Sometimes I feel like I am a Jewish soul born into a non-Jewish body. I have always been surrounded by Jewish friends and loved the Jewish religion, and after years of study, I’ve finally fulfilled my dream and converted to Judaism. My family has no Jewish roots whatsoever—I am of Scandinavian descent on both sides. Can you offer any explanation as to why I am drawn to Judaism in this way?

Answer:

Many people from different walks of life have reported feeling an affinity towards Jews and Judaism. Most people leave it at that. For those who make the choice to convert, however, their connection toMy family has no Jewish roots whatsoever Judaism is deeper than a simple appreciation for Jewish culture or taste for kosher food. It is rooted in their soul.

Kabbalah offers a metaphysical explanation as to why non-Jewish individuals are drawn to Judaism to the point that they choose to join the Jewish people. Each time a husband and wife are together, a soul is born. Sometimes that soul comes down into a physical body and is born as their child; other times the soul remains in the heavens.

Abraham and Sarah, the first Jewish couple, were married for many years before they were blessed with a child, but their union generated many spiritual children. Kabbalah explains that the souls created by Abraham and Sarah—and the souls created from the unions of other righteous couples—have been distributed among the nations of the world, and it is these souls who become converts to Judaism.

This is why a convert is called the son or daughter of Abraham and Sarah. In a sense, his or her soul stems directly from our first patriarch and matriarch. When a non-Jew feels a pullTheir union generated many spiritual children towards the Jewish faith and a desire to belong to Jewish people, it may be a latent Jewish soul wanting to return to its community of origin, a long lost child of Abraham and Sarah reuniting with its family.

While many people feel attracted to Judaism and respect its traditions, few make the choice to undergo the long process of conversion and begin keeping the laws of the Torah. You felt a deep calling to join the Jewish people and made the difficult journey to do just that—it must have been Abraham and Sarah calling you home.