A Christian Father, a Muslim Mother – and the Daughter is Jewish; Lian Noam Moshe's Life Story

Being a Jewish daughter to a Muslim mother from Lebanon and a Christian father is not the simplest thing in the world, but Lian Noam Moshe has no complaints. Her fascinating journey in search of Hashem herself begins in two divided worlds: between the walls of the mosque that nurtured her mother's faith and the Christian beliefs of her father.

Her mother, Zinab, came to Israel after being promised to a handicapped Muslim suitor, much older than her. The family was short on money, and the parents agreed to the marriage proposal to ease family expenses. Then she had the idea: 'I will go work in Israel, and the money I earn will allow my father to drop this humiliating marriage offer.'

In Israel, she met her husband – a Christian Arab twenty years her senior. They rented a small apartment in Kiryat Shmona, brought three children into the world – Lian Noam, Or, and Eli – but parted ways in 2010. It was clear that returning to Lebanon was not an option for Zinab, so despite the difficulty, she stayed here and continued to raise her children alone.

In her childhood, Lian Noam did not visit the mosque, but Zinab tried to teach her to pray at home. "My mother comes from a devout religious home in Lebanon, where prayer is strictly observed. She thought it was important I know how to pray," she recalls.

Yet the prayer she recited from the Quran didn't penetrate her heart. "I said the words outwardly, but I didn’t understand what I was saying and certainly didn’t connect. It did nothing for me inside."

"The suffering at school was just a test from Hashem, examining how worthy I am to be Jewish"

The sharp turning point occurred when Moshe reached elementary school. There arose the desire to pray – this time from within her. "I felt I wanted to pray, but didn’t know to whom I should direct it. My father said I'm Christian, my mother said I'm Muslim – being both, how can I pray? It confused me a bit, but then I decided to pray anyway, believing Hashem would accept it as it was."

Amazing these were your thoughts at such a young age. How did you feel when you prayed in your own words?

"That was the moment I discovered there is Hashem, and I loved Him from the first moment I realized He is within me. I always spoke to Him, constantly sharing what happens in my life."

Like what?

"For example, I suffered greatly at school. Kids can be cruel and not always accept those who are different, mocking me with derogatory names. There was another girl mocked for being fat, and it was very hard for me to hear those things. Even back then, I would pray for peace, for no problems between Christians, Arabs, and Jews, because we are all human and should love and respect each other. Looking back now, I understand it was all a trial from Hashem, a test to see how worthy I am to be Jewish, even when it was tough and things didn’t go my way."

With such thoughts running through her head at such a young age, it’s no wonder that as an adult, the word 'difficult' doesn't exist in her vocabulary. "I don’t say 'difficult' often because I believe there is no trial from Hashem that I can't handle," she states.

But there's no doubt Hashem sent her the antidote before the ailment in the form of Perla and Shalom Yifrach – her dear neighbors whom she calls 'grandpa' and 'grandma'; and justifiably so. "They knew my mother's story, didn’t judge her. On the contrary, they accepted her as a daughter and me as their granddaughter," Moshe recounts. "For me, they are my grandparents, and if you ask them who their grandchildren are, they will say Lian, Or, and Eli. The love we receive from them is immense, and it's always been like that. The care and concern are visible in their eyes. They never tried to change me. Even if I hadn’t converted, I would still be their 'granddaughter'. They raised me, and continue to raise me today – even spiritually."

"All this is thanks to my mother, and it’s not something I take for granted"

One of the things that spoke to her most at the Yifrach home was the Shabbat table and family meals they were invited to. "I remember the Friday nights the most. Grandpa would perform Kiddush, and we would all be very moved. There was great joy at home, and after Kiddush, Grandma Perla served fish and salads, and the table was filled with goodness."

The love and friendly light Lian Noam received at the Yifrach home were "the straw that broke the camel's back". "I always felt something special inside towards Judaism, but didn’t quite know what to do with it or where to turn. When I realized there was the concept of changing the religion you're born into, and that I could be Jewish – I consulted with grandma and grandpa about it.

"Thanks to what I've heard about Judaism and saw with them, I realized I wanted to be Jewish. When I shared my heartfelt thoughts with them, they advised on what to do, but also warned me Judaism is not something to play with. They told me, 'Either you want to be Jewish, or remain what you are. You can't do both.' I decided to go all out, because I knew that was my truth, and I didn’t want to deceive myself."

Since when did you understand this?

"As long as I can remember being 'mature', I would fast alone in my room on Yom Kippur, even though the TV was on in the living room, and everyone was eating as usual. It burned inside me, and I couldn’t not act on this desire."

And because she believed a Jew spends all day at the synagogue praying, she started reading the Bible from school, beginning to end, because "I thought that’s what you do. When I saw I couldn’t finish the entire Bible, I was disappointed and asked Hashem to forgive me."

A year ago, Moshe completed the conversion process with the guidance of Rabbanit Gittel Achiayani ("the most amazing rabbanit in the world") who held an emotional challah baking ceremony for her, where Moshe thanked for the conversion process that concluded, and for the privilege to be finally called 'Jewish'. Indeed, the struggle continues – but this time, she has significant tools, such as prayer, without which it would not be the same.

How did your parents react to your desire to become Jewish?

"It's interesting because when I realized I wanted to be Jewish – everyone told me: 'Listen, you can’t live with your mother in a non-kosher house', but I knew above all, I have the mitzvah of honoring parents. I can’t hurt my mother, who did and still does so much for me. Anyway, pork never entered our house, but luckily she koshered the kitchen and supported me all the way. When I return from the synagogue on Friday, I come home to a table covered with a white cloth, set and ready, with wine for Kiddush. All this is thanks to my mom, and I don’t take it for granted."

Message to the People of Israel: "I wish every Jew would undergo conversion, to understand what I mean"

For her father, however, it was a bit tougher to open up and share the secret, and it took a long time until she decided to do it anyway. "It happened a few months ago. I called him and asked to meet at a coffee shop in Rosh Pina because I had something to tell him. At the meeting, I apologized for not telling him sooner and shared everything. I told him I went through the conversion process and that I'm Jewish now, and I didn’t want to keep hiding it because he is important to me, and I want him involved in my life."

And how did he react?

"To my surprise and happiness, very well. He told me: 'If this is what’s good for you, then it’s what’s good for me, and whatever you need, I’m here for you.' I was shocked he took it this way. I jokingly said to him: 'But you know when I get married, you’ll have Jewish grandchildren.' But he stuck to his position and said: 'That’s okay. I’ll love them too'. It was a sign for me from Hashem that He's with me, looking after me, because I was very afraid it would end in an explosion."

Lian Noam Moshe

A few months ago, Lian Noam completed her national service at 'Ziv' hospital in Safed, but she doesn't really plan for the future. "I believe Hashem will send me what's good for me and guide me to which path to take and where to invest my energies."

While today it's easier for her to bear the burden, the difficulties remain. Different types of challenges, indeed, but still there. "Sometimes it's hard for me that none of my friends observe Shabbat, and I go to the synagogue alone. On one hand, I know this is my path, but on the other hand – I miss having a friend my age and lifestyle. It’s not easy to transition from one mentality to another, and often I find myself alone at home, but I'm not scared because I know it's work. Who promised me it would be easy? No one.

"I read 'The Letter of the Ramban' once a week, and it helps me handle difficulties with love and gentleness, with prayer that this situation will only improve. There’s a reason it's happening this way, even if I don’t always understand it. Despite the hardships and darkness that sometimes engulf me, I feel someone is always with me, and there's an aura surrounding me, protecting me."

In conclusion, Moshe wants to convey a clear message to the people of Israel and says: "Anyone who talks to me a bit about their struggles, I strengthen them and say they need to appreciate the wonderful gift they received from Hashem — to be born Jewish. It's a great privilege not everyone appreciates, and many take it for granted. You can’t suddenly turn from Jewish to non-Jewish, but even if you don’t study Torah or pray – you've missed the essence of Judaism, your true purpose.

"I would like every Jew to undergo the conversion process, to be called Jewish and truly earn it. Only then would you feel the nuances and understand what I mean. If this material were included in secular classes, not as a test but more to teach children about their Judaism – it would change them profoundly. It's unfortunate there are people called Jews who don’t truly adhere to what makes you Jewish."