Narrator: Ever wondered what other people of faith believe, what their faith means to them, how they live it? That’s what this podcast is all about. It’s called “All Faith Counts”, because, well, all faith does count. The more each of us know about other people’s faith, the more we understand, accept, and respect them for their belief. Hopefully, this is a reminder of all the good faith brings to our world. We’ll hear from two outstanding millennial women about how they live their Jewish faith.

Lily: My name is Lily Coltoff. I am a sophomore at American University in Washington, D.C. I’m studying communication studies with minor in public health.

Shana: My name is Shana Medel. I recently graduated from the University of Central Florida, and now I work in D.C.

Narrator: Lily and Shana first shared their thoughts about Judaism.

Lily: Judaism to me is really a set of ways to live, and ways to lead yourself in the world. And I really find that some of the central messages are about loving others and understanding others, and above all else, doing good in the world. I’ve always believed that because of so much of the oppression that Jews have faced in the past, that’s one of the reasons why Jewish people in general are so ready to rally around other groups that are struggling.

Shana: I can’t imagine not having Judaism in my life because it’s such a big part of who I am. It’s really at the core of everything about me, and a big part of who I identify with, what my identity is.

Narrator: Identity. It guides both Shana and Lily. Their individual identity weaves seamlessly through their Jewish faith. Through her involvement in Hillel, a Jewish campus organization, Lily has found a platform to champion two things she identifies with: Being Jewish, and facing physical challenges.

Lily: I was born with a genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis, or NF Type 1. Both my identities of having this genetic disorder and being a Jew are central to who I am and have also shaped the decisions I’ve made to make me into who I am today.

Narrator: Identity for Shana was discovered at the crossroads of her heritage and history.

Shana: When I graduated high school I went to Israel instead of going to straight to college. I did a gap year in Israel. I lived in Jerusalem for half a semester and I volunteered in Haifa for the other half. And up until that point I was raised as a fairly traditional conservative Jew. I very much loved my Judaism and identified with the religion, but Israel opened my eyes to a multitude of things that I didn’t know anything about. And that for me was not only life‑changing, but made me realize that this is the Jewish individual I want to be, this is how I want to lead my life, this is how I ‑‑ these are the elements that I want to incorporate into my life when I return home to the States as well as what I ‑‑ how I want to raise a family. That really was an experience that showed me that, you know, Judaism is in a way, abstract, but I can make it personal to me.

Narrator: The Torah is Jewish scripture. It’s read for insight, instruction, and learning.

Shana: The Torah has always been a guidebook for me. It’s helped me make tough decisions. It shows me what’s right from wrong, and it’s helped guide me throughout my life. It’s showed me what I’m passionate about, what I care deeply about, and really that is Judaism. It’s at the core of everything that I love, and that’s helped me figure out what I want to do with my life, with my career, as well as how I want to live my life.

Narrator: Lily gains validation and courage to face her physical trials through the prophets in the Torah.

Lily: In the Old Testament there’s these figures that we value and cherish that are truly the prophets and role models of Judaism who are disabled. So there’s Moses, who was a prophet, but who had a speech impediment. Jacob, the patriarch, had a hip injury, he walked with a limp. And there are all these figures who are truly inspirational who all had some type of disability. And hearing that was really fascinating and incredible because it really pushes that message that your only limitation is your own beliefs about yourself.

Narrator: Life, it seems full of tension, and worry for all of us, and it’s why Shana observes the ancient Jewish practice of Shabbat. This weekly event allows her to leave the weight of the world and to be closer to her family, her community, and her God.

Shana: I think there’s a lot of distractions with the advancement of technology.  It’s very easy to be glued to your phone. And in the Jewish religion, we have Shabbat every weekend, and that’s Friday at sundown to Saturday night. That’s a time where we’re supposed to detach from these distractions, from you know, using your phone, out being on the computer, writing, doing the typical things that you would do on a weekday. And nowadays that’s much harder for people because ‑‑ I mean for my job personally, I’m always on my phone. It’s definitely difficult, but I think that Shabbat is such a beautiful Jewish concept that makes it worthwhile. This is your time to refresh, it’s your time to connect with your family and community, and connect with God. And it’s a really beautiful and powerful opportunity that we have every single week, so why not take advantage of that and seize that opportunity and do it every week.

Narrator: Leaving for college is a watershed event in a young person’s life. We asked Lily how her Jewish faith has been a part of this transition.

Lily: One of the biggest challenges is in trying to find ways to make your faith work with your life. Coming to college, I had to go around to different services, find where I fit, and it’s not always comfortable. I don’t always feel at home, but also, I’ve been finding my way to connect, despite it not being what I’m used to. And to some degree that’s great because it’s about growth, it’s about community, it’s about finding your fit, finding your own way to connect. And it’s challenging but it’s an important part of that growth process.

Narrator: Finally, we asked Shana if it’s difficult to be dedicated to her faith in a world that increasingly dismisses it.

Shana: I don’t think it’s hard to be a millennial and to be a Jewish person, but nowadays people are practicing religion differently, and I think that that’s reflected in the way that we see millennials going about being a Jew, a Christian, a Muslim, whatever religion that they happen to be. But I think that we’re also very focused on connecting in a way that’s meaningful to us which may be different from the way their parents practiced, or grandparents practiced. But I don’t think that that necessarily means that we’re any less dedicated to the faith that we belong to.

Narrator: Thank you Shana and Lily for sharing how your faith counts. And thanks to you, our audience, for listening. We invite you to visit Faithcounts.com to be inspired by remarkable people living their faith, because our world is a better place when all faith counts.