Member-only story
Although I am fully Jewish, my family was not particularly observant while I grew up. We celebrated both joyous and solemn holidays and attended synagogue a few times per year for the High Holidays.
We always either attended someone else’s Passover Seder or even hosted our own a few times.
We lit the menorah during Hanukkah and exchanged gifts at a big family party. Those days are long gone.
I’ll spare you the long story, but I married my college sweetheart, an Episcopalian woman, and then my younger sister and brother followed suit, also marrying non-Jews. Of the three of us, our sister is involved with the most Jewish organizations and best carries on the traditions.
I mention this for three reasons. First of all, chances are that you are not Jewish and may even have some predispositions towards my people. I am not here to defend my people or discuss it in depth; it’s just that I will operate under the assumption that you are likely of a different religious background and upbringing than mine.
Second, most people know the word “mitzvah” from the Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies that Jewish kids do when…
