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Edited by: Fern Sidman
It appears that as of late, a number of prominent individuals have declared their interest in converting to Judaism and have completed the lengthy conversion process. On April 4th, it was reported that Sofia Richie, 24, daughter of legendary singer Lionel Richie, had officially converted to Judaism. Ynet News reported that she took to Instagram to inform her followers that the conversion process was successfully completed.
“What a magical day. I want to thank Cantor Natan Lam for helping me during my conversion journey. It was one of the best experiences of my life. Today is the day,” she wrote in her story, signing off with five Star of David emojis.
Now, Ynetnews.com has reported that Kassy Dillon, a prominent Fox News journalist based in Boston, Massachusetts has completed an extensive learning program and has undergone an Orthodox conversion to Judaism. Ms. Dillon spent the last seven years studying what it means to live an Orthodox Jewish lifestyle.
She, too, took to social media to proudly announce her conversion. On Twitter, Dillon thanked all those who had supported her through ״a very long journey with lots of ups and downs” and shared a photo of herself with a Star of David and the words “Devorah Ruth Bat Sarah” — her new Hebrew name, as was reported by Ynetnews.com.
Before joining Fox News in 2023, Dillon previously worked for the Daily Wire covering international and domestic politics. Ynetnews.com reported earlier this week that Dillon is also known for her contributions to former United States ambassador to the United Nations and presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s organization, “Stand For America.”
As a staunch advocate of Israel, a source close to the Fox News journalist said that her interest in the Jewish state began in 2014, when three Israeli teenage boys were kidnapped and brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists. On June 12, 2014 Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaar, Naftali Fraenkel were kidnapped at the bus/hitchhiking stop at the Israeli settlement of Alon Shvut in Gush Etzion, in Judea and Samara as they were hitchhiking to their homes. On June 30th, search teams found the bodies of the three missing teenagers in a field north-west of Hebron. They had apparently been shot dead shortly after the abduction. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a tough response to the killings. This led to Operation Protective Edge in 2014. At the time, Dillon herself was only 18 years old, Ynetnews.com reported.
Shortly after this tragic murder, Dillon visited Israel for the first time with the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and she felt an incredibly strong connection to the land and its people. Ynetnews.com reported that on social media and to friends, Dillon described the trip as the moment she knew she wanted to become a part of the Jewish people. “My neshama was really calling out to me,” she has stated, using the Hebrew term for “soul.”
In 2017 she began her conversion journey by learning with Rabbi Yehuda Levi. Prior to this she had attended the University of Haifa and upon her return to the US in 2018, Dillon was observing the custom of lighting the weekly Shabbat candles, Ynetnews.com reported.
In November 2021, she obtained a sponsoring rabbi in Boston and even went to seminary in Har Nof, Israel in October 2022, Ynetnews.com reported. Finally, in April 2022, she went before the Boston Beit Din and completed her conversion last week, going to the mikveh and formally “taking on” the 613 Torah commandments.
Speaking to Ynetnews.con, Rabbi Levi, who played a key role in Kassy’s conversion journey, said: “Kassy has always been a pro-Israel voice. Now that she has joined our nation, she will continue in the footsteps of other famous female converts such as Ruth, the grandmother of King David, and use her talents to spread the light of the Jewish nation far and wide!”
Dillon’s announcement was welcomed by the global Jewish community across social media, with hundreds sending welcome wishes to her on social media, Ynetnews.com reported.
Because the level of visceral Jew hatred is at an all time high on social media and other platforms, Dillon has been verbally assaulted for her decision to convert to Judaism by anti-Semites of all stripes.
One such response replied to her conversion announcement with a picture of an oven; reminiscent of the ones used to murder Jews in Nazi concentration camps during the nightmarish Holocaust era. Ynetnews.com reported that Dillon is taking it in stride, however, even retweeting and commenting, “And the antisemitism begins! In reality, they’ve been sending me this nonsense for years. In a way, the antisemites knew I had a Jewish neshama before I did!”
