Chattanooga, TN – A Tennessee family’s long journey to yiddishkeit comes to its conclusion today with the completion of their geirus and a proper Jewish wedding for the husband and wife, to be celebrated with their ten children.
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Chad and Libby McJunkin were living in Chattanooga with their large family when they embarked on their quest for religion.
“They had always been very religious but they knew something was wrong,” Dovid Tzvi Steinberg, a friend of the McJunkin’s and a former Chattanooga resident, told VIN News. “They went to the Amish but quickly realized that the answers they sought weren’t there either and the Amish preacher told them, ‘You belong with the Jewish people.’”
Chattanooga has been home to an Orthodox synagogue since the late 1800’s and is home to Eastern Tennessee’s only mikvah. Chad McJunkin quickly hooked up with the local Chabad rabbi, who did his best to dissuade McJunkin from converting to Judaism. Still McJunkin persisted.
“Someone in Chattanooga suggested he contact me and we struck up a relationship,” said Steinberg, who said he and McJunkin became phone chavrusas.
The McJunkin children, seven girls and three boys, range in age from sixteen years to a toddler. All have been homeschooled until now and the McJunkins, will be making a Bar Mitzvah for their son in just a few weeks.
The McJunkins received their Ksav Geirus from Rabbi Yisroel Belsky and will now be known by their new names, Sholom and Nechama. The couple is to be married tonight by Rabbi Tzvi Mandel at Khal Bnei Yisroel in Flatbush.
Rabbi Mandel noted that the timing of today’s events, the first of the shloshes yemei hagbala, was extremely appropriate.
“I have been working with baalei teshuva for 30 years and you see that the Aibishter is getting together all of his children before Moshiach comes,” said Rabbi Mandel.
The Jewish community has already begun to raise funds for the new chosson and kallah and their brood with a crowd funding wedding shower campaign that was created by Alexander Rapaport, Executive Director of Masbia in hopes to raise $20,000 for essential items including new dishes, housewares, appliances, judaica items and kosher groceries.
To participate in McJunkin wedding shower, go to http://www.gofundme.com/weddingshower
The family will be returning to Chattanooga after the wedding but Steinberg speculates that they will soon be relocating to a Jewish community that will better suit their needs, possibly Baltimore.
Nice, timely story. I hope that as Yidden we live up to the expectations of the Torah and impress these idealistic people. May they see the Torah in practice as they see it in print.
Hatzlocha rabah and mazel tov to this wonderful family.
Yiddishe chein shining forth so bright from each of them. Heartwarming.
Why “oy gevalt”? They look like a lovely family, & I think if they are sincere geirim (we have no reason to suspect they are not) they are to be admired. They must have worked very hard to get to this point, that you & I take for granted. I wish them all the best.
Imagine if there had been a Halacha, that you can Convert IN
o n l y if you have someone who converts OUT 🙂
A nice story when so much news seems sad.
They have such Jewish “chein”. They look like they were born Jewish. Mazal Tov may Hashem ans all of Klall Yisroel have nachas.
Beautiful story. Outside of the Tri-state area there are lots of stories like this. I wish them mazal and bracha.
beautiful!
Why would commenter #1 say oy gevalt?
Wow! Mazel tov, and welcome to the entire family!
Wow. Kol hakovod to them! What a story just in time for Shavuos.
Mazal Tov. I wish them good luck in their new lives are Jews, and welcome them to the tribe!
If they really want to live in a suitable Jewish community, where they are free to do as many mitzvot as possible, they only place is in Eretz Yisrael!
“we struck up a relationship, said Steinberg, who said he and McJunkin became phone chavrusas.”
I thought we are supposed to dissuade people from converting, not learn with them!
Its the decisions the parents are going to make from here on that will define the success of the family. As a ben geirim I can tell you it’s very dangerous when they try to “blend in” the whole family falls apart from the sudden and constant changes. Keep your lvush, don’t join any chasidish or yeshivish groups they will never understand you, don’t move to any of the “Heimish” areas you will be very disappointed. As a rov told my parents when they wanted to move to Monsey “you’ll hate Jews if you move there” and I hope you find a school that will accept your kids.
Just remember Judaism is not defined by how Jews behave. To come under kanfei hashchinah requires a lot of mesiras nefesh something ffb’s can’t begin to understand or accomplish in their lifetime. Teach your kids how fortunate you are and you should live you lives with pride regardless of what comes next.
Some of the greatest sages in Jewish history were converts. Kol Hakovod to them and Klal Yisroel is surely greater with their presence.
Happy birthdays!
seems like a lovely story. I just don’t understand why whoever made the fund-raising page chose to include money for gift cards to expensive restaurants and several magazine subscriptions… is the money for the wedding or luxuries?
I wonder if they got any influence from Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan books . ? Many many people came to /back to yiddishkeit from Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan works .
June 15 will be a Hachnosas sefer torah in honor of rabbi kaplan. Would like to see them there .
They look like 100% Jewish family.
“we struck up a relationship, said Steinberg, who said he and McJunkin became phone chavrusas.”
I thought we are supposed to dissuade people from converting, not learn with them!
Sure do look like a lovely family.
Good for them, they have joined the Am hanivchar, the chosen nation and indeed they sure did choose the right time in year.
Chizki V’imtzi!
Hey my fellow jews don’t forget you’re duties. As it states in the torah ואהבתם את הגר
mazel tov upon the wedding tonite..mazel tov on joining in the jewish race..welcome,, hopefully moshiac is coming speedily.
Welcome to the tribe!
Many converts who are drawn to Yiddishkeit in their search for truth end up moving to Eretz Yisrael, where one can be a yid in the most authentic way.
I hope that as the lovely McJunkin family is searching for a supportive community, they will consider moving HOME, where HKB”H meant for us to be.
BTW, I hope the rest of theVIN readers also come home. Eretz Yisrael awaits the return of Am Yisrael, so the nevuoth can be completed. Our collective “time-out” is over and it’s time to rejoin the family.
I hope they can remain honest and have integrity.
Mazal tov!, L’Torah, chupah u’masim tovim.
Mazel tov! Great for the gene pool.
I am very impressed with the McJuncin family for their dedication to the truth.
I hope the frum community they decide settle in will accept them with open arms, they shouldn’t have to exert pressure to get into schools, etc. Because of the immoral secular society’s influence, school’s have become picky with whom they accept, so I hope this amazing family will not have a problem with mosdos and being accepted within the community.
It is truly inspiring to see the mesiras nefesh that some people have when they seek to be close to Hashem. May they have much hatzlacha!
What a beautiful story for Shavuos. May this family go michayal l’chayal and make yiddishe shidduchim for all their lovely kinderlach.
What a kidush Hashem that in our days there is people that understand that there so much more in our lives then all the gashmue’s!
Welcome brothers and sisters! Wish you sweet and holly life!
If secular society is immoral ,herner, then why don’t you fix it?
I’m just coming from the wedding I was there tonight I have to say in one word this people are amazing beautiful beautiful family normal down to earth people nice people unbelievable
Please Please Let Us Wish Them And Help Them Settle Into A Yiddishe Community Where Achdus Prevails Amongst All Types Of Yidden. They Will Get Turned Off Very Fast If They End Up Living Where Machloykes Prevails Amongst The “Chosen” People.
I hope someone warned them about Tuition! & the tuition committees in Baltimore. Been there.. They will be the oddity for awhile when the honeymoon is over and the new wore off they wont be in Kansas Any more. G-d bless them.. they will need it!
Wow Mazel tov!! Beautiful family! I am a ger to and after the beautiful start – I was so happy I got a lot off test… just like Avraham… it can be hard – it can be difficult – but never forget Hasjem is always there. Be blessed, be save, my favorite telihiem 139 – look up.
“Mazal Tov” may the McJunkin family finds strength from Kol Yisrael in their beautiful journey into Judaism
I have the feeling we will learn a lot from this family. Too many of us take our Judaism for granted. We sadly do our observance like programmed robots. Geirim can teach us a lot. But most important learn from them. Their Judaism will be authentic not like something done by rote or perhaps worse out of fear, guilt or habit. Mazel Tov and Much Nachas