How was it that I had known what Catholicism says about abortion and contraception, but I didn’t have the faintest clue what Judaism said?

A Jewish studies professor once told me that Judaism is “the mystery that claims you.”4 Judaism had claimed me, and I had claimed it back.

feelings about Judaism have been shaped by the overwhelmingly Christian country in which I live. How much of my understanding of Judaism has been on other people’s terms?

Harvard). Chaplains understand spirituality broadly to include not just someone’s religious beliefs, but how they find meaning, comfort, courage, and connection, particularly in times of crisis.

Judaism’s unique ethical wisdom, diverse spirituality, emphasis on studying and debating sacred texts, and many rituals and practices that take place outside a synagogue—were the very parts I most loved and admired when I discovered them as an adult.

For thousands of years, Jewish thought and moral wisdom have both shaped and challenged Western culture, and Jews’ impact has been wildly disproportionate to our numbers.

There is no one “right” way to practice Judaism; there are countless ways to be a passionate, committed Jew. And no matter how far you may feel from your tradition, it is still yours—your birthright, your inheritance.

Of the ancient Near Eastern civilizations in existence at the birth of the Jewish people—the Hittites, Ammonites, Edomites, and so many others—none remain, lost to history long ago. But Jews are still here, and I believe Jewish civilization still has something important to say, to us and to the world. This book is the story of how I learned to

In the most sacred Jewish text, the Torah, human beings argue with God and even change God’s mind. The two-million-word commentary known as the Talmud, which forms the basis for Jewish law, is a collection of debates among ancient rabbis in which they explore every possible side of an issue. In Jewish tradition, using one’s brain to probe,