In an era when we choose our own identities, why identify as Jewish?

• Published date: 13 October 2021
• Author: DAVID GEFFEN
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Even though I am old, I will try to be as fair to this book as I can.

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I have written many acrostics through the years, but none as meaningful and exciting as Bodner's. I will analyze a few of them, but some of his footnotes need revision, in my opinion.

As he shifts from asking "Why be Jewish?" to "Why do Jewish?" these are some questions Bodner asks: How does one live a more meaningful life? How might one feel more connected to others, to the world around us, to the past and the future? In an era when we can choose our own identities, why might we choose to identify as Jews?

After giving a compelling answer to that question, he goes on to explain what "Jewish Peoplehood" is and why he believes we are in the throes of an evolution to the next era: Jewish Peoplehood 4.0. He also provides a road map for how to be Jewish in the 21st century – which includes a proposal for "the next big Jewish idea!"

Insisting that taking action is what matters most, Bodner proposes a creative new framework for "doing Jewish" based on an acronym from the Yiddish word "tachlis" – which means "getting down to brass tacks."

As he moves forward with TACHLIS, Bodner emphasizes how his Judaism made him proud of his heritage and that he enjoyed the non-Jews appreciating Jewish comedians, foods, movies and words – because they were "ours."

However, he had to face limitations. "We couldn't eat pepperoni pizza in the house; and my father wouldn't let us own a German shepherd or a German car either," he writes.

But his father was quite Jewish, as evidenced by the following limitation: "On certain days of the year, we couldn't go to school because of Jewish holidays."

Bodner then takes a big jump from citing limitations practiced by Orthodox Jews, creating a platform which we "do Jewish" Jews can reach. In his words, "Judaism has to be rooted in our values and be multi-layered, thoughtful and intentional. It has to reach us where we are and engage all Jews in a way that speaks to them." He continues, "It has to offer many portals of entry and be accessible for everyone, no matter what their starting point. Finally, it has to be action-oriented, as Judaism is so much more fulfilling when one embraces 'doing' it."

That's it! Bodner offers each of us a challenge, contained in the acronym, TACHLIS. The "T" is for Tikkun Olam. We have to do all we can to help the poor and needy. We should be traveling to other countries, including Israel, to be educators, to help people learn what...