Good question, right!?
Even though I do have a university degree in Classical Clarinet and like to dabble on klezmer clarinet to show my “Jewish” side – I wouldn’t dare go as far to say I’m an expert on “kosher” music. Nor am I an expert on the genre(s) of music of which Yitz Jordan (Y-Love) happens to be our in-house rapping guru. The genre: Hip-hop. Nevertheless, I do know talent when I see it 🙂
So have a watch and listen below, because if you haven’t heard of him already, this guy will blow your mind.
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Y-Love / Yitz is a genuine sweetheart on top of that.
Margot, you might also be interested in The Wandering Muse documentary.
It is always good to see a convert who is not only welcomed into the tribe, but actually is given a somewhat exalted status.
@froylein, great suggestion, thanks! and yes, I interviewed Yitz in this feature — he’s wonderful.
@jamesEJ do you have personal experience here? I have many convert friends that are very welcome. Not to mention, most converts I know are either more religious and/or spiritually connected to Judaism than Jewish born children these days….
@margot, I am a convert and my experience has been very positive. I also joined the tribe with my eyes wide open and have sought to positively reconcile with those who take issue with my status. Absorption is a problem, but a very manageable one for me. However, I have also known people who were unable to manage the transition well. Too many of them stopped being Jewish in large part because of negative experiences they had with Jews not accepting them.
It is some of the less observant Jewish-born who are the biggest problem for converts. We are threatening to them, make them feel like they are disappointing their parents, and and challenge their much more ethnic views of Jewish identity. There are ways to prevent these issues from becoming a problem, but you rarely learn about such strategies in conversion class.