| Giving welcome | | | | Florida. One of those students, Tatiana Suarez, who |
| Rabbi at new synagogue speaks of converts to | | | | resides in Miami-Dade County, is. grateful for the |
| Judaism | | | | course's flexibility and the learning opportunity |
| | | | provided. |
| BY SERGIO CARMONA. | | | | "Rabbi Cukierkorn has a very nice method about |
| JOURNAL STAFF WRITER | | | | learning Judaism;" said Suarez. "He's critical. He can get |
| There's a new rabbi in town. | | | | deeper. If you don't have time, he gives flexibility to |
| Rabbi Celso Cukierkorn, who moved to Miami-Dade | | | | his students. The" rabbi gives you everything you |
| County in May and has started Adat Achim | | | | need to know and he guides you very well through |
| Synagogue in Sunny Isles, knows a great deal about | | | | the course." |
| those who convert to Judaism. Since his rabbinic | | | | Cukierkorn enjoys working with students who |
| career started more than a decade ago, Cukierkorn, | | | | posses the maturity to learn to become a Jew. |
| 37, has converted many of those people himself - in | | | | "I think that the very beauty of people cominginto |
| Europe, South America and China. Welcoming new | | | | Judaism is they have an adult mind and that they're |
| people as Jews is important to him. | | | | going to 'experience things for the first time already |
| "Today, we have as many Jews in the world as | | | | with a mature mind," he, said. |
| there were the day the Americans liberated the | | | | Cukierkorn is not only impressed with his students' |
| concentration camps," he said. "Next generation, we | | | | maturity, but impressed with their dedication, as well. |
| will have negative growth, and we're going to have | | | | "Most of the people I work with, they could choose |
| less Jews in the world. Somebody has got to do | | | | any religion, and for them becoming Jewish and |
| something about it. I believe that as a leader of | | | | joining the greater Jewish family is the most |
| Jewish people, we should put them on the red | | | | important thing in their life," he said. 'as a |
| carpet; we should welcome those people who are | | | | congregational rabbi, I have never seen another |
| legitimately interested in becoming Jewish. It must be | | | | group 'that opens so much enthusiasm in Judaism |
| offeredto them." | | | | than people converting; and usually they make |
| Cukierkorn was born in Brazil and comes from a | | | | wonderful Jews." |
| rabbinical family that goes back 700 years. He is a | | | | Cukierkorn has also provided close guidance to his |
| member of the rabbinical cabinet of United Jewish | | | | students. One is Larry Hudson, a former student who |
| Appeal. His conversion process involves an online | | | | became a |
| course for people who are willing to be Jewish and | | | | Jew in 2002. |
| can convert anyone from any part of the world | | | | "He's provided close guidance to our family here in |
| through online study and a final exam. | | | | Florida," Hudson said. "He is very astute in the field of |
| "This course gives people the tools to empower | | | | Judaism, and he's provided guidance to individuals like |
| themselves to establish Jewish identity in a way that | | | | ourselves in converting to Judaism." |
| they can work on their own time, because today's | | | | Cukierkorn is proud to have an impact on his |
| environment and situation regarding our : mobility, | | | | students' lives. |
| regarding our schedule and other priorities we have in | | | | "From all of my rabbinic duties, converting people |
| our lives, sometimes would not allow many people to | | | | gives me the greatest pleasure," he said. "I have |
| be in a regular conversion to | | | | converted people from New Zealand to Argentina, |
| Judaism course," he said. | | | | and having a small part in their lives is the greatest |
| Cukierkorn. currently has 30-40 students from South | | | | reward I have in myrabbinic duties. |