The WUPJ received a grant to promote conversion programs in the Iberian peninsula. The courses are taught by Rabbi Lisitsa, who was born in the Soviet Union and lives in Israel.

Rabbi Alona Lisitsa

Rabbi Lisitsa began teaching her conversion course in May of 2014. The course has rolling admissions to allow candidates to join when they are able and then continue until they have covered all of the curriculum necessary to prepare them for conversion to Judaism. The enrollment of the classes varies between 15 and 40 students. At the moment, there are 20 adults and 4 children currently enrolled. Rabbi Lisitsa also offers separate lessons for children which are customized for their age.

Among the highlights from this year’s class is the story of Miriam, a descendant of conversos, one of an estimated 100 million descendants of Spanish and Portuguese Jews who were compelled to become Roman Catholic more than 500 years ago. Living in the Azores, Miriam owned a Torah scroll and other Judaica which she kept at her home. After a Jewish museum opened at the reconstructed synagogue at Ponte Delgada, Portugal, Miriam chose to donate the objects to the museum. As a member of the conversion class, Miriam was able to return to Judaism and become an active participant in the Jewish community.

New Projects Planned

The Jewish Progressive Federation of Spain has just been approved as a registered religious organization by the Spanish Ministry of Internal Affairs, which will allow Rabbi Lisitsa to plan numerous new projects. Among those is to create a series of Shabbatonim for empowering and educating lay leadership and prayer leaders.

Featured photo above: Rabbi Alona Lisitsa, Ph.D. (standing, second from left), a sponsoring rabbi for the conversion process for Iberia in the European Beit Din — featured in this Hebrew Union College article.  NCEJ is increasing its international presence with a grant to the World Union for Progressive Judaism to support conversion efforts in the Iberian Peninsula.  Photo of Rabbi Lisitsa, featured in The Times of Israel.