My Sister the Jew

by Ahuvah Gray

Hardcover Book This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1568712766
• ISBN13: 9781568712765
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Targum Pr
• Length: 234 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.0" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Beautiful story of conversion to Judaism.

Ahuva Gray's story of her love for the Jewish faith and the people of Israel at times brought tears to my eyes. Her honest portrayal of the difficulties involved in the conversion process, as well as her respect for her Christian roots, was refreshing. I enjoyed the book immensely, and it reminded me of why I once wanted to convert myself . . . and why I still may do so some day.

Honest, Insightful and Meaningful

As another reviewer has already pointed out, conversion stories are often somewhat derisive -- offering stark contrast between the writer's former life (totally evil: degenerate and unspiritual) and his or her new, improved, Jewish life (totally perfect: rich & spiritually fulfilling). Ahuvah Gray's story is different.Readers will surely find it wonderfully refreshing to discover that Gray's Jewish life is rooted firmly in the teachings of her Christian grandmother. Gray's Judaism is not a rejection of Christianity, but a natural outgrouth of her quest for Emes, truth, begun years before she ever set foot in eretz Yisrael (Israel).Having just come from hearing Gray speak in person in Toronto, I have witnessed first-hand how many people, Jews and non-Jews alike, were moved by her words. The Jewish world needs more dedicated, spiritually energized "pilgrims" like Ahuvah Gray, and I am proud to be able to call her MY sister, the Jew.

FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

I have read a number of articles and books where converts or returnees to Judaism describe their spiritual journey. Some authors describe their journey as a journey from "darkness to light." For example, the author was living a materialistic and hedonistic life, and he discovers the spiritual richness and idealism of the Torah path.For other authors, the journey was from light to an even brighter light. For example, someone living a life dedicated to altruistic values discovers that not only are these altruistic values rooted in the Torah, but that the Torah path actualizes these values in a practical and holistic way."The new book "My Sister the Jew" by Ahuvah Gray is in the second category. Ahuvah Gray, granddaughter of African-American sharecroppers, and a former Christian minister, is now a Torah-observant Jew living in Jerusalem. For Ahuvah, the journey to Torah and the Jewish people was a journey from light to an even brighter light. Her parents and grandparents raised her with ethical and spiritual values, and as an adult, she discovered that these values were rooted in Judaism. She also discovered that the Torah's path of mitzvos - ethical and sacred deeds - enabled her to further actualize these values in her daily living and in all aspects of her existence. In this spirit she writes:"Spending much time in other people's houses leaves me in awe of religious Jewish women. Our homes are a daily sanctification of the Name of Hashem (God). I came from a fine family. I saw love and kindness and devotion to the poor, and I was raised with values of strict morality and refinement. Yet when I enter a Torah home, the daily, moment-to-moment sanctification of God's name that I experience far surpasses anything that I was raised with."The book contains a number of moving stories about the spiritual faith and loving deeds of her parents and grandparents. These stories about her family challenge the negative stereotype that some Jews have about African-Americans. For example, Ahuvah lives in Bayit Vegan, Jerusalem - a neighborhood where the majority of residents are Haredi - traditional Orthodox - Jews. Through knowing Ahuvah, and hearing the stories of her family, the residents of Bayit Vegan developed a deeper appreciation of her African-American roots. In fact, on the night of the Festival of Shavuos when Jews commemorate the giving of the Torah, Rabbi Leib Heyman, the rabbi of the Gra synagogue that Ahuvah attends, shared with the congregation the following remarks regarding Ahuvah's family background:"In our own neighborhood we have a genuine giyores, a righteous convert. This remarkable woman was taught the twenty-third psalm by her grandmother at the age of four. Her grandmother would read psalms to the sick and elderly in her town in Mississippi. The giyores's mother used to feed and care for the sick and homeless in her own home. With such role models our friend grew to maturity, with her love and admiration of the Book of Psalms growing too

BLACK BAPTIST MINISTER IS NOW AN ORTHODOX JEW

Jews understand that Dovid haMelech's soul-searing appeals to HaShem speak to the ages and every possible circumstance. Tehillim also speak to hearts joyous and broken wherever they may be. One of those hearts belongs to the granddaughter of Mississippi sharecroppers, and the book, My Sister the Jew, is her story.Southern inflections in the speech of Ahuvah Gray's speech endear her to audiences from Detroit to Jerusalem. Her unique road to Judaism is now in written form, and equally charming. The language she uses to explain her path from a Protestant minister to an outspoken lover of Torah is predicated on the words of the Psalmist: "The L-rd will guard your departure and your arrival, from this time and forever." Those words carried the former Minister Delores Gray of California's Strait-Way ministry to her heartfelt life as a Torah-observant Jew in Jerusalem.Raised on the Psalms by a set of astonishingly decent and G-D-fearing parents, the author has been able to quote whole chapters and select specific verses in times of crisis and pleasure since childhood. An avid prayer, Ahuvah used a Hebrew siddur long before she realized her soul is Jewish. When a 1994 California earthquake flung Ahuvah from her bed and she became locked her out of her apartment in nightclothes, she prayed for G-D to spare her some shame and to let her back inside to put on street clothing. When she attended a sound and light show about the giving of the Torah, an earthquake of another kind clued her in to her prayerful nature. (...)Readers will learn in the book just how hard working this woman is, in body and in spirit. (...)Through earthquake and heartache, My Sister the Jew explains how King David's words soothe the soul of this former airline and travel agency executive (...) The strength of Ahuvah Gray's biography lies not only in her drive to become part of the Jewish People, but also in her personal history. It is full of heart-rending losses. In contrast to the sadness, wonderfully close-knit relatives, friends, and colleagues populate her life, and the relationships bespeak the nobility of her soul. Ahuvah Gray's life is blessed with peace and acceptance. The very title of the autobiography is taken from her sister Nellie's congratulatory and affectionate greeting in a letter to "My Sister, the Jew." A lesson in abounding ahavat chinom, hers is a story of great spiritual wealth.Reviewed by Yocheved Golani (...)