The right mensch
[attach]1309[/attach]Benjamin Errett didn’t convert to Judaism because he wanted to celebrate Hanukkah and Passover each year.
It also wasn’t because the 30-year-old managing editor of the National Post wanted to do something with his life, at least in the religious or spiritual sense.
The midtown resident converted for Sarah Lazarovic: Errett’s then-longtime girlfriend, now wife.
He decided to do it after he proposed to Lazarovic.
“It gave us another thing to have in common,” Errett says in mid-February. “It made me closer to her.”
The former agnostic wrote a memoir about the whole conversion — from beginning to end.
Jew and Improved, How Choosing to be Chosen Made Me a Better Man describes the entire process one latke at a time: why Errett did it, how he felt during it all and his and Lazarovic’s relationship throughout it all.
It’s a funny, poignant tale of two of God’s Chosen People: one who was one from birth and the other who became one through love.
To give the book further substance, Errett included traditional Jewish cooking recipes by Lazarovic’s mother Debbie and aunt Sandy.
Brisket, anyone?
“Religion is not as scary as it’s portrayed in the media,” Errett says on what he hopes readers will take away from the 267-page book.
Errett also wants to make it clear that he didn’t have to convert to Judaism to marry Lazarovic.
Their rabbi would have married them in an inter-faith wedding.
While agnostic, Errett was baptized a Catholic after all.
Instead, Errett decided to make the jump because he felt it was another way to become closer to his love.
The two already shared a love of writing, art and music.
Religion, says Errett, was the ultimate step.
Errett had a healthy amount of skepticism with converting. But when it was all done, there was no doubt he made the right decision, Errett says.
Family brisket recipes aren’t the only pluses of converting, Errett says.
The Jewish faith is pinned to many rules that Errett says allows him to know what to do in all areas of his life.
While still allowing for free thinking and questioning ideas, Judaism provides a framework to things, Errett says.
With that Errett feels that of course can make his own decision about things and questions just as many ideas, but ultimately know what is right and wrong.
Becoming a member of midtown Toronto’s thriving Jewish community has also added a lot to the Errett’s life, he says.
At first he says he felt uncomfortable attending Jewish function and religious services if Lazarovic wasn’t there.
That’s all changed. The community has adopted and welcomed him.
“It’s taken the whole process of conversion to get used to it. I’m finally comfortable (to go to such events) without my wife.”
Not like he’d want to.
