Love is Blind Brennon’s conversion to Judaism for Alexa won’t be easy. Here’s a rundown of the long process for him to become Jewish (Netflix).
Brennon Lemieux‘s converting to Judaism was another topic of conversation that came up during the end of Episode 6, Love Is Blind season 3. Alon Abramov, who is married to Alexa’s sister Cara, didn’t hold back. He asked salt-of-the-earth Texan Brennon directly about the very obvious cultural differences. Brennon admits his lack of knowledge and says that he’d be happy to take a class in order to demonstrate his commitment to Alexa Alfia. Unfortunately for him, converting to Judaism is a lot tougher process than simply taking a class. Love Is Blind Brennon’s Jewish conversion will be no cake walk.
Alexa’s dad Adam Alfia presents Brennon with a rag to bite down on and his choice of sharp instrument for circumcision. Adam says, “I got a couple of guys who can hold you down if you like, and some tequila.” It’s a hilarious moment that Netflix has featured on its YouTube channel. Let’s hope it was all a joke and Brennon’s already done that step as a baby. Either way, as rough as a tequila-fueled circumcision with a Bowie knife sounds, it’s actually just the possible beginning for poor Brennon.
Love Is Blind: Brennon’s Conversion to Judaism Is a Path of Learning And Struggle
We’ve covered the Alfia family’s lavish lifestyle, and the fact that Brennon is wild about Alexa. Still, converting to Judaism isn’t like getting baptized or repeating a profession of faith. We don’t know if the show will cover any of the preparations Brennon will go through. Since the wedding is coming up in less than two weeks (in the show’s timeline), there’s no way we’ll get the full process completed in the timeframe. The Alfia family says often that they are not that religious, so Brennon’s trial will be relatively light. He won’t likely have to deal with the sometimes painful process of his conversion not being deemed valid in some Jewish jurisdictions.
What he will have to do is put in time answering a rabbi’s questions about the sincerity of his desire to convert. Brennon gave an open-hearted answer about his love for Alexa. It convinced Adam enough to give the couple their blessing, and won over viewers, too. It’s a great start but, that might not be good enough for the rabbi. Brennon has to show similar commitment to the religion, too. This includes hours of study over a period of several months to a year and participation in Jewish holidays. Judaism has a very clear yearly cycle of holidays and rituals. The more he participates, the more convincing he’ll be to both Alexa’s family and the rabbi overseeing the process.
A Year of Living Jewishly For Brennon
Love is Blind Brennon’s Jewish conversion process will involve studying the Torah, or the Old Testament. Every weekend, a portion of the Torah is read on the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday). Completing the Torah in this way will occupy most of Brennon’s conversion year. The Torah is written in Hebrew, and depending on how much he wants to follow through on his commitment, Brennon might have to learn more Hebrew besides “L’chaim” and “Mazel Tov”. Hebrew has its own alphabet and a sometimes confusing system of vowels and conjugating verbs that throw a lot of new speakers off. Brennon will learn how the system of Jewish laws were derived from the words of the Torah.
Brennon’s got several impressive skills, but we haven’t seen him analyze texts or understand laws. However, we did see him revert to “yes sir, no sir” when thrown tough questions. It’s understandable given his military background, but a rabbi isn’t a drill sergeant. Back-and-forth questions are always welcome in Jewish learning and life and are often necessary. Brennon will need to step out of this habit and if he can stump the rabbi with a tough question of his own, it’ll earn him major points. Finally, Brennon’s conversion will have to be certified by a religious court, or beit din, comprised of three rabbis. Depending on how he does, his training rabbi will vouch for him.
So to sum it up, Brennon’s dogged determination and sincerity will serve him well in this process. However, if he really wants to fit in with the unfiltered Alfias he’ll need independent thinking skills, too. And drop the formal politeness. We’ll see if he has the commitment to follow though on his Jewish conversion process which will last long after the cameras stop rolling on Love Is Blind season 3. If Brennon marries into Alexa’s family he could even start working for her dad Adam’s business empire.
