Every time I come into CJP’s offices, I walk by an inspiring quote that happens to come from Vayera, this week’s Torah portion:

“Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” God says in the text, “For I have singled him out that he may teach his children and all the generations after them to follow the way of God by doing what is just and right.”

How blessed I am to work in a place where this mission is not only written on our wall, but lived fully in the center of the community we strive to build?

Abraham and Sarah were called to create a People, an intergenerational family, as part of their covenant with God. At the heart of that covenant is the commitment to teach our next generation and transmit our stories, wisdom, and values while living ethical lives in pursuit of a better, more just world.

I’m thinking about the ways we tell our story as we mark Jewish Book Month, beginning on November 13. This month-long celebration of learning started back in 1925 as Jewish Book Week. For almost a century, it’s reminded us that we have survived and thrived for thousands of years because of the stories we pass on from generation to generation.

Speaking of Jewish books, I had the privilege of introducing Sarah Hurwitz at a book launch at Congregation Kehillath Israel this fall. In her new book, As A Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us, Sarah writes about Jewish identity and antisemitism, and she shares her own, evolving relationship with Jewish story:

"People who make false claims about Judaism and Israel are often very loud and very confident […] they used to intimidate me. But once I knew my story, our story, I was no longer scared of such people. And once I felt connected to Jewish communities and the Jewish people — in the city where I live, nationally, and globally — I knew that I was not alone. We are all part of this story."

Her words resonate in a world filled with disinformation, one where it’s hard to know what to believe or who to trust. When our People, history, and legitimacy are attacked, the best defense is knowing our own story. Even when we may feel disconnected or isolated, knowledge makes us more resilient. It gives us the ability to walk through the world more proudly, confidently, and joyfully as Jews who feel part of something larger than ourselves.

Perhaps this is why the rabbis made learning Torah and sharing our stories so foundational to Jewish life. Especially when things can feel chaotic and uncertain, we have the power to build deeply rooted communities where our next generation can join Jewish conversations that have unfolded for thousands of years.

This Jewish Book Month, I encourage you to open a Jewish book that might inspire you — check out one of Sarah Hurwitz’s books or pick up a book that has been on the shelf for a while. Maybe even share a story with someone you love or take a few moments to learn something new.

I am so grateful to be writing the story of our community together.