אני קושית יפה/I’m a Cute Black Girl Pg 51

Boy was I the eager beaver in class yesterday! In Hebrew I was willing to practice reading Hebrew whenever I could. Kinda got to a point where I was pretty certain everyone was getting irritated with me, but hey it was my birthday so I had every right to be 

Lately I have caught myself on many times trying to read any Hebrew I see and even though I might not get it every time I am trying to understand it all and make sense with the scribbles. Yesterday I got lots of bday wishes and since my father’s family is all Israeli and the ones that wished me did so in Hebrew, I got the chance to read a lot of Hebrew. Although none had the vowels and so I turned to asking my sister for the translation and used Google Translate too.

We are coming up close to the end of the course and so the time is coming for me to sit down, buckle down and work on my notes and study material and actually prepare myself for the exam set for November.

Yesterday when I met with the Psychiatrist and I told her I was in the process of converting, she did find it weird that I was converting when my husband is Christian and I don’t live with my Jewish Family anymore. I told her how I was doing this for myself and my need to be Jewish.

Last night when the Rabbi spoke to us about the History of Judaism in South Africa, a lot of the stuff he touched on, I remember being told when myself and a few others went to the Jewish Museum a few months ago, but he also spoke about Black Jews in Africa. How they practice Judaism and how because some still have some faith in Christianity they are not all accepted in the Orthodox Stream of Judaism. But the Progressive Movement do accept them. Many have made aliyah. I don’t see myself ever making aliyah, but maybe I should look into going to Israel next year. Go on holiday for a few days up there.

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And even though they are really pricey I wouldn’t mind buying a pair of my fav shoes ever…

  I could just buy them online!

He went on to talk about the start of the Progressive Movement in South Africa.

Last night’s lessons were short and sweet. Yesterday was a great day, from the minute I woke up. I went to bed feeling as though I am following the right path and even though I am doing things that I should have done years if not decades ago, this all feels so right and finally everything that I have been through and am going through makes sense.

Last night. I felt her with me. My mother. I felt her sitting with me and being proud of me for taking on this journey and becoming Jewish. Talking about becoming Jewish. I have decided that at my graduation next year I am going to wear a white dress, like my sisters wore at their Bat mitzvah. I just need to find someone to make it for me. I have a picture of the dress on my phone.