A bloke emails: <\/p>\n
Hello Mr. Ford,<\/p>\n
I am writing to you because I would like to request your advice on a religous matter. You compiled a website reviewing LA area synagogues, and I think you might be able to help me. I am a Jew (through my mother’s side only) who was raised completely secular (in a family that was extremely hostile to all forms of religion) and I was an atheist for much of my life. Long sotry short, I am now trying to become an observant religious Jew. I want to get my own tefillin, however they are extremely expensive for me. Do you know if any LA area Jewish centers would be able to help me out? I don’t mind getting used or even damaged hand me downs for Judaica things at all. To be honest, I am massively in debt and I have absolutely no extra money. Are there any Jewish centers or shuls that might help me in the LA area? I’m not Hasidic but… I was thinking I should try Chabad for help? You and I also have similar political views so I was very happy to discover your website! Its great to know there are Jews like you out there.<\/p>\n
By the way, I don’t actually live in LA but am coming next month to see some doctors, so my plan is to visit Jewish places\/centers at the same time, after or before that day. I am in the inland empire maybe 2.5 hours east from LA. Could you as well perhaps recommend a book for newly religious Jews that would advise me as to all of my Torah obligations? Also can you recommend a good siddur for me that has English and Hebrew and has every prayer I could ever need? I can’t read Hebrew yet unfortunately. In additional to all of the above, I would be very grateful for any other suggestions or thoughts you may have. Thank you very much!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Think in terms of relationships (with people and with
\ninstitutions)… and then as these develop, everything will naturally fall into place, including tefillin.<\/p>\nIf I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t ask. I’d just start going to a morning minyan at a Chabad… Don’t begin your journey asking for things…Just show up and when appropriate, let people know you want to learn and grow in your yiddishkeit.<\/p>\n
To Live As A Jew by R. Donin is a good beginners guide. Every major siddur has Hebrew and English, so RCA Artscroll publishes a good
\none. There are many good ones.<\/p>\nWhen you start a relationship with a shul by asking for things, you will likely be viewed as a shnorrer rather than a contributor. That’s the social kiss of death. So go into shul with a smile on your face, be friendly and appropriate, and don’t tell people your troubles until you have established a relationship with them and they are genuinely curious and then share just one…and let time go by, and then perhaps share one more. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A bloke emails: Hello Mr. Ford, I am writing to you because I would like to request your advice on a religous matter. You compiled a website reviewing LA area synagogues, and I think you might be able to help … Continue reading