Posts Tagged ‘convert to Judaism’
The Messinger’s Universally Accepted Conversion
Written by Rochel Weinstein on October 5, 2009 – 10:35 am -Whispers of a Jewish Past
Growing up in Guatemala, Daniella loved wandering through her grandmother, Virginia’s, uniquely large home: the welcoming, spacious rooms; the grand staircase in the front entrance hall that led to the pretty bedrooms upstairs. How grateful she was to live there with her parents, clearly ensconced in a world of comfort and love.
Even today, Daniella remembers marveling at her grandmother’s magnificent mahogany bed frame, and the Jewish stars that adorned it. A family heirloom from Spain, it travelled down the centuries, finally assuming its rightful place as the one tangible object in their Catholic home that made Daniella wonder about the possibly Jewish branches of their family tree.
The most intriguing room for Daniella, however, was adjacent to the kitchen – a small, secret alcove where she watched Virginia take a few moments to pray each day and light candles at sunset on Friday evenings. Also interesting was the kitchen itself, where seafood was prohibited and milk and meat items were kept separate. So foreign to their religion, however, the rituals mystified Daniella.
Her world evolved around their tiny community, where Virginia’s warmth and generosity were widely known. At the center of it all was her inherent belief in G-d and spirituality. She regarded Israel as “G-d’s country,” reminding Daniella to keep it in her prayers. Most important, she satisfied Daniella’s naturally inquisitive mind by patiently answering her constant stream of questions or appeasing her with candy or ice cream when she grew tired of them.
Daniella’s family encouraged her to be independent; at 18, she became a promising entrepreneur. Her electronics business required travel to Miami, where she met the family of a conservatively observant Jewish business acquaintance. Their practices stimulated Daniella’s interest in Judaism. Thankfully, the family was receptive to her curiosity, even encouraging her to approach a rabbi to learn more.
After three years of questions and answers, Daniella’s interest in Judaism blossomed into an intense yearning to become Jewish. Supported by her family, she kashered a corner of their kitchen and immersed herself in the study of Jewish texts.
Still, Guatemala’s diminutive Jewish community was not enough to satiate Daniella’s appetite for learning or her growing desire to live as an orthodox Jew – something virtually impossible in her current locale. Instead, she sensed a new life waiting for her in Miami.
A Personal American Dream
Similar to others who navigate the path of becoming Jewish, Daniella was prepared to invest whatever was needed for a proper Jewish conversion. Unfortunately, such sincerely interested individuals are often misled towards questionable conversions to Judaism by rabbanim who appear knowledgeable.
Daniella’s situation was no different: The rabbanim she encountered seemed up to par, but Daniella detected something wrong with their offers: for $3000, she was promised a Jewish conversion within a month; for $5,000, she would be able to consider herself Jewish that very day.
From her studies, Daniella surmised that proper conversions to Judaism require at least one or two years of learning. Finally, she met a respected rabbi who presented what she considered a reasonable path to a suitable Jewish conversion.
She attended the required classes and continued her personal learning. After only one month, Daniella was able to pray in Hebrew; soon after, she could even understand the words of the siddur. Never before had she been this close to realizing her dreams.
At last an acceptable rabbi and bais din completed her process of conversion. Daniella was euphoric. Especially when Samuel Messinger entered her life.
Combined Destinies
Originally from Pennsylvania, Samuel descends from a prestigious family of Munkatch talmidei chachamim. Unfortunately, similar to other immigrants at the turn of the century, religious observance among the descending line of gifted businessmen and philanthropists was eventually thrown off completely.
When it was Samuel’s turn to enter the family business, he, too, was extremely successful. But when his first marriage ended in divorce, he felt compelled to get in touch with his emotions and the spirituality of his ancestors. Soon he and his son, who currently serves as a chaplain for the US army, were regular participants in a local chumash and rashi class. Inspired, Samuel studied more Jewish texts and attended other shiurim.
As his learning increased, Samuel felt spiritually fulfilled and yearned for a partner with whom to share this exciting new era of his life. As an older single, however, it seemed that the odds of finding a wife were against him.
At this time, Samuel was offered the role of mashgiach for the Pesach program in Florida’s Doral hotel. There he met Daniella, and their relationship blossomed. Months later, when she became his wife, Samuel claimed that it was in the merit of the deal he made when he accepted the mashgiach position: that his earnings would be given to his rabbi’s son, a kollel yungerman learning in Cleveland, Ohio.
Daniella closed her business and assumed a teaching position in their yeshiva’s elementary school, then focused with her husband on building a Jewish home for their first child.
A Home on Holy Soil
The Messingers dreams had come full circle. But they wondered what it would be like to live them in Israel: the Jewish homeland so dear to her grandmother. Fourteen months into the process of making it a reality, they discovered the rigid standards that the Israeli government requires of converts to prove their Jewish status. For Daniella to obtain citizenship, her conversion papers would be carefully reviewed.
After four years of marriage and investing every effort to build a Torah home for their two year old daughter, the Messingers discovered that the rabbi who had issued her conversion was not recognized by the rabbinic courts in Israel. Had the documents been presented to them, Daniella’s request to become a citizen would have been flatly rejected.
Upon this discovery, the Messingers turned to Eternal Jewish Family International, an organization committed to safeguarding the sanctity of the Jewish people from questionable conversions to Judaism. After working with Daniella, EJF guided her towards a universally accepted bais din and unquestionable Jewish status in any community throughout the world.
Samuel says that EJF provided Daniella with the gold standard of Jewish conversion. “This organization will always have a special place in our hearts. It’s given us certainty for our children and descendants – that’s priceless.”
When Daniella gave birth to a son, she considered him their reward for pursuing a truly kosher conversion. Now they were ready to make the move to Israel. The Messingers still marvel at the siyata dishmaya regarding the flood of details that worked out so well, including the miraculous sale of their Miami home.
Seeking The Sale of the Century
The many prospective buyers knocking on the Messinger’s door reflected a healthy housing market. Thrilled at the offers and ready to sell their home on the spot, the Messingers looked forward to overcoming the final hurdle in their months of preparations for aliyah.
But the market suddenly plummeted, and with it, Daniella and Samuel’s hope of realizing their dreams. Undaunted, the Messingers moved to Israel anyway and rented an apartment while they researched housing options.
While walking through the Jerusalem streets one day, a man approached Samuel to offer assistance. He was the gabbai of a famous mekubal, the man explained, and would Samuel like to accompany him for a visit?
Samuel was struck by the simplicity of the rav’s modest home and clearly sensed the kedusha of the rav himself. He explained, through the gabbai, that nobody was interested in buying his Miami home, which he desperately needed to sell. The Messinger finances were strained from simultaneously covering the rent in Israel and the mortgage in Miami.
The rav provided Samuel with a segula; in return, Samuel gave him a generous donation for his personal needs. The rav said that the money would be given instead to talmidei chachamim who would daven for his situation.
A Sprinkling of Siyata Dishmaya
Samuel phoned Melvin, his longtime friend and personal agent in Florida, presenting him with the most unique customer service request of his career: “Please collect saltwater from the Atlantic Ocean and drizzle it throughout our home.”
Melvin laughed. Then he heard silence – Samuel was serious.
Amused, he followed Samuel’s instructions, dousing the Messinger home with saltwater – on the front and back doors and everywhere in between. When Melvin’s phone rang the next morning, he simply could not believe his ears: a couple was offering cash – on the spot – for the Messinger home.
Samuel was thrilled. The deal was even more remarkable considering that the housing market had slumped; within an eight month period, this contract and sale would be Miami’s first in eight months.
In the height of the Messinger’s excitement and hope, however, the couple suddenly cancelled the sale. Samuel phoned the gabbai, who on the advice of the rav said to repeat the process of sprinkling saltwater throughout the home.
This time, Melvin was a firm believer. He dashed to the Atlantic Ocean for another sprinkling of the Messinger home. Then he sat back and calmly waited for a miracle.
A few days later, Melvin received an offer from a couple who wanted the Messinger home, cash down, for even more money than the first offer.
Samuel points out that during this time, only two homes in the Miami area sold, and both were owned by families moving to Israel.
To Live a Dream
Each day the Messingers marvel that they are living out their dreams in the world’s holiest city. Their daughter, Toby, is well-integrated into the Bais Yaakov and speaks Hebrew fluently. Samuel treasures his walks to the kosel, especially for netz on Shabbos morning. The Messinger home is a popular meeting ground for seminary girls, who learn so much from Daniella, even how to knit. They are drawn in particular to her heartfelt emotion of gratitude to see and appreciate yiddishkeit in her Ramat Eshkol neighborhood. “I see the goodness in people,” she says, “how they’re spreading mitzvos and chessed. We don’t know what Hashem’s plan is, but Moshiach is around the corner – I just know it.”
Her tears swell as she expresses gratitude to Hashem for gifts that exceeded her dreams: her devoted husband and children that comprise her Torah home, located in the hallowed streets of Jerusalem. Most of all, Daniella is fervently appreciative of something that many take for granted: waking up each day as a passionate Torah Jew.
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