PORTRAIT OF A REFORM RABBI

I am a Jew because I believe that Judaism understands that between mercy and justice there is a path of righteousness.I am a Jew because I believe the 'saving of a life' is an urgent mitzvah.I am a Jew because I believe Judaism believes that education is an urgent mitzvah.I am a Jew because Judaism rejects the belief that it is superior to other traditions and makes its claim on me only because it is already mine.I am a Jew because in Judaism all of God’s children are equally God’s children and every life is sacred.I am a Jew because Judaism believes that existence is not an accident and has meaning.I am a Jew because Judaism recognizes holiness in everything beautiful, kind, and just in this world.I am a Jew because Judaism is my spiritual home, and from my home, I can share in the beauty and delights of all creation.I am a Jew because Judaism believes in personal responsibility, forgiveness, and hope.I am a Jew because Judaism values my humanity above my ethnicity and enables me to become a better person by becoming a better Jew.I am a Jew because Judaism recognizes that the world is not complete and that all of ushave deep responsibilities in completing it and thereby complete ourselves as human beings and as Jews.- Rabbi Lance J. Sussman, Ph.D.