Michelle Ferguson. Courtesy Michelle Ferguson
After graduating high school, Michelle Ferguson wasn’t sure what to study at Temple University. She considered a French major but chose a broader field, linguistics, with a minor in education.
She jumped at an opportunity to teach English in Croatia in the summer after her sophomore year, and saw how important it was for her students there to learn the language, a pathway to opportunity in the United States and other large, prosperous countries.
That eye-opening trip ultimately propelled the Point Breeze resident down a new path of her own.
“When I got back, I got involved on and off campus, working with immigrant and refugee populations and international students. And then I did a master’s at Temple in TESOL, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. And after that, I graduated and started my career at HIAS Pennsylvania,” Ferguson said.
At HIAS — the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society — Ferguson started working as a high school and post-secondary lead instructor, and created a college access program for immigrant and refugee students who were still learning English.
And through her role at HIAS, Ferguson, who grew up Catholic, gained a deeper understanding of Jewish values.
“I was really moved by the Jewish value that guides the organization, which is welcoming the stranger. And that was probably my first real understanding of Jewish values and how they guide so many people’s work. And it was really moving to me,” Ferguson said. “A lot of my coworkers there were Jewish and this whole time, I’m becoming more familiar with Jewish values and the way that they might be a guiding principle for folks.”
Ferguson’s Jewish connection deepened in 2020 when she met her husband, who is Jewish. That led to serious discussions about their future and what it meant to be Jewish.
She said she began to read about Judaism and slowly leaned into the culture with Shabbat dinners at her in-laws’ home, among other activities. Eventually, Ferguson realized that converting to Judaism was the right decision.
Ferguson started her conversion journey with her own research, reading books and articles for about a year before she went to Congregation Rodeph Shalom to attend their program and meet with a rabbi. Ferguson completed the conversion process and is now a member of the synagogue with her husband.
Since then, Ferguson has gotten involved with Philadelphia Jewish communal organizations like Tribe 12, where she now serves as a board member.
Ferguson and her husband entered Tribe 12 through a couples group where attendees discussed common topics regarding Judaism that can arise in a relationship.
“It was really amazing, because it was also a place to grapple with Judaism with other couples in our same stage of life who are also exploring what Judaism means to them in their relationship. We are still really close friends with all those couples. It really opened my eyes to some of the different Jewish practices that we might include in our relationship,” Ferguson said.
She added that she and her husband have adopted some practices into their own lives, including hosting a Yom Kippur break-fast for the first time. She said Tribe 12 has given them a way to “cultivate our own Jewish community in a way that works for us.”
Ferguson is looking forward to taking on an expanded role with Tribe 12 in the future with her board responsibilities.
“I’ve just joined the board this year, so I’m excited to get more involved. For now, I plan to really consider how we are serving our constituents as best we can. I’m excited to work alongside constituents to hear what programs they want,” Ferguson said.