What began as a passion project has evolved into something more. I am proud of where I started and even more excited for what’s ahead.
My journey to Orthodox Judaism did not begin in a straight line. It unfolded in layers, across continents, identities, and years of searching. I entered an Orthodox yeshiva at the age of fifteen, shortly after immigrating from Kazakhstan. Everything felt new then. The language, the rhythms of religious life, and the expectations all surrounded me. I absorbed what I could, but like many young people navigating upheaval, I was still forming who I was.
I later graduated from Goldie Margolin Academy for Girls in Memphis, Tennessee, and was married at Baron Hirsch Synagogue. At that time, my life was rooted in Jewish culture and identity, but not in observance. For more than fifteen years, I lived what I would call a “cultural Judaism,” connected by heritage, tradition, and family, yet distant from daily religious practice. From that chapter of my life, I was blessed with two beautiful daughters who remain at the center of my world.
Three years ago, everything began to shift. Together with my new husband, we embarked on path of a baalat teshuva and geiruth. It was not sudden or easy. It was a slow unraveling of the life I had constructed and a rebuilding from a place of truth. I came to understand that to truly connect to the Divine, you cannot live behind layers of pretense. You have to be willing to look at yourself with honesty, to question your patterns, your beliefs, and even the identity you thought was fixed.
This process demanded deep introspection and real teshuva, not just in action but in the heart. There were moments of discomfort and even pain as I confronted parts of myself I had long avoided. At the same time, there was clarity, purpose, and a sense of alignment I had never known before. I immersed myself in the teachings of our sages, in sacred texts, and in the ongoing work of refining my character traits. Growth became both a discipline and a calling.
Today, I am a Shomer Shabbat Orthodox woman, and I am still on the path, aware that this journey never truly ends. What made it especially challenging was the absence of a clear map. I often wished for guidance that spoke not only to the laws, but to the inner transformation required.
That absence is what inspired me to begin sharing my journey with other women. What started as small, intimate groups has grown into something much larger. I am now developing the Tzimtzum app and expanding my classes into workshops, with the goal of reaching women across the United States in synagogues, Jewish forums, women’s circles, and local Chabad communities. My hope is to offer others what I once searched for, a path that integrates knowledge, honesty, and inner growth, and a space where transformation feels possible and supported.
Anna Sarah Cevallos, New York 2026