What Torah Means... to Jeffrey Harmer

Counting the Omer Day 15

I was born in the little village of Plum City, Wisconsin. My family was of the Methodist faith and I was taught those protestant beliefs. As early as my teens, I was questioning whether I really believed in Jesus Christ, but then that is normal for a teenager to question a lot of things. It was not until my college days that I really thought hard and long about what "I" believed.
I was already questioning my religion before I met my future wife. All I knew about the Jews was that they were given a desert wasteland in the Middle East to make into a country after the second World War.
In 1968 I was living in Eau Claire, WI and the nearest reform temple was 75 miles away in St. Paul, MN. Classes were held every two weeks. The class alternated as a group meeting and as an individual meeting with the Rabbi. There were thirteen different books I had to buy and read as part of the conversion course. They covered the history of Judaism, the belief's of other religions and the study of the Torah.
From October, 1968 - April, 1969 I drove the 150 miles round trip for the class. I knew that reading the books alone was not enough and I needed to meet and discuss with the other students and the Rabbi to understand whether I really wanted to be a Jew.
I completed my conversion in April, 1969 with a ceremony in front of the open Ark, where I recited the Conversion Service Pledge....I hereby declare my desire to accept the principles of the Jewish religion, to follow its practices and ceremonies and to become a member of the Jewish people....I declare my determination to maintain a Jewish home and to accept the commandments incumbent upon all Jews: a commitment to the G'd of Israel, the Torah of Israel and the people of Israel...
Just becoming a Jew is not an end in itself. It was only the beginning of a learning process where by I could study good and bad and what I should and could do with my life.
To this day, my son and daughter will remind me that they had to miss their sporting events on Saturday mornings because religious school was more important! I continued my learning right along side my children, as we attended every, and I mean every Shabbat service during the years of their B'nai mitzvahs. It was not until many years later, that I finally was Bar Mitzvahed at Temple Beth Jacob.
I was not born a Jew....I became a Jew because I believed in the teachings of Judaism and Torah. I am proud of my chosen religion....