We joyfully welcome John Emanuel Reiss who has recently adopted Judaism. He has taken the Hebrew name Yohanan. Here is what he shared about why he has embraced Judaism, and Humanistic Judaism, in particular.
“As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be [Jewish]” — Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), Goodfellas
While this is not the exact quote from Martin Scorsese’s classic film, I feel that it summarizes how I’ve felt for most of my life. I’ve always felt a strong sense of identity with the Jewish people and their history and culture, even if Orthodox rabbis might tell me otherwise.
I am the direct descendant of Jews from Romania. My great-grandparents David and Fanny Reiss were killed in the Holocaust; their son Manny escaped as a refugee and settled in Chile, where he 
met my German-Chilean grandmother. They eventually moved to California, where as secularists they chose not to raise my father with either Jewish or Christian religious beliefs. Nevertheless, my grandfather passed on to my father a lot of non-religious but still distinctly Jewish cultural traits, such as a good sense of humor, a strong intellectual awareness, and an appreciation for good Chinese food. Although my grandfather died about a year before I was born, these traits were passed on to me as well.
I have always been fascinated by Jewish history, tradition, and practice. I majored in anthropology as an undergrad, where my favorite class was called “Anthropology of Judaism.” The professor who taught it was also a conservative cantor. I attended services at his synagogue and at a Chabad center as an observer, where I was struck with a profound sense of history and tradition when the Torah scroll was removed from the Ark, even if the prayers and Hebrew words meant nothing to me. This fascination has continued since my college days. I enjoy celebrating Hanukkah with my Jewish friends. When traveling, I’ve enjoyed visiting Jewish museums and historical sites. I’ve read a great deal of books on various aspects of Judaism. I particularly like the hippy sensibility of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. I read Sherwin Wine’s Judaism Beyond God a few years ago and of course found it to be a very revolutionary approach, especially for its time. And during the COVID-19 lockdown, I managed to read through the JPS translation of the Bible.
Anyway, that’s the story of why I’d like to “adopt” Humanistic Judaism. I found the SHJ website a few years ago and have been meaning to reach out for some time. I feel that it provides people like me, who have a strong affinity with Judaism yet are not religious, a way to affirm their status as members of the Tribe. Thank you very much for accepting me as a Jew.
John Emanuel Reiss
Honolulu, HI
21 August 2023 / 5 Elul 5783
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