I was born into a Conservative Jewish family, went to Hebrew School, had a Bar Mitzvah, and attended Saturday Synagogue Services on a regular basis. However, while I readily accepted many of the cultural values of being a Jew: the respect for education, the responsibility to serve one's fellow man, and the choice to do good rather than evil for example, this was because they could be supported by reason alone. More about this later. I remained sceptical however about the existence of God and uncomfortable with all the prayers and rituals used to practice the Religion, many of which for me did not feel meaningful.

 

By my late teens I identified as an agnostic, Cultural Jew, who no longer went to Synagogue but still believed in the core values of the Religion. Why? Because they seemed to be supported by common sense and life experience without any need for the intervention of God. For example, emphasis on a good education helps one get a better job, make more money and achieve higher social standing. Serving one's fellow man brings both the satisfaction of helping others and avoids the retaliation that may occur when we serve ourselves at others expense. Similarly, when you espouse evil, you turn those you've harmed against you, often with dire consequences.

 

Ultimately, following the Golden Rule can be shown to be the best strategy for having a long and happy life. You intentionally harm no one and consequently, no one wants to harm you. And if there is a God in Heaven, you will likely be rewarded accordingly simply because you've lived a good life.

 

In recent years I've become more accepting that there might be a God after all because of a number of strange and positive coincidences that have come into my life. I've also come to believe that most of us are born with talents or abilities that make us special. Our goal in life is to discover what they are, develop them and share them in a positive way with our fellow human beings.  In doing so, good things seem to flow from these activities, as if God is supporting us in sharing his gifts. I've patterned my life on these beliefs. While I've not become rich and famous, I've lived comfortably, enjoyed my existence and the pleasure the sharing of my talents have brought to others. In teaching music, I have given my students a skill that no one can ever take from them, and the ability to entertain themselves throughout their lives. And my recordings and hundreds of copies of published sheet music have brought pleasure to countless people I'll never know. Similarly my whimsical drawings bring smiles to the faces of those who see them and should continue to do so, long after I'm gone.

 

This, then, is how I lived my life and the motivations that inspired me. If I've touched your life in a positive way, I'm happy. And if you too choose to nurture your talents to support the happiness of your fellow human beings, I am doubly happy.