JewsByChoice.Org

JewsByChoice.org (launched October 2007) is a grassroots, peer run, group blog focused on providing Jews by Choice (as well as other interested parties) with opportunities for exploring, discussing and engaging with Jewish Identity, Tradition and Culture.The following are a few of the ways in which we aim to accomplish this.

• By creating a space where participants can discuss a variety of subjects related to Jewish Tradition, including Halacha, the Mitzvot and other Ritual Observances from a (primarily) non-Orthodox prospective.
• By providing a venue where individuals can also explore Judaism as an “Evolving Civilization”. One with its own unique: history, law, language, literature, music, poetry, art, politics , folkways, ethics, spiritual ideals, and aesthetic values.
• Lastly as a clearing house for news, articles, audio and video, as well as a variety of other online resources and information.

Who is a Jew by Choice?

The “who is a Jew by Choice” question is a hotly debated and complicated one. However for the purposes of this blog we believe that things can be summed up by the two following definitions.

• A “Jew by Choice” is someone who, although was not born into a Jewish family, feels a strong spiritual connection to Judaism and therefore has completed a religious conversion under the supervision of a rabbi and Jewish community.
• A “Jew by Choice” can also be someone who although may have been born “Jewish” was raised with little or no real sense of spiritual or cultural connection to Judaism. However, as an adult has chosen of his or her free will, to embrace Judaism as a religion, spiritual practice and/or source of cultural identity.

Although the above definitions are in no way intended to be definitive last words on the subject. They are accurate enough to provide readers with some context (at least) in terms of our blog.

Why Was This Project Started?

The JewsByChoice.Org project is an outgrowth of research conducted by Avi a.k.a. TikkunGer (during the spring & summer of 2007) on Jewish Engagement and the Web 2.0, as part of his fourth year of studies at Athabasca University. Avi’s initial research focused on how the Web 2.0 and more specifically Social Networking technologies are being used by Jews between the ages of 20 and 40 as a way of fostering an increased sense of Jewish participation and Literacy.