“We Are All Jews By Choice”
In this day and age there are so many choices placed before us: from hundreds of channels on our televisions to tens of thousands of websites to peruse. We are never at loss for what to do with our time.

Living in the 21st century in America, we are blessed with countless freedoms. We are open to make choices about our professions, our attire, our beliefs and our religious practices.
While there are a multitude of roads to spirituality and religion placed before us, so many people today seem to be at a loss for finding meaning in and purpose to their lives. They are struggling to find time for reflection and for building community.

And then there are others who know their clear path. Among them are Jews by Choice. At Temple Beth El we have many individuals each year who choose to convert to our faith. Each time a new Jew by Choice stands before the ark to receive the Torah and a rich heritage, those in the congregation are moved by their passion and commitment.

Why are we so moved? I think it is because all of us are Jews by Choice. Unlike the shtetls of old where we had few decisions to make about our religious lives, today, with so many other options before us, we need to actively choose Judaism.

I encourage you to look at yourself as a Jew by Choice. I encourage you to ask yourselves some of the same questions we ask to those who are converting to our faith. What do you still need to learn about Judaism? Do you want to learn Hebrew? Do you want to learn the meaning of the prayers? Where do you find your sense of spirituality? How do you want to incorporate more Judaism into your life? How can you increase your sense of connection to our faith? How can you increase your sense of connection to the larger Jewish community and world? What is your relationship with the State of Israel and how has it changed over the years? Do you have concerns about anti-Semitism?

You too can be a Jew by Choice by making active decisions to bring Judaism into your home and into your life.

Judy Schindler, Rabbi