Happy "Jewish Holiday that some people..."

[naraht]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

Hanukkah is definitely not one of the "big" holidays in Judaism. It's become a big deal in the US mainly because Jewish kids have asked their parents why their Christian friends are getting presents from Santa and from their parents and relatives while they themselves get squat. In Israel, it's a minor holiday - you light candles and say the prayers and that's that.



I actually did convert from Roman Catholicism to Judaism. To make a very long story short, I was a cradle Catholic, but the Jewish faith always resonated with me, to the point where I finally approached a rabbi and said, "I want to convert. Can I study with you?" It took over a year before I was officially Jewish, but I came out of that mikveh (the ritual bath you take when you convert) feeling like I'd been reborn.

I hasten to add that, although I was an AEPhi when I converted, and I was engaged to a Jewish man when I converted, I would have converted anyway. Becoming Jewish was something that had been in the back of my mind long before I even ever got to college.

I'll shut up now...

I took off for first day of Hannukah to get some stuff straight with buying a new car and my team lead (who is a Jain) thought I was taking it off to go to synagogue. I had to explain to him how *little* Hannukah is in the grand scheme of things...

Mazel Tov on the conversion