Choosing To Be Chosen

Pennie Ungar-Sargon, aka Ashira, is of Finnish descent, and she grew up in the Evangelical church. She was a missionary all around the world, believing it was her job to save people's souls. However, after meeting people of different religious backgrounds in medical school, she had a spiritual awakening and ultimately decided to convert to Judaism. Make sure you tune in and check out her book, "Unleavened: The Ultimate Pesach Cookbook," on Amazon.

Roman Thomson, an actor and filmmaker, grew up in Saskatchewan, Canada, where he was raised Christian. He connected to parts of it, but he always had more questions. He began learning about Judaism, and it clicked. After discovering that he may have had Jewish lineage -- but unable to prove it -- he decided to convert, study in Israel, and become an Orthodox Jew.

Sarah Berman was born in 1926 and just turned 100. Growing up in Chicago, she went to Catholic school and church, but she kept asking questions that could not be answered. She discovered Judaism in high school, and ended up converting to Judaism before marrying her husband, legendary comedian Shelley Berman. She shares her touching story and fascinating moments from her life, from being with her soulmate Shelley -- who won the first Grammy for a comedy album -- to her friendship with RFK and devestation when he was assassinated, as well as her outlook on the world today. 

Aja Cohen grew up in an Italian Catholic family in New Jersey. Sunday night dinners were her favorite time of the week, and she cooked all the classic Italian cuisine. She was not very religious, but once she met Jewish people, she felt connected to them--as well as Judaism. Fast forward, and she is now an Orthodox Jewish convert, living in Teaneck, New Jersey, and running Transcendent Active, a modest, sustainable athleisure brand born from her personal journey of faith and purpose. Find out more at transcendentactive.com.

Clementine Zabner grew up in Paris, France going to Catholic school, rebelling, and questioning everything. When she discovered Judaism as a teenager, she knew it was the right way for her. But her conversion process was not so simple. It spanned different countries and took years to complete. Find out her fascinating story, which has a very happy ending. 

In this special episode of "Choosing to Be Chosen," host Kylie Ora Lobell sits down at the mic to answer your questions on Jewish conversion. 

Naomi Selick took a windy path to becoming Jewish -- and specifically, Orthodox Jewish. This convert, who had a very interesting childhood due to the nature of her father's work, discovered Judaism in Los Angeles. She eventually converted in Israel, in Kfar Chabad, which was a magical experience. Today, she is a proud observant Jew, wife, mother, and a successful realtor in the Beverlywood neighborhood of LA. Listen to her inspiring story. 

Delta Goldstein was raised on a houseboat in Northern California. Her parents were agnostic, and she grew up not thinking about religion or God. Then, when she went to college and studied religion, she became fascinated with Judaism and started going to Chabad. She is now an Orthodox Jew, married to a Jewish man and a proud mom to three kids. Listen to the latest episode of "Choosing to Be Chosen" on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch in full on YouTube. Presented by Kylie Ora Lobell, author of the memoir "Choosing to Be Chosen," (Wicked Son, Feb 2026), available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Chloe Traicos is a Los Angeles based actress ("The Righteous Gemstones") grew up in Zimbabwe in a Christian family. While her mother and sister were very dedicated to their religion, it never worked out for Chloe. She was sent to a Jewish preschool, which made a huge impact on her, and as an adult, ended up converting to Judaism and becoming Orthodox. Then, she made a shocking discovery: She was 45% Jewish, according to her DNA. Listen to the full episode for this incredible and inspiring story.     

Moshe Katyal grew up not practicing religion in India. When he came to America and met the love of his life, who was Jewish, he decided to look into Judaism. He ultimately converted and became even more connected thanks to his very spiritual daughter and the Chabad Hasidic movement.