DURING THE RECENT Jewish holy day of Shavuot, we reflected on the story of the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. It is said that other nations were offered the Torah, but only the Israelites chose to accept it. Ever since then, Jews have made the choice to follow the precepts in the Torah.

The key is that, rather than God choosing the Jews, from which came the problematic phrase “the chosen people,” they were the ones who chose God and the obligations in following the Torah’s principles.

Since the first century, when Jews were executed for converting others, Judaism has not been a religion interested in seeking converts because Judaism sees other faiths as a valid way to a connection with God.

Though Judaism is the oldest of the Abrahamic religions, this lack of concern for conversio

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