Thinking about storytelling and conversion Since our feeling for reality depends utterly upon appearance and

therefore upon the existence of a public realm into which things can appear out of the darkness of sheltered existence, even the twilight which illuminates our private and intimate lives is ultimately derived from the much harsher light of the public realm. Arendt 1958, 51 Action and speech are so closely related because the primordial and specifically human act must at the same time contain the answer to the question asked of every newcomer: Who are you? Arendt 1958, 178 We define alternation as a transition in which a new identity develops naturally out of the old one. Unlike a conversion, the old identity is not radically disrupted; minor, rather than fundamental changes are experienced. Conversion, on the other hand, is defined as a definite break with ones former identity such that the past and the present are antithetical in some important respects. Barker and Currie, 1985 A persons identity is not to be found in behavior, nor important though this is the reaction of others, but in the capacity to keep a particular narrative going. The individuals biography, if she is to maintain a regular interaction with others in the day-to-day world, cannot be wholly fictive. It must continually integrate events which occur in the external world, and sort them into the ongoing story about the self. Giddens 1992 Just as aboriginal people tend to gloss over the boundary between biography and myth, so too the line between the historical and the personal is rarely clear-cutJust as this fusion of Dreamtime and lifetime is achieved through storying, so the past and present are continually collapsed in the stories with which people render accounts of their social and personal reality. Jackson 1998, 140.

Richard and Sarah in Central Arkansas Richard is a professor at a university, and Sarah works at the day care at the Reform Temple they attend in Little Rock. Richard converted to Judaism when he was 18. Sarah converted after meeting Richard, when she was 31. Richard: I got interested in religion and thought, Well, what would be a religion that would still retain this strong Hebrew bible based ethnical teaching without some of the aspects of Christianity? And the logical choice for me was Judaism. Once you enter into this type of arrangement, and this pattern of living, I suppose you could stop it as easily as you started it, but still, you will never be able to erase the fact that it at one point or at some point has been an integral part of your life. That will always remain. So could you ever get rid of that as a fact about yourselfI dont think you could. No more than I could get rid of the fact that I am an Arkansan. I could move to other places, I could call myself a Minnesotan. I could try to erase my accent through voice training, which I know people sometimes will do. I could pretend to be from other places. But that is not going to change the fact that I am an Arkansas. And I view Judaism in much the same way.

I feel most Jewish when I teach religious school. I teach 9th grade in the religious school at [the Temple]being with younger Jews and trying to explain to them the importance of Judaism and how Judaism is a unique expression and a unique pattern of living, I think it is important. On how Jewish he feels compared to other Jews in his community - From my own perspective I would probably say a moderate degree. My world religions classes, my Jewish scripture classes, my Judaism class that I teach at [the university] - Its very hard to divorce those activities from being involved in the religion because it does help me. Those classes, while theyre taking place in a secular setting do enhance and better my understanding of Judaism. Sarah: Judaism felt right to me. It felt like what I had believed all along. I started studying Judaism when I met Richard and I was 24 and probably about 26 I really started to identify with it and relate to it. However, I wouldnt have classified myself at that time as a Jew. I really feel like I made that shift whenever I did a conversion. Thats when I felt like, Ok, Im Jewish now.Since that day, I felt a connection with Judaism, deeper than I had ever before. When Im around the Jewish community I notice that I do feel some kind of connection there that I dont feel with others, either family members or other friends. Its different. You know that you all basically think along the same lines. And so you dont really have to watch what you say. You know, when youre around some other people you just really have to watch everything that you say. Of course, you shouldnt always make assumptions that all Jews think alike, but the majority of them kind of at least lean the same direction. Or allow for you to have an opinion without criticizing you for having one. So I feel much more comfortable in that way. I actually feel like Im a part of a group now that Im with Jews and have become more familiar with it. Most born Jews dont know. A lot of the born Jews in Little Rock dont know Hebrew and they dont know the significance behind things. Since I didnt grow up in a culturally Jewish home, I dont exhibit some of the personality traits and so a lot of times people would never guess that I was Jewish. You know, I have more of the southern traits. More so. Im not your classical Jew I guess. Typical Jew. II can see where somebody would be shocked if I told them, or curious. I feel most Jewish when we do Shabbat. I really understand the significance of it and I really feel close to that moment. When we say the prayers and we do the blessingsShabbat for me, each Friday, I feel a little more Jewish than I do during the week.