Jewish converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints don't feel they have to abandon their Jewish heritage or culture in the
process, and as a result, the B'nai Shalom group has been formed.
B'nai Shalom, or "Children of Peace" in Hebrew, will stage "A
Taste of Jewish Culture" Thursday, April 4, at 6:30 p.m. at the Salt Lake
14th Ward LDS Chapel, 142 W. 200 North. It is open to the public.
The food is potluck, with some Jewish food included. Marlena Tanya Muchnick, a
Jewish convert to the LDS Church, will be the featured speaker at 7:30 p.m.,
followed by "Dessert with Tevyah," musical selections from
"Fiddler on the Roof."
According to Daniel Baker of Bellevue, Wash., the group is primarily composed
of Jewish converts with a small number of non-Jewish members.
Baker expects attendees to come from across the nation.
Muchnick will speak on her conversion experience and discovery. Her father and
mother's ancestry is Russian Jewish (Berdichev, Ukraine region).
Muchnick has written several books, including "Notes of a Jewish Convert
to the LDS Church: Conversion of a Soul," "Life-Changing Testimonies
of the Lord Jesus Christ" and "Adventures with the Angels of
Love." She has another book in production, about a Jewish bookstore owner,
engaged to a beautiful Sephardic Jew, who falls in love with a painting of
Christ at Gethsemane at his Arab friend's store. He struggles with his feelings
after he finds out who it is. That new book is due out this June.
Muchnick will also conduct book signings at the Missionary Emporium in West
Jordan on Friday, April 5, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and at MediaPlay in Midvale
from 6-8 p.m. Baker said the group also seeks to promote a better understanding
of the Jewish culture and a deeper appreciation of the unusual road a Jew must
follow in converting to the LDS Church.
Mitch Milling of Salt Lake, president of B'nai Shalom, said for many converts,
Judaism is the foundation and Mormonism is the continuation.
"It's a tool to share our traditions and most importantly our
conversions," he said.
The B'nai Shalom mission statement is:
"Objectives of this organization are to promote greater understanding of
Jewish culture, heritage and traditions through an organized and enjoyable
program. To encourage, assist, and promote Jewish genealogy. Those objectives
shall be carried on within the framework of existing LDS programs. B'nai Shalom
shall be open to anyone interested in promoting those objectives, whether or not
such persons are of Jewish ancestry."
The group plans on holding special meetings at least twice a year, on the
Thursday night preceding the spring and fall to General Conference.
For information, call Mitch Milling, president of B'nai Shalom, at 553-0674.
Muchnick has her own Web site at www.jewishconvert-lds.com.