Kate McDonald used to be an Episcopal priest. Now, not only is she Jewish but she’s also the director of Israel and Jewish advocacy at the Baltimore Jewish Council.
She credits a trip to Israel as the catalyst for this momentous change.
“My first visit to Israel was in 2011, and when I first glimpsed Jerusalem as we were driving from Ben Gurion Airport, there was something in my soul that said, ‘I’m home,’” she said.
“I can’t describe it beyond that.”
Since then, she has traveled back to Israel frequently, even living in Tiberias, where she worked with Israeli-Palestinian peace organizations, visited the West Bank and Gaza, and interacted with churches, synagogues and mosques.
While she didn’t convert immediately after that first trip, she knew that Israel meant a lot to her, and that was the first inkling that becoming a Jew was in the cards for her.
“I just realized that my soul felt whole and settled and connected every time I was in the land of Israel. I think during the five years that I was there, having friends across the spectrum of Jewish practice and observance, I really fell in love with the richness of it, and there was so much that resonated with me,” she said.
From there, McDonald said she reflected deeply on what she really wanted, and when she arrived back in the U.S., she went to learn more.
“I had the opportunity to really immerse myself and study and connect with the local synagogue. And I made the decision to convert, and [have] absolutely no regrets,” she said.
So while she may not have been a Jew for most of her life, McDonald is well-equipped for her role at the Baltimore Jewish Council.
Today, she is not just a Jew in name but also in practice. McDonald said her version of Judaism revolves largely around community. She has Shabbat dinner, engages in theological conversations with fellow Jews and her non-Jewish friends, prays at shul and celebrates holidays.
The Kernewood resident said that her work at the Baltimore Jewish Council consists mainly of three roles. She works on Israel advocacy and education, which consists largely of creating programming for people in the community.
She also facilitates leadership development for the Baltimore Jewish Council through a one-year program for those in the early or middle stages of their professional careers. “Our last cohort was so diverse, and seeing them develop and deepen their relationships with one another and have really open and honest and rich discussions was so rewarding,” she said.
The final part of her job is being responsible for staffing the Baltimore Israel Coalition, which is a consortium of 20 different organizations and agencies across Baltimore that work on behalf of Israel advocacy and education.
For McDonald, life as a Jew means supporting her people. They may not be her people by birth, but her actions speak louder than any lineage could. McDonald loves being Jewish, and dedicates every day to the Jewish people.
It is not an easy time to be a Jew, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I consider it a privilege and an honor to be a part of the Jewish people, and I’m absolutely delighted that my work enables me to serve both the Jewish community and Israel, especially at this time,” she said.
