Osher: My Journey to Judaism

Osher, the Hebrew word for 'joy, fortunate, blessing', is the truthful, moving story of Tetiana Michaels' search for truth and meaning and a journey into a new and welcoming faith.

 

Tetiana Michaels was born into a loving Orthodox Christian family in Ukraine. A stellar legal career led her to practising in Ukraine, England and Switzerland. Yet, despite all going so well in her career and relationships, she felt as if something were missing.

 

Meeting the man who was to become her husband - the son of a Rabbi - opened her eyes to the Jewish faith. She found herself drawn to the rituals, to the ancient texts and, strangely, to the sense of a connection to her own past. Could this be the spiritual path that she had been looking for?

 

Tetiana was faced with many questions from curious friends, colleagues and family when talking of her conversion to Judaism, and in seeking to find those answers she came to examine her own motivations and faith.  

 

Books played a crucial role in her conversion to Judiasm, yet when it came to reading the personal stories of others in her position, there were very few books of this kind to be found. 

 

As she awaits the birth of her first child, Tetiana Michaels reflects on a year of intense study and observation to tell the story of how she became Jewish. In doing so, she hopes her own personal experience might be enlightening to others, curious about what it means to convert and the joy that Jewish life can bring.