I'd had a vaguely Jewish upbringing, but no deep connection to faith.

In these xenophobic times, when politicians are stoking everyone's anxiety about threats from abroad, I would argue that engaging with the rest of the world is not only a luxury, in the way that travel is, but actually a moral responsibility.

Treating an identity as an illness invites real illness to make a braver stand.

Ease makes less of an impression on us than struggle.

I tend to find the ecstasy hidden in ordinary joys, because I did not expect those joys to be ordinary to me.

I have a very difficult time believing that there is some being who is going to invite me into heaven or not on the basis of whether I wear a yarmulke or whether I have been sprinkled with water while someone said something. Some of the ritual is very beautiful, but I find it difficult to believe that it really has to do with God. I believe that dogma comes from man.

Depressed people cannot lead a revolution because depressed people can barely manage to get out of bed and put on their shoes and socks.