From Searching to Singing: Yehuda Menashe’s Journey to Judaism

The story of Marcus Orlando Peterson, now known as Yehuda Menashe Chuddah, begins in North Carolina. He was born into an African-American Christian family and raised alongside seven siblings. His journey to Judaism began through his stepfather, his mother’s husband who was deeply moved by the special bond between the Jewish people and their Creator.

“He saw that Christianity wasn’t real enough. He felt that Christians didn’t have a true connection with Hashem,” Yehuda Menashe explains in a gentle, accented Hebrew, trying to express the beginning of his journey.

By the time he reached the age of Bar Mitzvah, traditionally when a Jewish boy becomes responsible for the mitzvot (commandments), Yehuda Menashe had already decided he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his stepfather. His mother and several siblings also chose to convert.

Speaking with a shy smile, he says, “The Jews are Hashem’s people. And that’s the best. When I was still a non-Jew, I didn’t feel like I had a real purpose. Life was just moving forward with no meaning—born, live, die—and that’s it. There were no answers. But once you bring Hashem into the picture, suddenly there’s something to live for. Something to be joyful about. Being Jewish.”

Yehuda Menashe has now been a righteous convert for eight years. For the past four years, he’s lived in the Holy Land. By day, he studies Torah at the Hashivenu Yeshiva on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, a yeshiva (Jewish learning center) especially for baalei teshuvah (those returning to observance) and converts. He lives in the dorms and is learning Hebrew, slowly building his fluency. At the same time, he’s also developing his musical career.

It turns out that this young man in black-and-white attire, the classic dress of the observant community has become a rising star at religious celebrations. He performs regularly during Chol HaMoed (the intermediate days of Sukkot and Passover) in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, and is invited to sing at weddings, bar mitzvahs, upsherins (chalakah ceremonies when boys get their first haircut at age 3), and other joyful events in the Torah-observant world.

“Moshe David Shwekey, Yaakov Shwekey’s brother is the one who told me I should come to Israel,” Yehuda Menashe shares. “He helped me get into the yeshiva and was like a father to me.”

His honesty is refreshing. “I want people to know that converting isn’t easy. At first, you see the big picture and you see the beauty of Judaism but you don’t always understand the process in the middle. The moment a gentile converts, the yetzer hara (evil inclination) starts trying to pull you away. But Hashem helps me. Every day, I feel like I experience Judaism all over again.”

As for the future? Yehuda Menashe says he plans to start looking for a wife in about two years. Right now, he’s focused on Torah, learning Hebrew, and bringing joy to the Jewish people.

After all the changes, challenges, and inspiration, his goal is clear: “To bring more and more happiness to Am Yisrael, the people of Israel.”