Conversion to Judaism — But…You’re Already Jewish: Judaism Unbound Episode 388 - David A.M. Wilensky
If you say to David A.M. Wilensky that he "converted" to Judaism, he'll provide a gentle correction: "I underwent a conversion," he'll say. This may not seem like much of a distinction, but in this episode of Judaism Unbound, we explore a group of people who -- from some frames of reference -- converted to Judaism, but from other frames of reference, were Jewish from the second they were born. In short, Wilensky was born as a patrilineal Jew (his father was Jewish, and his mother at the time was not -- though she has since converted), and he made the choice in adulthood to undergo a "conversion," even though he had lived his whole life in Jewish community. This episode explores his story, and a wide variety of inter-related topics!
This episode is the third in an ongoing Judaism Unbound mini-series, exploring conversion to Judaism.
Photo Credit: Rachel B. Gross
[1] Read the 2012 article that David A.M. Wilensky wrote, that inspired this episode, via this link: What Would You Call Me?
[2] Learn more about David A.M. Wilensky by clicking here, and check out J: The Jewish News of Northern California — the publication he serves as Director of News Product — via jweekly.com.
[3] For an article adding to Wilensky’s critique of Sarah Silverman’s use of the term ‘Jewface,’ see this piece by MaNishtana.
[4] Wilensky mentions Francine Roston, a rabbi who helped convene the beit din through which Wilensky underwent a conversion. He mentions that she later became the rabbi of a congregation in Whitefish, Montana. For more on the story of Whitefish, Montana, and its fight against forms of antisemitism, click here.
