MODI’IN, Israel — Modi’in, located in central Israel between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, is a long way from St. Louis and LaCrosse, Wisc., where Jeremy and Kelli Brown grew up. But even more astonishing than the physical distance they have traveled, is the Browns’ religious and emotional journey to aliyah, even before their formal conversion to Judaism in the Holy Land. 

“We were both raised Christian, but I would argue neither of us had particularly strong beliefs,” says Kelli, who grew up in a Catholic family. “While my parents were active in the church, we didn’t really talk much about religion.” 

Kelli first encountered Judaism when she went to Lake Forest Academy, a co-ed boarding high school in suburban Chicago. In order to leave on weekends, she had to go to the home of a schoolmate. 

“As it was, the friend I left with was Jewish and traditional,” she explains. “So, naturally, I did the whole Shabbat routine with the family. After a period of time, I decided that I liked Judaism and wanted to be Jewish. I felt like it positively impacted my daily life and how I related to others around me.” 

After boarding school, Kelli attended the University of Missouri to study journalism. There, she met Jeremy, a music education student who grew up in Florissant. The two fell in love and moved to Albuquerque, N.M., together after graduation, where Kelli was determined to find a rabbi to help her convert to Judaism.

Realizing a dream

“I came into the conversion picture in Albuquerque,” said Jeremy, who was raised Lutheran. “Kelli went to the local Reform rabbi and said she wanted to convert. He said sure and asked about me. Kelli informed him that we were serious and were probably going to get married someday.”

The rabbi suggested that if the couple were to marry, perhaps Jeremy might consider Judaism as well. 

“I came along to the classes at first and then found that the message of Judaism registered with me – especially the halacha of how to live your life on a day-to-day basis,” he said. 

After living in New Mexico for five years, the Browns inquired about making aliyah to Israel. 

“Part of the aliyah process before our official (halachic) conversion was by design,” Kelli said. “We started trying to convert in Albuquerque, but the official conversion had to be done through the Rabbinical Council of America in New York in order to be recognized by the Chief Rabbinate in Israel. At that point, we were planning on moving to Israel.”

After a brief detour in State College, Pa., where Kelli worked in newspaper management for a short time, the couple finally realized their dream and moved to Israel in 2007 with the help of Nefesh B’Nefesh. The nonprofit organization assists U.S. citizens with the cost of making aliyah and preparing for life in Israel.

Despite some trepidation, Kelli and Jeremy say their conversion process in Israel was a lot smoother than anticipated.

“The media makes a lot of noise, mostly negative, about how converts are treated,” Kelli said. “As a result, I expected a lot of resistance and difficulty. 

“While they (the rabbis) were thorough and made sure we were qualified and genuine, they were fair and didn’t do anything unreasonable. We faced only one hiccup and a slight delay of a few weeks in finishing the conversion, but on the whole, they were fair and fine and treated us very respectfully.”

Help from friends

The Browns had more than a little bit of help from Aaron and Rona Michelson, a much beloved American couple who live in Modi’in, a fast-growing Israeli city with a substantial Anglo (the Israeli term for a native English speaker) community. Aaron Michelson is a rabbi and former chaplain in the U.S. Army who retired with the rank of colonel. 

 “We first became aware of Kelli through her blog,” says Rona Michelson, explaining that Kelli, under the name Kirby, wrote about her struggles with infertility in detailed postings called “What to Expect When You’re Not Expecting.” 

“It was open and honest and funny and clever,” she continues. “Both of our daughters and I looked forward to postings by Kirby. Imagine our surprise when we found out not only that Kirby was Jewish, but that she was making aliyah.”

The Michelsons and their grown daughters Rachel and Leah reached out to Kirby electronically and said they wanted to help when the couple arrived in Israel. So they rented to the Browns an apartment that was waiting for them when they arrived, and met them at the airport. 

Kelli finally became pregnant, not once, but four times, after making aliyah, Rona Michelson said. 

“I took Kelli to doctors’ appointments and attended the birth of her first two children. They have attended megillah readings at our house on Purim with the rest of the family and had a Pesach seder with us. We were with them for their formal conversion at the Chief Rabbinate.

“When Aaron and I were traveling in Cambodia, we bought the ring that Jeremy gave to Kelli at their second (halachic) wedding. Aaron was also the sandek (person who holds the child)at the bris for both of their sons. Everything we did, and do for them, is out of love and comes naturally because they are both incredibly delightful people. 

Life in Israel

Despite the Michelson’s help and good nature, the Browns still faced challenges as new Jews in Israel.

“One of the most difficult things was learning the nuances of the halacha,” Kelli said. “I knew the big rules and the general guidelines, but the small practices are just as important, and it takes a lot of time to learn those. We also found it a challenge at times to incorporate the ritual halacha into the daily routine. When you start on this process, you are really enthusiastic to start practicing – such as Jeremy going to minyan three times a day, for example. 

“When the kids came along, life wasn’t always so simple. So we had to learn to incorporate ritual in a manageable way into our daily schedule, and the daily schedule of the family. This is a particularly fun challenge on Friday afternoons when four kids have to be bathed before Shabbat.”

One of the keys to making a successful aliyah revolves around finding a job and staying employed, the couple say. Kelli is the CEO of a small digital marketing firm, Pixel/Point Press Ltd., based in Israel, which has clients worldwide. Jeremy, who says he really misses going to Cardinals games, is a technical writer for HP Software’s branch in Yehud, a nearby town adjacent to Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.

As for integrating into Modi’in and Israeli society in general, Kelli stresses that her kids have made life much easier for the entire family. 

“All four were born here, so there wasn’t any integration process for them,” she says. “Quite the opposite, we have to help them when we go back to the U.S. to visit. They are truly very Israeli at heart, for better or worse.”