Who the Jew are You?

Description

When Alan Goldman’s son was born, he was not only faced with the decision of whether to circumcise him but also with the realization that Sacha was not actually Jewish. So begins a journey that asks, ‘What does it mean to be Jewish?’ Alan’s peregrinations take him from Vancouver to Orthodox communities in Crown Heights, New York, where the faithful debate points of scripture. From Jewish rappers to a lesbian couple who wants their adopted Chinese daughter to have a traditional Bat Mitzvah, Judaism means different things to different people. While some people maintain that ‘God-optional Judaism’ does not exist, others see this as a benefit: ‘That’s the point of being a Jew, you don’t have to believe in God.’