Choosing the Chosen Life: One Man’s Mission to Inspire Jewish Return

For Todd Brody, becoming observant transformed more than his own life—it gave him a mission. Through ChoosingTheChosenLife.com, he is sharing stories of Jewish return in hopes of inspiring others to rediscover Torah, tradition, and their Jewish future.

The JP: Let’s begin with the basics: What is ChoosingTheChosenLife.com, and what moved you to create it?

Todd Brody: Thank you. ChoosingTheChosenLife.com is a website dedicated to sharing the journeys of Jews who didn’t grow up observant – or who drifted away – and eventually found their way back to Torah. These are real people telling their stories on video, in their own words.

The goal is twofold:

1. To reach Jews who are not yet observant and show them, through relatable stories, that a life of Torah and mitzvos is meaningful, attainable, and deeply fulfilling.

2. To invite observant Jews who didn’t start out that way to share their stories, because their experiences can inspire others to reconnect.

You yourself didn’t grow up observant. What led you to become religious?

My journey wasn’t a lightning bolt. It was a gradual awakening. I met people who lived with purpose. I experienced Shabbos meals that felt like stepping into a different world. I learned Torah and realized how much depth and wisdom I had never been exposed to.

But there was also something else – something more sobering. I realized that if I didn’t make a change, my children might not marry Jews. And if they didn’t, then Judaism in my family line could end with me. That thought shook me.

We talk about Jewish continuity, but for many Jews, the reality is that without observance, the likelihood of intermarriage skyrockets. And once that happens, within a generation or two, the Jewish identity fades. I didn’t want to be the link in the chain where it broke.

Becoming observant wasn’t just about my own spiritual growth. It was about ensuring that my children, grandchildren, and great‑grandchildren would be part of the Jewish future.

That’s a powerful realization. How did it shape your mission?

It made everything feel urgent. Judaism doesn’t continue automatically. It continues because Jews make choices – sometimes difficult ones – to live Jewish lives.

I wanted to help others confront that same truth, but in a way that feels inviting, not accusatory. Stories do that. They open hearts. They show possibilities. They remind us that every Jew, no matter where they start, can choose a different path.

What was the moment you knew you needed to create this website?

After becoming observant, I kept meeting people with incredible stories – stories that could change lives if they were heard. I also saw how many Jews today feel disconnected. Not hostile, not opposed – just distant.

But when they hear someone who sounds like them, who lived like them, who struggled with the same questions, something awakens. They think, “If this person could do it, maybe I can too.”

I wanted to create a platform where those stories could live and reach the people who need them most.

Who is the audience you hope to reach?

There are two groups:

First, non‑observant Jews who may be searching, curious, or simply open to hearing something meaningful. These stories can be the spark that ignites a journey.

And second, observant Jews who didn’t start out observant and are willing to tell their stories. Their stories are the fuel that keeps this project alive. I want them to contribute video interviews so others can benefit from their experiences.

The Jewish Press readership is uniquely positioned to help. Many readers became observant later in life, or know people who did. Many also have family members, co-workers, or friends who are not observant but might be open to hearing a story – not a lecture, not a debate, just a story.

You’ve emphasized the importance of Jewish continuity. How does your website address that?

Jewish continuity is not an abstract idea. It’s personal. It’s generational. When someone becomes observant, they’re not just changing their own life – they’re changing the trajectory of every generation that comes after them.

The stories on the website show that choosing observance is choosing to keep Judaism alive in your family. It’s choosing to be part of the chain that stretches back thousands of years and forward, G‑d willing, for thousands – hopefully millions – more. If we don’t take responsibility for that, Judaism doesn’t disappear with a bang. It disappears quietly, through disconnection, assimilation, and intermarriage.

I want people to understand that becoming observant is not just a spiritual choice – it’s a choice that ensures the Jewish future.

Can you share a moment from your own journey that still stays with you?

My first full Shabbos. Not just a Friday night dinner – an entire Shabbos.

I remember waking up Shabbos morning and feeling a peace I had never experienced. A sense that I was exactly where I was meant to be.

That feeling stayed with me. It still does. And I want others to experience that too.

What kinds of stories are you hoping people will submit?

All kinds. Dramatic stories, quiet stories, funny stories, painful stories. Stories of searching, stories of stumbling, stories of returning.

If someone grew up Reform, Conservative, unaffiliated, atheist – anything – and today they live an observant life, I want to hear their journey.

And I want them to tell it on video (if the storyteller prefers, we can simply record their voice without video), in their own voice, so others can connect with them as real people.

How can observant readers help?

Three ways:

1) Share the website with anyone who might benefit. A co-worker. A cousin. A neighbor. You never know which story will be the one that resonates.

2) Encourage baalei teshuvah you know to share their stories. Many don’t realize how inspiring their journeys are.

3) Consider sharing your own story. If you became observant later in life, your experience could be the turning point for someone else.

What do you hope ChoosingTheChosenLife.com will accomplish long‑term?

I want it to become a living archive of Jewish return – a place where thousands of stories are preserved and shared.

I want Jews who feel disconnected to find a doorway back in.

And I want observant Jews to feel proud of their journeys and empowered to help others begin theirs.

Ultimately, I want to strengthen Jewish continuity. I want more Jews living Jewish lives, raising Jewish children, and building Jewish homes. That’s the mission. That’s the dream.

Any final message for our readers?

Yes. Every Jew has a spark – sometimes it just needs a little light to ignite it.

If you know someone who might benefit from hearing these stories, please send them to ChoosingTheChosenLife.com. And if you have a story of your own, I would be honored to help you share it.

Together, we can keep Judaism alive – one story, one soul, one family at a time.