Show notes
Aliza Bulow, a returning guest, shares the path that led to her conversion to Judaism with us, an in depth conversation about finding belonging in our community, and the love, respect and trust she shares with her husband, despite his late-in-life rejection of their religion. Aliza previously shared her journey through her son’s depression and eventual suicide in, part 1 here and part 2 here.
As a young teenager, Aliza was unsettled with her parents’ religious views, and searched for truth and peace. She studied different paths before finding a book on Judaism in her middle school library and immediately felt at home and wanted to convert. The local Rabbi told her she was too young to convert, but that she should go to camp where she ate up every opportunity to learn. Aliza’s parents supported her exploration, and off she flew over the North Pole to Israel at 16 years old to see if anyone could tell she was a convert, where it was immediately obvious that she had not been born Jewish, having a last name of Beech from the city of Portland, Oregon.
It took time and a great deal of learning to feel that she could claim to be a part of her new community. However, as her kids and grandchildren are born into it, their family feels more established in the community. Becoming a leader has given her a purpose among the people. Aliza still feels like an outsider looking in at mainstream Orthodox Judaism since she believes that she was not made to follow practices commonly held, but to connect herself and other people to Hashem, and to each other, to strengthen the Jewish community so it can shine brightly and cause others to want to join too. Her goal is to guide others to the truth of who God is.
As a convert, she has a different perspective on everything. She didn’t learn or pursue out of obligation or because it’s what “everyone else” was doing. It was all fresh; it was all new. An average Jewish person may not have noticed what she sees because they often see commonly-held perspectives.
Her marriage to someone who left Judaism leaves no correct answer on how to deal with such a situation. When tragedy struck her family and her husband left their shared spirituality, they choose to cling to each other through the hardship, without judgment through the grieving process. While Aliza is sad that her husband turned away from God, he supports her in her choice of practicing religion, despite his aversion to it. He works hard to provide enough money for kosher food, eats kosher cheese and is supportive of her dreams to change the world with Hashem. While it is challenging to be disconnected from a spouse because of nonparallel beliefs, there are many married couples who do share their faith but still don’t share a spiritual connection. Despite their philosophical differences, their children have grown up seeing parents demonstrate a deep respect and love for someone with an opposing view, allowing for a safe environment for exploration and the choice to choose their own path
If you need more support in your mental health journey please reach out to us in our private Facebook group. We also offer free 30-minute fitting calls for our coaching program. You do not have to walk through your mental health struggle alone. Because as always, together is better!
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Connect with Aliza:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aliza.bulow
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alizabulow
A Bite of Torah: https://www.abiteoftorah.com/
https://coretorah.org
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Topics Discussed:
- Converting to Judaism
- Finding belonging in the Orthodox community
- Transforming the world with the light of God
- Living with a spouse who left the faith
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Quotes:
- “Kids leave orthodoxy because they feel conditional belonging and they're looking for something more meaningful.” @MatanaJacobs #HopetoRecharge
- “I'm part of a group of people where I really matter. And they matter too. And we have a job in the world now.” @AlizaBulow @MatanaJacobs #HopetoRecharge
- “Nations should be seeing us shine and saying, wow, look how they illuminate the path forward into meaning and direction connection with the divine that's meaningful, that changes our lives and helps the whole planet live in a synergistically beautiful way.” @AlizaBulow @MatanaJacobs #HopetoRecharge
- “How do you do this? And not fear that your kids will X, Y, and Z? You can’t. The fear is there. So the question is, how do you go there and deal with that fear?” @AlizaBulow @MatanaJacobs #HopetoRecharge
- “We are on different religious pathways and that's not changing, but it doesn't have to be in two separate houses.” @AlizaBulow @MatanaJacobs #HopetoRecharge
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If you need more support in your mental health journey please reach out to us in our private Facebook group. We also offer free 30-minute fitting calls for our coaching program. You do not have to walk through your mental health struggle alone. Because as always, together is better!
There is no substitute for a listening ear. Get Your Free 30 Minute Consultation Today.
http://www.hopetorecharge.com/1on1
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Suicide Hotlines:
USA: 1-800-273-8255
USA Crisis (Text): 741-741
Canada: 1-833-456-4566
United Kingdom: 116-123
Australia: 13-11-14
International Suicide Hotlines:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines
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Connect with us!
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