Some stories empower us, and some hold us back. The “original” stories about who we are often change as we change, whether personally or communally. The person that I thought I was a while back, and the reasons I gave for becoming that person, no longer describe me or explain me today. The same can be said for two of my cultures - both Jewish and American cultures change and evolve, and we have to update our ideas about them to change and evolve too. We might offer ourselves grace as we rethink which of our stories better represent who we want to be. Rabbi Jonathan Freirich continues to work in service and justice spaces, facilitating conversations and connections aimed at change and progress for everyone, and writes about it all on a Times of Israel blog. After a career as a Jewish communal leader, Rabbi Jonathan now works with multi-faith and multi-ethnic communities to create sustainable efforts for supporting initiatives for young people, multi-group dialogues that make a real difference, and healing encounters between people from different backgrounds. A multi-media activist, speaker, and teacher, a recipient of awards for bridge-building, Rabbi Jonathan engages in a life of work for repair, restoration, and celebration in partnership with his spouse Ginny and their two children Jude and Sadie, here in Buffalo, New York. A lover of books, television, movies, and the outdoors, Rabbi Jonathan will try most things at least once and often runs for fitness.