Conversion

Hanukkah Baby Names

Ellie Rudee
In Judaism, words are powerful; names are perhaps even more powerful. In the Torah, naming is an important theme related to identity and essence. If you find yourself looking for a name this Hanukkah, we hope this list inspired by the themes of the season will help.

Funny, You Don’t Look...

Miguel L. Salazar
"What are you?" was a question I was often asked in New York City. At first, I did not understand. Having grown up in San Antonio, Texas during the Jim Crow era, there was no doubt in my mind. During Jim Crow, Americans were defined by their skin color. I was not Black, but neither was I white. Therefore, I reasoned, I must be Mexican.

Spicing up my Hispanic Heritage and Embracing Sephardic Traditions

Josh Rodriguez
Even before I finalized my conversion to Judaism, I was preparing to celebrate my adult bar mitzvah. In a sense, my conversion preparation became a precursor to bigger plans: for a bar mitzvah and a Jewish vow renewal ceremony with my wife Laurie later this year.