Choosing to Be Chosen: From Being an Atheist Non-Jew to Becoming an Orthodox Jew - Paperback

by Kylie Ora Lobell (Author)

Choosing to Be Chosen is journalist Kylie Ora Lobell's journey from a broken, secular Christian home, to teenage atheism, to a chance encounter with a lapsed Jewish stand-up comedian--culminating in a spiritual quest for conversion to Orthodox Judaism.

Kylie Ora Lobell grew up in a typical American home: religiously lukewarm, where they only went to church on Christmas and Easter. Though she believed in God when she was a child, after her parents' divorce and her grandmother's untimely death, twelve-year-old Kylie lost her faith. She began experiencing depression and anxiety, and constantly asked herself, "What am I living for?"

In college, she meets Danny, a stand-up comedian who is Jewish but gave up practicing Orthodox Judaism after some negative experiences. The one event he still attends is Shabbat for Friday night dinner, and once they start dating, Kylie comes along. Sitting at the Shabbat table, Kylie has an epiphany: This warm feeling in her chest is none other than God. God is real, and she wants to convert to Judaism with the help of an Orthodox rabbi. But Danny vehemently rejects her decision to pursue an Orthodox Jewish conversion, which threatens the future of their relationship. Despite the many challenges--including potentially losing the love of her life--Kylie knows she must move forward. In Choosing to be Chosen, she details the spiritual journey she must take to become the person she was meant to be all along.

Author Biography

Kylie Ora Lobell is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, Newsweek, New York Magazine, Time Out, Aish, Chabad.org, and Tablet Magazine. She is known for her inspirational essays and speeches on Judaism. When she isn't writing articles, she is also a ghostwriter for her clients through her agency KOL Digital Marketing, where she writes op-eds and books and provides publicity services. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Daniel, their three beautiful children, and their wonderful pets: two dogs, three chickens, a tortoise, and a cockatiel.