On Yom Kippur, my sermon “Claiming Our Noun,” ended with this:

Let us no longer choose to say I am Jewish, with Judaism on the periphery, the perimeter; in our mouths but not in our souls; in our Hebrew names but not how we think of ourselves; in our life cycles but not in our daily lives; on that other calendar but in not the way we count time.

Rather, let us allow our 4000-year-old history with its mix of tradition and innovation, courage and creativity, values and pride help us maneuver in this world to be among those who accept that it is our job to help fix it. Today: let us reclaim our noun with purpose: I am a Jew.

Here are some practical ways to bring Judaism into our daily that do not take much effort:

• Download a Hebrew-word-a-day-app
• Hang a Jewish calendar in your home and look at the artwork (still available at Temple)
• Download a Jewish calendar onto your phone
• Notice your mezuzah as you pass by
• Read the Torah portion of the week (Start now! We’re right at the beginning!)
• Say HaMotzi before you eat whether you are at home, work or in a restaurant
• Choose your next book by a Jewish or specifically Israeli author
• Hang a work of Jewish art or a home blessing on your wall – and pause to admire it
• Give Judaica (shofar, menorah, Penguins kippah) as birthday presents
• Make sure your investments include Israeli companies
• Buy an Israel Bond as your way of donating to your alma mater
• Put the traveler’s prayer in your car or on your keychain (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/tefilat-haderekh-the-travelers-prayer/)
• Attend (there’s no preparation!) worship, Torah study, a Judaica class, a social justice program
• Sign up for emails that arrive weekly in your in box and read them such as reformjudaism.org or www.myjewishlearning.org
• Give a proportion of your annual tzedakah to Jewish and specifically Israeli causes
• Choose a vacation spot that includes a Jewish activity or place of interest
• Read your Jewish Chronicle when you receive it
• WhatsApp your Israeli cousins
• Write to an elected official about an issue important to you basing yourself on a Jewish text such as “Love your neighbor as yourself” or “You shall not oppress the stranger” or “You shall not cut down fruit-bearing trees” or “Do not put a stumbling block before the blind”

Let us reclaim our noun with pride: I am a Jew!