(Pamela Jay Gottfried is a rabbi, parent, teacher and student of religion.  She is the founding mother and editor of the interfaith blog She Answers Abraham and the author of Found in Translation: Common Words of Uncommon Wisdom.)

I am a Jew by choice. Not because I converted to Judaism—I was born to a Jewish mother—but because every day I make a conscious decision to live a life according to Jewish values and to seek wisdom from my Jewish heritage that will help me be a better person.

While there are several factors which influence my choice to be a Jew, I believe that two are the most significant.  The first is my vocation: as a rabbi, I teach candidates for conversion to Judaism and serve on the rabbinical court (Bet Din) for many converts.  Listening to the stories of these men and women, who are asked to articulate their opinions about Jewish philosophy and defend their motivations for casting their fate with the Jewish people, I learn to examine my own principles and commitments.  These true Jews by Choice inspire me to formulate a coherent, Jewish worldview, an endeavor that I could not accomplish inside a seminary classroom.

An even greater influence on my choice to be a Jew is my avocation: I work in interfaith relations. My desire to renew my faith in the aftermath of 9/11 led me to this work, and what began as informal conversations with Christian and Muslim neighbors has grown into an ongoing study of world religions.  I find the reading and interpretation of sacred texts adds clarity to my thoughts and elevates my sense of purpose. Moreover, it serves to deepen the relationship with my companions who have joined me in this journey.

Last spring, I attended a workshop on interfaith dialogue and issued an invitation to the women: “If you are interested in studying sacred texts and willing to write brief reflections for a weekly blog, please contact me.”  An initial conversation with two women, a Christian and a Muslim, led to an email correspondence which we maintained throughout the summer.  In August, we met as writers of the new blog She Answers Abraham to discuss our plan to “go live” for the tenth anniversary of 9/11.  We continue to study, write and email each other frequently. We also meet for meals to celebrate birthdays and holidays, which are always opportunities to broaden the scope of our study and deepen our friendship.  The more I learn from them about Christianity and Islam, the more satisfied I am with my choice to be a Jew within the larger framework of interreligious life.

People often think that the title rabbi confers a status of “expert Jew.” But I don’t feel that I have acquired my Jewish identity through the mastery of biblical and Talmudic texts, or that I have attained a higher level of holiness through leading prayers or writing sermons.  Because I am the kind of person who likes to make informed decisions, I spend time every day immersing myself in the study of all religions and seeking wisdom wherever it may be found.  As a result, I find Judaism in some unexpected places. Perhaps, in this way, I will continue to achieve a small measure of expertise and reinforce my choice to be a Jew.