As we at Wise commit ourselves to creating a community that embraces all those who seek to call Wise home, it’s incumbent upon all of us to truly open our hearts to those who walk different paths. The stories that will appear this week are from cherished Wise families (some of them, community leaders) who might have felt marginalized in the past but have found a home at Wise. In our own tribute to Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, we celebrate our diversity and recognize that all of us are uplifted by the rich mosaic of perspectives brought to us by our multifaceted community.
The Story of Jim Leewong and Laurie Glickman: “My Journey to Judaism and Wise”
by Jim Leewong
I am of Chinese ancestry and was born, raised, and live in America. I am fortunate to be Jewish and a member of the Wise community. These things are the foundations for who I am.
In 1938, my father fled the chaos and poverty of China to seek a better life in California, or as the Chinese call it, Gold Mountain. He left my mother and older sister there until he could get a foothold in America. After WWII, my mother fled the communist regime in 1948 to join my father in San Diego. They raised seven children while working long hours seven days a week next to me and my siblings in our traditional Chinese laundry. As a minority family, we experienced the hurt of discrimination, but we survived through the strength of family.
As a child, I had questions about our existence, about good and evil, about death, ethics, and morality. My parents followed the teachings of Buddhism and Confucius, but we never belonged to a religious community. It was important to them that we be exposed to religion and that we might find one we liked. We were dropped off to attend various churches to “try out” options. Ultimately, we attended a Chinese Congregational church, but I was never able to accept its tenets. I decided to develop my own religious belief/philosophy.
Thus began my search for answers. I read excerpts from the Bible, the Great Books, great philosophers, Buddhist texts, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, Billy Graham, Dr. King, etc.—the effort was overwhelming. Between the volume of information and ideas, the sorting and categorizing of subject matter, and applying the teachings to my daily life, I was exhausted.
In 1971, I met my future wife Laurie Glickman while attending law school. Though I had culturally Jewish friends, this was my first deep and meaningful encounter with Judaism. As our relationship became steady, I learned more about Judaism from her. Excited to understand it, I asked to attend classes. To my great delight, many of the tenets of Judaism were consistent with my ethnic/cultural background. Most importantly, there were G-d and Shabbat, which had been missing in the Buddhist and Confucian teachings of my parents and in my own developing philosophy.
Because of Laurie, I found the religion I had been searching for. I didn’t accept Judaism to get married; I became Jewish because I believe I was Jewish all along.
In 1978, Laurie and I tried out temples as we looked for our spiritual home. Wise was a clear winner because of a) its unwavering support of Israel as expressed by Rabbi Zeldin, and b) its Reform status which allowed flexibility for me to integrate the traditions of my Chinese heritage with the traditions of my newly discovered Judaism. Rabbi Herscher’s guidance enabled my Judaism to flourish. Today, Rabbi Yoshi re-affirms my Wise choice with his spirited and dynamic leadership and unwavering support for Israel with the aid of his excellent colleagues. Every day I am thankful for my life, my family, my opportunity to help others, and my Judaism via Wise.
I became “formally” Jewish 44 years ago at Wise. This is my religious home and community; a community that is inclusive and welcoming to all, confronts discrimination and injustice, and helps those in need. I have always felt welcome here. Laurie and I were married here and we raised our family here. We traveled to Israel with Wise. Because of Wise, our two daughters became Bat Mitzvah, were confirmed, married, and created Jewish homes—and Jewish grandchildren!
Recently, I have had the honor of being elected to serve on our temple Board. There, I hope to be as impactful for others as Wise has been for our family. I believe my journey to Wise was meant to be.