I wanted to share a remarkable conversation with Ramon Dennis—the father of two Bornblum students—about his journey to Judaism.
Growing up Christian in Memphis, Ramon found himself asking questions no one could answer. When told to "just obey God," he asked "but how?" The responses—"just because" or "have faith"—left him unsatisfied.
As a teenager, he stopped going to church and began reading the Torah, setting up makeshift sukkahs in his mother's living room and lighting tea candles for Hanukkah, not quite knowing what he was doing but desperate for answers.
His family, including his future wife Amber, noticed and began joining him. Eventually they walked into a synagogue for the first time—on Purim, of all days—and found a community. They converted and enrolled their children at Bornblum, knowing they couldn't provide the Jewish foundation they themselves didn't have growing up.
What struck me most was Ramon's experience with racism. In forty years as a Black man in the South, he'd never faced it—until he became Jewish. Suddenly, antisemitic hate flooded his social media, threatening messages from people hiding behind keyboards.
Today, with over 48,000 Instagram followers drawn to his authentic spiritual journey, he sometimes has to step away from the hate.
Ramon and Amber visited Israel four months before October 7th, experiencing the warmth and beauty of the land. Now their children teach them Hebrew prayers they don't know, and they're growing in their Judaism alongside their kids. His journey from makeshift observance to beloved community member reminds us that paths to Judaism take many forms, and our community is enriched by every person who chooses to join us with intention and love.
