Episode 146 finds the intrepid trio welcoming Shannon Gonyou, a practicing attorney, author, and convert to Judaism. She shares about her faith journey featured in her upcoming book, Since Siani: A Convert’s Path to Judaism. (Be a mensch and click the link and preorder the book.)

A bit more on Shannon… Raised in a heavily Catholic suburb of Detroit, Michigan, Shannon grew up focusing on two things: how to do enough good deeds to get into heaven and how to stay pure enough to escape hell. In college, she followed many of her peers into an Evangelical church known for guitars, drums, religious-based shame, and the idea that without Jesus she was nothing. But when she encountered Judaism on that same campus, a spark ignited within her and refused to be put out. Judaism felt obvious, familiar. After a falling out with her biological mother and two miscarriages, she found the courage to send the most important email of her life: she asked the local Jews by Choice program to accept her as a student. Honest and unflinching, Shannon’s story of coming home to Judaism encourages everyone–Christian, atheist, Jewish, and anything in between–to search relentlessly for the place where they belong.

To skip our opening mishigas start at the 17:43 mark.