The author recounts his experiences grappling with his Jewish identity from childhood to adulthood, including humorous anecdotes from Hebrew school, challenges with religious rituals, and interactions with anti-Semitism.

The author reflects on their first and last experience wearing tefillin at age 15, feeling conflicted about the traditional Jewish practice as a staunch feminist raised in a feminist household where traditional gender roles were challenged.

Judith Shulevitz discusses the concept of a modern version of the Sabbath in her book "The Sabbath World," exploring the idea of ritualized behavior to pause the chaos of daily life, even if not tied to religious beliefs.