Taking Root in an Honored People: My conversion to Reform Judaism

As a young child, Barbara Miller found herself intrigued by the stories she heard each week in Sunday school. As an adult, Miller ventured beyond the Protestant denominations of her youth to find the sense of spirituality she craved within Roman Catholicism. It wasn’t until she began to explore Reform Judaism, however, that she found a life sustaining blend of study, ritual, and prayer that embodied her understanding of the purpose of life. Taking Root in an Honored People chronicles Miller’s conversion to Reform Judaism and her efforts to create her own identity as a Jew without the benefit of family tradition or heritage to draw upon. Each chapter focuses on a particular aspect of Miller’s search, and on the ways that her conversion called her to a new orientation—a process of building upon her past instead of denying it. Using biblical texts to illustrate her journey and provide parallel narratives, Miller explores many facets of the convert’s experience, including what it means to be a woman within Judaism, the individual and communal significance of the holidays, the importance of social justice, and coming to terms with the Holocaust.