Summer Shabbat Speaker Series 2026 – Jenni Smirnova

This Shabbat, we will hear from Jenni Smirnova on the topic of “Becoming Jewish, Again and Again.”

In this talk for Parashat D’varim, Jenni reflects on her conversion journey and how Jewish identity continues to be shaped after the mikveh. Through the Israelites’ wilderness journey, she explores how covenant is renewed through ordinary choices: learning, practicing mitzvot, returning after distance, and continuing to show up.

Jenni has been a member of Temple Emunah since 2021 and completed her conversion in 2023 with Rabbi Lerner and Rabbi Perkins. As a wife and a mother, she loves sharing Jewish traditions, building community, and bringing together her Korean heritage and Jewish life through kosher cooking.