The Real Question Is … Who Are We?

Last night I attended a screening and discussion of our film Tragic Awakening at the UJA of New York. As always, the response was deeply moving. Antisemitism feels close, real, and at times frightening—and the question of why it happens can feel so elusive. The film offers a powerful perspective. (If you’d like to bring Tragic Awakening to your community, be in touch.)

But I’m beginning to sense that an even deeper question is stirring beneath the surface. A quieter, more personal one, and perhaps, more bothersome:
What does it actually mean to be Jewish? Who are we?

The 2020 Pew Study (and I wonder how things have changed since then) found something striking: 75% of Jews say being Jewish is very important to them—yet there’s little agreement on what that actually means. Often, the answers sound similar to what defines any other people: shared history, culture, and memory. I have found that even among my most observant friends, there is a lot of confusion.

The Jews are the people whom God has called to illuminate, elevate, and ennoble the world with His light.

This is why, explains Sforno, we count by the moon: we are like the moon—we don’t generate our own light; we reflect God’s light into the world.

In one word: covenant.

We are not only a people of shared past—we are a people of shared purpose.
Our children are born into this peoplehood, and anyone can join it—because it is a mission.

The covenant was articulated at Sinai, in the Ten Commandments—our core values. The rest of the Torah and our tradition help us live them, refine them, and bring them into the world. (My work is dedicated to helping us reconnect to this identity.)

This week’s Parsha, Vayikra, opens with the words “And He called.” God calls to Moshe—not as a distant command, but as an invitation into a relationship. The Midrash notes that this language of calling is unique to Jewish prophets, expressing closeness and care.

And that is the heart of it:

We are a people who are called.
Called into relationship.
Called into purpose.
Called to bring light.

Shabbat Shalom.