You are Jewish enough. You have always been Jewish enough.

Whatever you remember and whatever you've forgotten.

Whatever you observe and whatever you've let go.

Whatever you believe on your most searching days and whatever you question on your most doubtful ones.

You are not a bad Jew.

You are a Jew in process — which is the only kind there has ever been.

The rabbis argued. The prophets wrestled. The mystics wandered.

Abraham left without knowing where he was going.

Moses said he couldn't speak.

Ruth chose a people that wasn't yet hers.

And still, they showed up.

So can you.

May you enter these pages without apology.

May you bring your whole self — your questions, your gaps, your longing, your love.

May you find here not a test to pass, but a table to sit at.

And may the learning you do, in whatever form it takes,

be a blessing to you and to everyone whose life touches yours.

Baruch atah — you are blessed. Go ahead.

Before you check your phone. Before your feet hit the floor. Before the day gets loud — Jewish tradition asks you to say two words: thank you.

Modeh Ani is the first prayer of the Jewish day, said the moment your eyes open, while still in bed. It is two lines long. It requires nothing but your breath and your willingness.

מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיך מֶלֶך חַי וְקַיָם שֶׁהֶחֱזַרְתָּ בִי נִשְׁמָתִי בְחֶמְלָה, רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ

Modeh ani l’fanecha, melech chai v’kayam,

shehechezarta bi nishmati b’chemla, raba emunatecha.

I give thanks before You, living and eternal Sovereign,

for You have returned my soul to me with compassion.

How great is Your faithfulness in me.

The word modeh doesn’t just mean “thank.” It can also mean “admit” or “surrender” — an acknowledgment that we are not entirely self-made, that each day is not owed to us but given. And there’s something hidden in the word order: it would be grammatically correct to say Ani modeh — “I thank You.” But it’s reversed: Modeh Ani — thank you comes before I. The prayer reminds us, right at the start, to lead with gratitude rather than self.

The Practice

Tomorrow morning, before anything else, say the words above — or simply say: I am grateful to be here. This day is a gift. That’s it. Do it again the next morning. And the next.

If the language of “Sovereign” or “King” (melech) doesn’t fit you, swap in Ruach (Spirit), or Source, or simply speak to whatever you do believe in. The vessel matters less than the turning toward gratitude.

Three Things

Each morning after reciting Modeh Ani — or in its place — write down three things you are grateful for. They can be tiny. The coffee. The quiet. The text from a friend. Over time, this simple practice rewires the brain’s tendency to scan for threat first, and trains the eye toward the good that is already here.

Share with a friend or chevruta: What is one thing you noticed this morning — something small — that you are genuinely glad exists? What would shift in your day if the very first word you said every morning was thank you?

*Modeh = masculine, Modah = feminine

Before we begin, consider journaling as you reflect on these questions. There are no right answers. Write what's true for you.

1. What is a ritual — Jewish or otherwise — that has brought you genuine joy? It doesn't have to be formal or religious. It might be a Friday night dinner, a song you always sing, a food that means home. What made it meaningful? Who was there?

2. Think about your Jewish journey so far. What moments, practices, or people have felt most alive to you — the times you felt most connected to something larger than yourself? And where have there been gaps, distances, or questions you haven't known how to ask?

3. Have you ever held back from a Jewish experience because you felt you didn't know enough, or didn't belong quite enough? What would it mean to give yourself permission to show up anyway — curious, imperfect, and enough exactly as you are?

4. What do you most want to feel more of in your life right now — joy, connection, meaning, purpose, or something else entirely? How might ritual — even a small, simple one — be a doorway toward that?

5. What are you passing on? To your children, grandchildren, friends, or community — what Jewish memories, values, or practices do you hope will outlast you? And is there anything you wish someone had passed on to you?

By Trisha Arlin

May you contribute all that you can contribute and not punish yourself for what you couldn’t do.

May the good people win and the bad people lose.

May you not eat or drink too much crap while you wait for results.

If the good people lose and the bad people win, may you survive to fight another day.

May you have a good wifi connection so that you may be able to watch as many kitten and puppy videos as you need to so that you can stay calm.

May you have friends to celebrate and commiserate with.

May you get a good night’s sleep.

May the line to vote on Tuesday be long and filled with first time voters.

And may we emerge from it all with hope.

And let us say, Amen

Contributed by Hebrew Helpers

If there is to be peace in the world,

There must be peace in the nations.

If there is to be peace in the nations,

There must be peace in the cities.

If there is to be peace in the cities,

There must be peace between neighbors.

If there is to be peace between neighbors,

There must be peace in the home.

If there is to be peace in the home,

There must be peace in the heart.

- Lao-Tse

By Truah: A Rabbinic Call to Action

May it be Your will, at this season of our election, to guide us towards peace.

By voting, we commit to being full members of society, to accepting our individual responsibility for the good of the whole. May we place over ourselves officials in all our gates…who will judge the people with righteousness (Deut 16:18), and may we all merit to be counted among those who work faithfully for the public good.

Open our eyes to see the image of God in all candidates and elected officials, and may they see the image of God in all citizens of the earth.

Grant us the courage to fulfill the mitzvah of loving our neighbors as ourselves, and place in our hearts the wisdom to understand those who do not share our views.

As we pray on the High Holidays, “May we become a united society, fulfilling the divine purpose with a whole heart.”

And as the Psalmist sang, “May there be shalom within your walls, peace in your strongholds. For the sake of my brothers and sisters and friends, I will speak peace to you.” (Ps. 122:7-8)