I just returned from a day of literary speed-dating. About 50 authors gathered in New York City, and each had two minutes to explain their book.
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The ultimate goal was invitations to Jewish book festivals. While nervously waiting for my own presentation, I got to hear two-minute summaries of dozens of books. I loved it.
In listening to the different authors speak, I noticed two major trends. One was the growth in memoirs of children who survived the Holocaust. At least half a dozen books fell into this category.
This should not surprise us. The Holocaust ended 70 years ago. Those who were children then are now retired and telling their stories.
Who Am I?
The other trend was memoirs by practicing Christians who discover their Jewish background. At least half a dozen books centered around this theme.
A major reason for this surge is the use of technology in genealogy. The internet puts us in touch with multiple databases, and we can learn more about our past than ever before.
Judaism also lacks the stigma it once had. Once people changed their names so as to seem too Jewish. Today, instead of trying to hide one’s Jewish past, many take pride in uncovering and celebrating it.
A Minister Learns She is Jewish
Particularly fascinating was the story of Heidi Neumark. A Lutheran minister in New York, she spent one night googling her family. She discovered her father was Jewish. She also learned many of her family members had died in the Holocaust and before that, many had been baptized in Germany as a way (ultimately unsuccessful) of avoiding persecution.
Her book unpacks this discovery and the way it is shaping her life. In particular, she describes the struggle in making peace with her vocation (a Lutheran minister) and her family’s past (persecuted Jews).
Martin Luther, for whom the Lutheran religion is named, was a virulent antisemite. Is she denying her family’s origins by continuing to champion that faith? How can she best honor her family and be a good and faithful minister?
We Are Not Yet Who We Are Meant to Be
None of these questions are easy. They remind us that a deep engaging faith changes and challenges us. Who we are today is not who will be tomorrow. We grow and change and, in the words of Walt Whitman, “we contain multitudes.”
“Containing multitudes” does not mean anything goes. Certain contradictions damage our integrity. We cannot preach love and then act with hate. We cannot talk about kindness and then gossip about people behind their back.
What we can do, however, is continue to learn. We can listen for God’s voice inside our hearts. It is the voice guiding us home. It is the voice reminding us that we are becoming who God meant us to be.
