hey, being able to read the Siddur is a start...
I registered on the website suggested by a member on this thread 'partnersintorah', however, I got a reply back to say that I am unable to join (only Jewish). Due to the fact that I have not yet converted although I thought that was a great way to learn.
I am learning how to read Hebrew. I brought a book online and it is super cool and fun. It's spread over 6 weeks. And what you learn each week, literally you won't forget
Before I go sleep I go over what I learned and smile because it is that easy, that I memorize it. I am learning the alphabet and by the grace of Hashem soon will be able to read the Torah in Hebrew.
I often heard people say when you are older it is difficult to learn another language, I guess I had that thought too. But it is not true at all.
I changed my name to Mya Abraham I had no idea at the time that both were, in fact, Jewish. I changed my name before I decided to convert.
Speaking of names, there are many names I have heard throughout my life of people from other religions e.g. Christian, Muslim names. And now that I study Judaism I say "wow that name is actually Jewish!" It's such a shocking discovery lol. I remember having this conversation with another convert online and it was so funny as we shared this. And he told me that I remind him of when he was going through the conversion process 2 years ago. And he too made these name discoveries.
Rachel is a name I had often heard of Christians (where I have lived have mostly been Christian, Muslims) but in fact that is such a Jewish name. So alot of these names I see every differently now.
All these years I have associated names with certain people or religions, but I was not aware that these names go back way back, before Islam and Christianity.
I’m not sure if you’ve come across this site, but I’d like to proffer it as a place to start with Biblical Hebrew:
Mya, the Hebrew that you are learning from your book will show you how to "read" Hebrew in the siddur, not the Torah. Torah studies require an additional skill set. You are learning how to "pronounce" Hebrew using the most rudimentary rules. Hebrew is not an easy language for English speakers and writers to pick up as an adult. Most likely, you haven't been introduced to the cursive alphabet yet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cursive_Hebrew. Unlike English, Hebrew vocabulary is based on the roots of words. You are at the very tip of the iceberg. Ask any bar mitzvah boy who studied Hebrew in an American after-school program if he can understand Hebrew and he will answer in the negative.
Udacity used to offer some free Hebrew language courses and there is an excellent series for beginners on the website for JBS TV called "from the aleph Bet" that has links to the youtube videos
You should read the story about Rachel, Leah, and Jacob. That is how Rachel became a common Jewish name.
That's very helpful advice, Coney.
As for the name Rachel... The name Rachel is so popular among Jews, in fact, that there have been many forms of it used by Jews over the years. Here are a number of Yiddish variations of the name (which I've taken from Harkavy's Yiddish Dictionary published in 1928):
These following names came about as a combining form of the Yiddish names "Mariyam" and "Rashel":
מאריאשע Mariyasha
מאריאשקע Mariyashka
Last edited by Rachel NewYork; 06-29-2020 at 10:17 AM..
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I hope that when restrictions ease, you will be able to join a community on at least some occasions, even if it's an hour away. As Rachel mentioned, community is important. 
although I thought that was a great way to learn. 
