E-Paper
Who is Adriana Fernandez? Viral sensation from Florida converts to Judaism, says 'Oct. 7 made me want to…'
Adriana Fernandez, a popular social media star, went from the “Non-Jewish Nanny” to an official convert.
A popular social media star went from the “Non-Jewish Nanny” to an official convert, and has claimed that the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel fuelled her desire to be Jewish. Adriana Fernandez, a Floridian, became a de-facto social media star for her fans after she began nannying for Orthodox families about four years back.
Who is Adriana Fernandez?
Fernandez attended private Christian school and grew up with nearly no exposure to Judaism. Her cheerful videos, where she navigates her way learning new things in observant homes, have earned her several devoted followers.
A bartender and budding opera singer, Fernandez became an official Jewess last month after being exposed to the “beauty” of Judaism, the New York Post reported. Inspired by her young charges who enlightened her about the faith, she underwent the years-long conversion process.
Fernandez has revealed that she is finally ready for her first Passover as a Jew.
“Officially chose my outfit for my first Seder as a Jew,” Fernandez, whose Hebrew name is Adina Shoshana, wrote on Instagram this week.
Fernandez, a classically trained singer, said she “definitely would love to make Hebrew music covers” and write a children’s book. She also revealed that the conversion path was not completely smooth for her, with some calling her “mashugana” — the Yiddish word for crazy — for becoming a Jew after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, during which some 1,200 Israelis were murdered.
“Oct. 7 made me want to be Jewish more,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez did not care even though people pleaded, “The whole world hates us.” “These are my people too,” she thought. “I was already in the process of converting – but I could have stopped.”
She recalled, “My first thought on Oct. 7 wasn’t, ‘How do I get out of this?’ I felt an even stronger connection to G-d.”
