Karlie Kloss on converting to Judaism: 'I really did not take this lightly'

July 2 (UPI) -- Karlie Kloss says she put a lot of thought into her conversion to Judaism.

The 26-year-old model explained why she converted prior to her wedding to her husband, businessman Joshua Kushner, in the August issue of British Vogue.

Kloss said her conversion to Kushner's faith was a challenging decision that made her a stronger person.

"Changing part of who you are for someone else can be seen as weak. But you know what? Actually, if you've been through what I've experienced, it requires you to be anything but weak. It requires me to be stronger and self-loving and resilient," she said. "I really did not take this lightly."

The former Victoria's Secret model said she studied and consulted her family and friends before making her decision.

"It wasn't enough to just love Josh and make this decision for him. This is my life and I am an independent, strong woman," she said. "It was only after many years of studying and talking with my family and friends and soul searching that I made the decision to fully embrace Judaism in my life and start planning for a future with the man I chose to marry."

Kloss and Kushner married at a small, Jewish ceremony in New York in October. The couple celebrated their union with friends, including Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry, and Dasha Zhukova, at Brush Creek Ranch in Saratoga, Wyo., in June.

"Wonderful weekend of being loved and celebrating love, congrats to a beautiful union @karliekloss @joshuakushner," Bloom wrote June 23 on Instagram.

"Our Best Friends' Wedding," Zhukova captioned a photo with Kloss and Kushner.

Kloss and Kushner, the brother of President Donald Trump's advisor Jared Kushner, got engaged in July 2018 after six years of dating.