Oy, another deadline missed. I mean, if I can’t make a self-imposed deadline…! My husband is grumpy. It’s 12:22am and he wants me to come to bed. Something about me being a workaholic. Lots of guilt, etc.

I woke up this morning and ran to the post office, then the bank and then off to the Metro North to get to my allergist. Missed the train, developed unsightly blisters on the soles of my feet. When I finally trudged my way to the allergist, I coached one of the administrative assistants on how to apply to the NYC Teaching Fellows program. No teaching experience? No problem! It’s a crash course in teaching public school and a free Masters degree to boot!

Then I had to buy myself some cheap ass ugly sneakers at Payless and I still couldn’t walk to the train. I hobbled into a cab with no cash and so, of course, the credit card machine in the back didn’t work. Nifty, I love that the cabs have credit card machines AND family cable with CNN and everything. I can’t afford family cable. Damn then.

I had a great Starbucks meeting with a Drisha Arts Fellow who is working on a documentary about converts. We wowed each other with our mutual wowness. (Shut up, it’s late. Grr.) We started our own mutual appreciation society and a nice little bond. She’s going to hook me up with some more Dominican converts. That’s it, I’m starting a club. Jewminicans unite!

I took the train home. Ow. Ow. Ow. Every step was misery. As soon as I got home, I strapped myself to my computer and only left for food, bathroom breaks and angry tirades in my husband’s directions. In his defense, he doesn’t know where I keep anything important or how to use the scanner/copy machine in our office or how to use Microsoft Word or when I’m talking to my computer and not him.

Here are some of my ideas for my presentation at LimmudLA in February. The theme is the Kaleidoscope of LA Jewish Life. Oy, I’m technicolor all by myself!!!

Funny, You Don’t Look Jewish/Conversion to (Orthodox) Judaism:
What is an Orthodox conversion? Why/how do people convert?
What’s it like to survive an Orthodox conversion? Painting a picture of the before, during and after of an Orthodox Conversion.
Should one convert for marriage? Boy meets girl. Girl converts. Boy flees…. Now what?
How do you balance the new culture/traditions and the old culture/traditions?

New Jews: How converts are changing the face of Judaism:
How are converts (and adoption) changing Judaism?
How does race and culture affect one’s Judaism?
How does a convert’s race and culture affect everyone’s Judaism?

Conversion: America vs. Israel:
How does the conversion process differ between different rabbis and batei din? Should the RCA conform to the Israeli rabbinate? How are local conversions, rabbis and batei din affected by the Israeli rabbinate?

The challenges of integration: What how we treat our converts says about us
As we integrating converts into the fold, what race relations and culture clashes arise? What does this say about the Jewish people? How does/should the community treat converts?

Jewish People: How gentiles view us
Exploring how Judaism and Jews looks to the outside world. How do gentiles look at Judaism and the Jewish people? How does this affect the Jewish people? Anecdotes from gentiles to Jewish relations.

Challah con Platanos: Mixing different Jews in Relationships
Convert marries Rabbinical Student. Sephardim marry Ashkenazim. Boro Park meets Beverly Hills. How do different Jews relate in relationships? What are their struggles and foibles? What can they teach everyone else.