Faith: Going Out and Coming In

Mayim Bialik - a now observant Jewish woman

I’m a believer. This title to a great Monkees song composed by Neil Diamond is also a truth by which I live. I am a believer in God and that the Torah was given by Him to us – His chosen people - at Sinai. The Torah contains the blueprint for life as a Jew on this world – in preparation for the next. Why I am a believer is not the subject of this post. It is why people that were raised in religious homes stop being observant at some point in their lives. And why people that were not raised in observant homes become observant.

...the dignity that was taught and ideally practiced for women, for individuals, I didn’t know it, I just had these misconceptions.” Unfortunately for many people beginning to explore their Jewish heritage, these misconceptions often hold them back from truly engaging with the material, but throughout her journey, Gruen had many notable experiences which defied those preconceived notions. She describes an intimate Shabbos experience as “this oasis in time, making space for the sacred. This is beautiful, this is peaceful. I want this too.” …Gruen (notes that there are) tens of thousands of us over the past decades, who have said hello, not goodbye, and are happy to have done so.”