MSI Press Blog

  Book Excerpt from  Since Sinai  by Shannon Gonyou (currently in Amazon Top 100 Jewish biographies) CHAPTER 1 (continued from May 14, 2025) Immediately after law school, I took part in a Holocaust studies trip to Germany and Poland with FASPE, or Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics. Through the program, I spent time studying Jewish history in Berlin and walking reverently through Auschwitz in Poland. Being at Auschwitz changed me, that much I’m sure of. Learning about the history of Judaism before, during, and after World War II was a moving experience. However, as much of an impact that the trip had, it wasn’t the one thing that made me want to become Jewish. In fact, it made me wonder if the realities of Jewish history would make it impossible to fit in as a brand-new member of the community.   I joined a sorority as an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan. Jewish students were heavily represented in the Greek Life popula...

  Book Excerpt from  Since Sinai  by Shannon Gonyou (currently in Amazon Top 100 Jewish biographies) CHAPTER 1 (continued from May 10, 2025) It felt like Catholicism had been arbitrarily assigned to me when I was born into a Catholic family and baptized before I could hold my own head up. Of the many places to find a connection to spirituality, Judaism was the one that consistently tugged at me. I insisted that if spirituality were an open field, Catholicism would reflect being forced to sit on the outskirts of the field in an uncomfortable lawn chair. I reminded Travis that the last time that we had attended a charismatic Catholic Church in search of a more upbeat service, the priest spent half an hour railing against gay marriage while Travis balled up his fists and turned red in the face. I appreciated that the Church was generally open to doubters and questioners, but it had moved beyond friendly disagreement. I had to leave, and I was going to leave for Judaism. “Plu...

  Book Excerpt from Since Sinai by Shannon Gonyou (currently in Amazon Top 100 Jewish biographies) Foreword This book is about my journey as a woman raised Catholic in a town with very little exposure to Jews and Jewish ideas who subsequently became Jewish. If you picked up this book, it could mean one of a few things. Maybe your family has been Jewish for generations, and you’re curious about why a total stranger to Judaism would want to join the community. Maybe you’re considering Judaism for yourself and are curious about what the process of conversion will look and feel like. Perhaps you’re a devoted Christian, curious about what would lead someone away from Christianity. This book will strive to provide a satisfactory answer to all of those questions. My high school English teacher told me that every piece of writing is a persuasion piece. I think that’s true, but this book is not here to persuade you that Christianity is “wrong” or that Judaism is “right.” I won’t even attem...