Step 30: Together

As someone who chose to join the Jewish people, the journey towards Sinai each year is a particularly special one for me. The Torah tells us that G-d’s covenant was made “not with you alone but both with those who are standing here with us this day before our G-d and with those who are not with us here this day.” (Deut. 29:13-14). Our Sages interpret this to mean that subsequent generations of Jews – those born Jewish and those who chose to become Jewish – were present at Mount Sinai when G-d gave the Torah to the Jewish people.

You cannot imagine the sense of belonging that washed over me when I learned of this interpretation. This passage told me that there was space for me within the Jewish community. It told me that I belonged here from the start. It allowed me to better navigate living as a proud member of the Jewish people while weaving in my own authentic life experiences.

When I close my eyes and imagine myself there at the base of a mountain learning with Jews from across space and time, I can’t help but feel humbled. The closest I’ve ever come to this kind of an experience in real life is at a Limmud festival. As Board Chair of Limmud North America, I am proud to be part of a grassroots movement that believes deeply in the possibility of a diverse, cohesive Jewish community rooted in the importance of celebrating and learning from difference.