Hello

[LDSJewess]

Hi Everyone,

I have been reading these forums for about a week and decided to sign on so I can join in. I look forward to conversationand hope to bring some of my own experience here as well as learn from others.

I will try and be brief in my background (something I am not always known to be) LOL.

I'm Jewish by birth and along the way throughout childhood (too long of a story for now) was exposed to living with a Christian family. I married before I was 19 (way too young) and two kids later the marriage failed. I spent most of my adult life as a single Mom raising kids and maintaining a demanding but rewarding career. I truly wanted it that way because I did not want anyone sharing in the control of raising my children. From a religious standpoint I explored my Jewish roots and observedan occasional Shabbat (Sabbath) and High Holy Days. I also investigated the LDS church during that time. I remained pretty secular though for te most part during that time as I found that both the synagogues and the LDS church were all about two parent families and it just wann't a part of my life back then so I didn't feel I fit in.

Then 20 years ago I met and married my husband. Between us we have five kids and when we met the youngest were in high school and the three oldest were already in College. My husband was raised Christian but went to church less often than I attended synagogue. We became friends with a few LDS families in our community and making a long story a little shorter joined the church and became baptized before our 2nd anniversary, and were endowed and sealed in the Temple a year later. We had a number of callings and were quite active in our ward.

Then about 5 years later we moved to another State and somehow we just didn't connect with the church or our community and not much time passed when we became inactive. Six years later we moved again. We came back to the church but it just never seemed the same as it was in the beginning. We had trouble finding common ground with people, many either being young enough to be our children and others old enough to be our parents. In any event, we became inactive about 10 years ago and had been ever sinbce.

My husband chose to to be involved in religion at all other than "visiting" a random church on Christmas eve to hear the music. I felt a stronger need to have religious ties so attended synagogue mostly on holidays and went to Hebrew school to brush up on my language skills.

Earlier this year my husband and I got to talking and he felt something in his spiritual life was missing, and although I enjoy observing Jewish Holidays, the rather liberal synagogue I attended became more social than religious.

So just recently our local missionaries paid us a random visit, suffice it to say we decided to attend services at our ward. Some who knew us and remembered us welcomed us back and we dedided to go again and from there we will see from here.

We talk at home about some of the things that we have concerns or questions ab out, and I may ask for some input and advice on another thread on this forum.

In any event, that's my intro story. Sorry for any typose and for not being as brief as I had planned.

[Vort]

Welcome back! I hope you enjoy worshipping with your fellow ward members.