“In Judaism, your religion is typically determined from the maternal side. Since my wife’s not Jewish, my girls technically aren’t Jewish. So we’re raising our girls Catholic, and I’m okay with that. If we had boys, we would have raised them Jewish. But we never had a boy, nor will we. We are done. I love my two daughters, and I’m happy to send them to Catholic school so they develop a religious identity. And, of course, we do share my practices with them. At Chanukah, we took part in the annual menorah lighting on Main Street. Then we went home, lit our menorah there, and continued to light it every night. The kids ask questions, and I give them the answers. They love matzah ball soup and latkes. So I just share with them when they’re interested. If they ask, ‘Why aren’t you eating today?’ then I explain Yom Kippur and how on this day we fast.

Educating them is something I’m used to because growing up in Troop 11 we’d always go to Boy Scout camp in Illinois. I served as a counselor there one summer, and a lot of the kids had never met someone who was Jewish before. So it was just question after question. I realized they were curious. They may have said something that would be considered ignorant, but it was out of curiosity, so I tried not to take offense. They may not know what they’re asking or how, and that’s okay. I remember one kid asked why we don’t believe in Jesus. He also gave me a copy of the New Testament, like, ‘You should read this.’ I took it from him since he offered it as a gift. I held onto it, and I still remember the boy’s name. I know he wasn’t trying to convert me or proselytize. He just wanted me to know a little bit about him.

Being Jewish is a part of who I am. As a Republican in the Jewish faith, I’m a minority in the minority. I don’t bring it up when I introduce myself. If it comes up, it comes up. I’m not trying to hide it, nor am I trying to display it. Growing up, I never really wore a yarmulke. It’s probably one of the reasons I’m balding up there! But, seriously, with some of the legislation I’m introducing now, including the Holocaust Education Bill I’m working on, my Judaism is more at the forefront. So I’m still answering questions to this day, especially from a lot of people in the legislature from rural Missouri. But I know their questions come from a place of general curiosity.”

📷| Courtesy of Adam Schwadron