"I Am Jewish"

I stopped into Barnes and Noble today to do some much-needed reading. It's been a while since I bought any new books on Judaism, so it seemed like a good idea to swing by the religious section. By the way, in the B&N I visited, all Jewish-related books are categorized under "Religious Fiction" along with Islam and every Asian religion. I guess Christianity is the only one that is "Religious Fact"? :P

One book caught my eye right away. It was "I Am Jewish: Personal Reflections Inspired by the Last Words of Daniel Pearl." For anyone who hasn't cracked that one open, I highly recommend it. Granted, I only had time to skim it, but it had some of the most thought-provoking comments inside. After reading from contributors aged 11 to Larry King (his was suprisingly interesting), it got me thinking... a lot. What would my last words be, if I knew the end was near? Would they be "I am Jewish"? If they were, why?

"I am Jewish" is more than being born into a religion. It's being part of something that's bigger than you, but is always there for you, always part of you and you are a part of it. If your last words were "I am Jewish", what would that say about you? Would it be a monument to the fact that you never ate a bite of unkosher food in your life? Would it represent how you looked and acted to the world? Would it tell us how you believed in G-d, or your political views, or your daily routine?

If my last words were "I am Jewish", they would - hopefully - represent my actions. How I loved my husband. How I cherished my children. How I respected my mother. How I believed in the innate goodness in people even if I couldn't always see it. It would reflect how I always tried to do the right thing, gave what I could to help a friend or stranger in need. I would want it to say, in those three words, how I was grateful every day for the countless blessings in my life, to remind myself that my time on this earth was a gift that I had to work to rightfully deserve. In those three words would be a history of the small deeds I did to show G-d my appreciation and dedication.

But mostly, I would want them to honor the pride that I always felt in Judaism. Because if I didn't live every day trying to be a better Jew, I would never have the bravery to say those three words.