Dear all,

(The attached photo is from my bris)

I was thinking about where we are in our Torah cycle – as Moses goes head to head with Pharaoh. At no point, did Pharaoh ask Moses, 鈥淲hat kind of a Hebrew (Jew) are you?鈥�

It didn鈥檛 matter to Pharaoh.

It didn鈥檛 matter to Hitler.

It didn鈥檛 matter to those who murdered Daniel Pearl.

And it doesn鈥檛 matter in this moment in time to those who oppose Judaism today.

And so it got me thinking. How should I define myself 91传媒ly? Here is what I discovered?

I am a Jew, and I shouldn鈥檛 need a further 鈥渄istinction.鈥�

I鈥檓 not a 鈥渞eligious鈥� Jew.

I鈥檓 not a 鈥渃ultural鈥� Jew.

I鈥檓 not an 鈥渆thnic鈥� Jew.

I am a Jew.

I鈥檓 not a 鈥淩eform鈥� Jew.

I鈥檓 not an 鈥淥rthodox鈥� Jew.

I鈥檓 not 鈥渟ecular鈥� Jew.

I鈥檓 not a 鈥淏u-Jew.鈥�

I鈥檓 not 鈥減ost-denomination鈥� Jew.

I am a 鈥淛ew.鈥�

I鈥檓 not a 鈥�91传媒-American.鈥�

I鈥檓 not an 鈥淎merican Jew.鈥�

I am a Jew.

I鈥檓 not a 鈥淢izrachi鈥� Jew.

I鈥檓 not 鈥淪ephardic鈥� Jew

(nor am I a 鈥淪ephardic on Passover鈥� Jew!)

I鈥檓 not an 鈥淎shkenazi鈥� Jew.

I am a Jew.

I鈥檓 not a 鈥淪ocial Justice鈥� Jew.

I鈥檓 not a 鈥減racticing鈥� Jew.

I鈥檓 not a 鈥渢wice-a-year鈥� Jew.

I am a Jew.

I鈥檓 not a 鈥渉alf鈥� Jew.

I鈥檓 not a 鈥減atrilineal鈥� Jew.

I鈥檓 not a 鈥渕atrilineal鈥� Jew.

I am a Jew.

My belonging does not depend on labels.

My covenant does not require categories.

My name does not change with context.

Wherever I go,

in any country,

in any language,

under any flag,

I am a Jew.

Sent with love and Shalom,

Rabbi Zachary R. Shapiro