When I began to work on The Calling, my PBS documentary series on clergy students, I set out to look at faith in the U.S. with a keen eye and a warm heart.
I was raised in the "warm heart" -- growing up in a suburban Jewish cocoon, attending day school, Jewish camps and youth movements. When I was 15, my parents moved our family from Chicago to Israel in what they saw as the fulfillment of their Jewish identity. Faith and religious identity were nurturing and simple truths.
So it came as no surprise when I enrolled in a pre-rabbinic program. But destiny took a turn. Late one night, months before the course started, I shot upright in bed, my eyes still closed in sleep, and I knew with total conviction that the public life of the rabbinate was not for me. It was not my calling.
That moment started me on a journey -- through years of travel, school, living in a region at war, marriage and parenthood. I came to appreciate the complexity of diverse lifestyles, cultures and belief systems. The more I observed, the more curious I became about how people make the key decisions that head them down the unique paths of their lives.
I started asking questions, to develop a "keen eye," and the more I inquired, the more it became evident to me that this questioning is what I love. Questioning became my calling, and documentary filmmaking provided the tools I needed to pursue it and to open doors into new and unfamiliar domains. And with its constant demands of clear communication and intuitive exploration, the profession answers my history and my interest in the tension between intellect and spirit, mind and heart.
This internal tension mirrors a broader struggle between modernity and faith, the tug of war between conviction and questioning. I believe that most people, to different degrees, feel the pull of both these forces. And this is what drew me to produce The Calling.
The people who opened up their lives to us for this series are not that different from you and me. Yes, they are steeped in the world of faith, but they are also struggling to maintain their modern American identities. As young people at the crossroads of their lives, they cope with normal daily issues of dating, finances, friendships, family dramas and key career decisions. At the same time, they're embarking on a journey that demands tremendous personal sacrifice and commitment, while facing a society that often challenges the very relevance of their mission. In spite of these challenges, their resolve to serve humanity fuels their actions, solidifies their determination and advances each of them into positions of leadership within their respective faith communities.
So in the end, this is what I hope that viewers will take away from The Calling and its companion web campaign, What's Your Calling? Yes, the film portrays individuals who are making a commitment to their faiths, but more importantly -- in terms of how it applies to many of us, myself included -- they are finding ways to be of service to their communities and beyond. This is not above or beyond any of us. We all -- atheist, agnostic, spiritual and religious, young and old -- can see their stories and ask ourselves: What do I believe in? What do I want to question? Where is my heart and passion? How can I give back? What is my calling?
WATCH the trailer for The Calling: