
Choosing to Be Chosen
From Being an Atheist Non-jew to Becoming an Orthodox Jew
Wicked Son · Print & ebook · February 17, 2026
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- Who it’s for
- Kylie Ora Lobell recounts losing her childhood faith and pursuing Orthodox Jewish conversion.
- Themes
- Loss and rediscovery of faith, Conversion to Orthodox Judaism, Romantic relationship conflict
- Genres
- Religious Lives, Orthodox Judaism, Jewish Lives
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Start with this bookAbout this book
Choosing to Be Chosen is journalist Kylie Ora Lobell’s journey from a broken, secular Christian home, to teenage atheism, to a chance encounter with a lapsed Jewish stand-up comedian—culminating in a spiritual quest for conversion to Orthodox Judaism. Kylie Ora Lobell grew up in a typical American home: religiously lukewarm, where they only went to church on Christmas and Easter.
Continue reading
Though she believed in God when she was a child, after her parents’ divorce and her grandmother’s untimely death, twelve-year-old Kylie lost her faith. She began experiencing depression and anxiety, and constantly asked herself, “What am I living for?” In college, she meets Danny, a stand-up comedian who is Jewish but gave up practicing Orthodox Judaism after some negative experiences. The one event he still attends is Shabbat for Friday night dinner, and once they start dating, Kylie comes along. Sitting at the Shabbat table, Kylie has an epiphany: This warm feeling in her chest is none other than God. God is real, and she wants to convert to Judaism with the help of an Orthodox rabbi. But Danny vehemently rejects her decision to pursue an Orthodox Jewish conversion, which threatens the future of their relationship. Despite the many challenges—including potentially losing the love of her life—Kylie knows she must move forward. In Choosing to be Chosen, she details the spiritual journey she must take to become the person she was meant to be all along.
Shabbat and Conversion
Kylie Ora Lobell recounts losing her childhood faith and pursuing Orthodox Jewish conversion.
Come here for
- A Shabbat dinner that prompts a return to faith
- The challenges of pursuing Orthodox Jewish conversion
Expect
- A personal account of faith and conversion
- Tension between her conversion decision and her relationship
Where it sits
| Jewish Lives | 51% |
|---|---|
| Religious Lives | 41% |
| Orthodox Judaism | 35% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Personal Memoirs
- Orthodox Judaism
- Spirituality
- Authors
- Kylie Ora Lobell
- Publisher
- Wicked Son
- Published
- February 17, 2026
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Loss and rediscovery of faith · Conversion to Orthodox Judaism · Romantic relationship conflict
- Reading lane
- Personal Memoirs