By: Rachel Bryan
This past year my husband and I made a conscious effort to become more active in our community. To me, that meant more time spent at Mishkan, regularly attending services and becoming a member of the Love Team. I was in for quite a surprise when my husband, Matthew, said that to him it meant joining the Considering Conversion class. This community has always given us love and support, and no one gave us any sideways glances for being an interfaith couple. When classes began there was no pressure on Matthew to convert, and no pressure on me to talk him into it. Rabbis Lizzy, Lauren, and Ally were kind and supportive spiritual guides, there to answer questions and lend us an ear when either of us had a question or concern. In September, Matthew will become a member of the tribe. Something that would have been unlikely to happen without the genuine support of Mishkan’s Rabbis and staff. Our community has grown, and we have a strong support system here in Chicago where neither of us has family. Mishkan has created a family for us, a place to pray, eat, laugh, and be genuinely ourselves.
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