Family is the paradigm for Jewish peoplehood, an anchor of belonging, recognition, and love.

when all Jews have access to the entire marketplace of ideas and beliefs, an authentic sense of being Jewish—of Jewishness—requires living as a Jew, doing Jewish in some way.

Today, the phrase “the chosen people” is often paired with its complement, “the people who choose.”

unless I live a life that is worthy of her reverence, I make it almost impossible for her to live a Jewish life.

Judaism defies definition as a religion pure and simple. Unlike other religions, Judaism also refers to a civilization and a culture. The Jews have been called a nation, a tribe, a race, a folk, an ethnic group, and the “people of the book.”

Perhaps one reason why Judaism locates its spiritual center in the Torah is because its study is so firmly grounded in human relationships.

On the occasion of her conversion, Mary Russell wrote, “Judaism has allowed me to lay down my intellectual defenses and to stand, unprotected by cynicism, before the idea of a God who cares passionately about the human moral drama and gives it meaning by remembering our actions and our choices.”

you perform a mitzvah by giving someone else the opportunity to do the mitzvah of helping you find your way.

As a Jew-by-choice, you inherit four thousand years of Jewish history, which is not just an academic or esoteric pursuit but a living presence.