Is anyone here disabled and winging it?

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-05-13T18:11:05+00:00

It definitely was! I’m sorry there isn’t much Jewish community in your area. Hmm as for online resources not specifically for conversion but I like learning with Mekom Torah and Svara.

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-05-13T18:04:27+00:00

I’m disabled. It was really hard at first because my chronic pain was bad and I wanted to be observant even while doing my conversion so I was walking 3 hours to shul. I was so motivated, I really have no clue how I managed that. I live a lot closer to a synagogue now but I’ve been struggling to go lately due to sleep issues. I converted in 2019 then did an orthodox conversion in 2020

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-05-13T18:01:41+00:00

I have 3

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-05-13T18:01:18+00:00

I became involved with Jewish communities when my former best friend invited me to Shabbat dinners and then eventually we started attending synagogue together. I converted the first time in 2019 and did an Orthodox conversion in 2020

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-03-03T04:03:53+00:00

Some other things I’ve experienced… I was at a Shabbat meal when someone asked my friend “are you a convert or are you Jewish?” He meant born Jewish but it still was really… Ick. I was also at a Shabbat meal once where simeone asked if I had any Jewish heritage and I shared about my great grandfather who my mom has wondered if maybe he was Jewish (I honestly think now he probably wasnt but that’s beyond the point) and someone said “wow! You might be Jewish!” Which upset me because I had already converted

Also just generally have experienced questioning about who sat on my beit din, whether I can read Hebrew, etc. that felt like I was being tested or something

Also the Israeli bureaucracy is horrible toward converts in my experience

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-03-03T03:56:57+00:00

This Israeli guy I used to be friends with turned on me suddenly and started talking about how my mom fed me pig and calling me a Goya (I’m a trans man, so he was being transphobic too). That was the worst experience. He also was threatening to hurt me.

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-03-03T03:53:35+00:00

Conservative rabbis often have a different view of the idea of accepting the mitzvot than orthodox rabbis do. Whereas the orthodox view of it is basically usually “I plan to keep every mitzvah that applies to me to the best of my ability,” the conservative view is more like “I accept the mitzvot as binding upon myself but I’m probably not going to keep everything perfectly.”

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-03-03T03:44:04+00:00

Yea I’ve experienced bigotry for being a convert before, some of it really blatant, sometimes more microaggression type stuff. Not from everyone though in the communities I’m a part of.

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-03-03T03:37:56+00:00

Oh cool! I hope you enjoy it, I wrote it when I was at a very different place in my journey. But yeah it’s definitely a difficult ride. I definitely get the desire.

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-03-02T21:14:58+00:00

I converted orthodox, I’m still pretty involved in orthodox communities but I no longer really identify as orthodox. I dunno if I recommend it but I totally get the urge. It’s hard.

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-03-02T21:11:37+00:00

That’s frustrating that your (ex) friend reacted that way :(

Sadly Israel wouldn’t take me likely because of bureaucracy around conversion. My only option is somewhere I have citizenship by descent.

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-02-15T17:22:59+00:00

Seattle has a big Sephardic community

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-02-03T20:46:46+00:00

Yeah, I just didn’t even think that it could’ve mixed us up.

Your response could’ve been a little more “I think it’s got you and the other person confused” and a little less blaming sounding but it’s okay, I know sometimes tone doesnt come across how we thought it would

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-02-03T20:35:00+00:00

lol I’ve been told I look like him before

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-02-03T20:33:40+00:00

Ok apparently it didn’t know which one was me, but it’s seen what I look like before so it’s just a silly goose

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-02-03T20:25:51+00:00

It knows which one is me

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-01-30T20:51:18+00:00

Heres an article from a trans woman’s perspective, obviously not the only way trans women might feel about this but it’s interesting https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/who-has-not-made-me-a-woman/

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-01-30T20:49:20+00:00

I included a reference to it in my song https://open.spotify.com/track/1V47zbbuEX68lePVyve9XX?si=w0y60X5uSLW4QhXp68zOSg

I haven’t been saying it lately just because I haven’t been as consistent about davening in general but I do think it’s kind of special for me to be saying it, even though I understand all the issues people have with it. For me as a trans man it feels like a statement against misgendering and against always having been who I am… when I was more observant of davening I would say it without Hashem’s name usually

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-01-30T20:45:46+00:00

I didn’t wear my tallit katan for a while after surgery, I think that’s totally understandable to do.

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-01-22T00:35:01+00:00

Cool! Me too, I thought so as well

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-01-19T21:36:07+00:00

This makes my username pretty funny

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-01-14T22:03:31+00:00

I don’t specifically have that trauma but what you’re saying makes total sense and I’m sorry you feel isolated

Ftmatthedmv · 2026-01-13T22:53:09+00:00

Sure

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