What is being "Jewish"? What are Jews? What do Jews believe? What do Jews do? What's happening in those mysterious synagogues with all that weird language (it's Hebrew)?
Jew curious?
The thing about being Jewish is, you can't tell us apart by looking (well, not always), we often look the same, dress the same, work and play and eat right alongside our non-Jewish counterparts, and yet, as a teeny tiny minority--only 0.2% of the global population, and 2-3% of the U.S. population--plenty of people have probably never met a Jewish person, or if they did, they didn't even know it.
For as much as we share (and it's probably way more than you think), somehow, moving through the world as a Jew really is different. Everything looks different through a Jewish lens, even for those who aren't particularly religious, the ones who describe themselves as "Jew-ish."
But honestly, none of this is really that mysterious. And, if you're curious or confused, you can always just ask the internet--or, now you can also come here and check in with your new Jewish friend.
So, if you have questions about being Jewish, we're here to introduce, explain, ask alongside, and generally demystify Judaism for Members of the Tribe (Jews) and goyim (non-Jews) alike, exploring and showcasing the infinite ways there are to be Jewish.
Hannah Gaber is a journalist, producer, photographer and videographer. She is deeply curious about other humans and makes her work about discovering and sharing the lessons, commiseration, community and care we can offer one another. She taught Sunday school at two synagogues for a total of about eight years, and is the daughter and sister of Jewish educators, holding a graduate certificate in Judaic Studies herself.
Greg Landsman is the Democratic House Representative for Ohio's First Congressional District. He's an Ohio native, and worked his way up from an intern on the Hill to a seat in Congress. His major initiatives include the Social Security Fairness Act which was passed in January 2025, and leading the successful Cincinnati Preschool Promise ballot initiative in 2016, guaranteeing two years of quality preschool to 3- and 4-year olds in the city, the first voter-approved initiative of its kind.
Sarah Sarah joined JFF after being an educator for 16 years. She was raised in Andover, Massachusetts, just outside Boston. She attended college at the University of Maryland, where she earned a degree in Communication and Public Relations. She returned to Boston for a few years to complete her Master’s of Education at Salem State University, and in 2009 made the move to Washington, DC, where she currently lives with her husband and son, Dilan. In addition to education, she has experience in the non-profit sector, having worked for Junior Achievement and the Boston Ballet. After experiencing infertility and then successfully having her son via IVF in 2017, she promised herself that she would one day work to support others going through the process.
Six years after that promise, Sarah was thrilled to join JFF as the Greater-DC Manager and now serves as the Director of Operations for JFF to continue helping people build their families with support and connection.
Zibby Owens is the founder of Zibby Media which includes the award-winning daily podcast Totally Booked with Zibby, Zibby Publishing in New York, and Zibby’s Bookshop in Santa Monica CA. She is the author of six books including the USA Today bestsellers Blank: A Novel and On Being Jewish Now: Reflections from Authors and Advocates. Follow her on Substack and Instagram @zibbyowens where she tells it like it is.