Shalom

[Dan Ben Noah]

Shalom

[muman613]

I was hoping some of our members would be able to answer a few questions on Judaism:

1.  I've been going to a Chabad shul (the only orthodox one around here) and so I've been wanting to learn how to daven better.  I bought an Artscroll siddur (even though Chabad uses a different one) just so I could get a good idea of the major prayers said at orthodox shuls.  Additionally, I got some MP3's of the prayers by an orthodox organization called Davka, only to find out that the melodies were mostly different from what I hear at the Chabad shul.  I found a Conservative Jewish website that has the same kind of thing ( http://www.sidduraudio.com ) and these melodies sounded the same as the ones in the Chabad shul.  These are both great resources, but I've realized that they only teach you the parts that the chazzan says and don't take you through the entire prayer.  I was wondering, does anyone know of any software that teaches you the entire prayer?  Also I was curious, since it seems like the Conservative siddur has the same core prayers that the orthodox do, does it fulfill the mitzvah to daven at a Conservative shul?

2.  When someone converts to Judaism, are they required to change their name completely or can it just be a Hebrew version of their own name?

I would recommend against davening at a Conservative shul... This is because they don't keep the halachas concerning minyans {at least I don't think they do}. Also conservative shul doesn't have seperate gender seatings like Orthodox shuls with the mechitza. Also there may be minor changes to the prayers, but I am not sure of this... I know that the reform shuls removed all the male gender pronouns for Hashem and removed the prayers for Jerusalem and the Resuscitation of the Dead from the Amidah.

I think it would be wise to have a unique Hebrew name. Because a Convert is believed to start with an entirely new identity. Everything in his/her past is released, including all sins...

Check out this site... I don't know if there is software for learning the nigguns, but they have some good software to assist in learning the siddur...

http://www.jewishsoftware.com/
http://www.jewishsoftware.com/products/Tefillah_Trainer_Shabbat__Weekday_Prayers_1507.asp?bhcd2=1250292891

[Spectator]

For choosing a Hebrew name, is every name in the Hebrew Bible fair game or do they not let you choose certain names?  For example, what if a convert chose the name of someone evil like "Ahab"?  Or could they choose a name like "Levi" even though they are clearly not a Levite?

Evil names like Ahab or Nimrod should not be chosen (unfortunately, some dumb people in Israel call their sons Nimrod). The name has influence on the one who uses it.

As for Levi, it is not forbidden to choose it even if you are not a Levite. The only thing you should take into account that the most people in Israel will think Levi is your last name because as last name Levi is as common as Jones or Brown in US, but after all it has nothing to do with the Jewish Law.

[Spectator]

Thanks.  If I'm not mistaking, the name you choose is also attached to "Ben Avraham"?  Or is it "Ben Yisrael"?  This is since the convert is not biologically the son of a Jew but needs a full name when called to the Torah for an aliyah and for other reasons.

Yes. This is "Ben Avraham". That's because the true convert in some sense repeats the way of our forefather Avraham who discovered that G-d exists and His laws must be observed, despite the fact that he world cries it is not so.

[takebackourtemple]

Thanks.  If I'm not mistaking, the name you choose is also attached to "Ben Avraham"?  Or is it "Ben Yisrael"?  This is since the convert is not biologically the son of a Jew but needs a full name when called to the Torah for an aliyah and for other reasons.

Interesting concept. If a converts father later follows suit and also converts, is it still Ben Avraham or Ben Yisrael? Can a convert make up a Hebrew name for a non-Jewish parent. What if the parent's name happens to be a Hebrew one?