In her book "Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith," Anne Lamott reflects on her experiences growing up in a Jewish community that valued emotional connections and cultural traditions over religious beliefs. She recalls how her family expressed their love through hugs and Yiddish terms of endearment, fostering a strong sense of affection despite lacking belief in God. Instead, their values centered on social justice, helping others, and their admiration for cultural icons like Bette Midler.

Lamott reveals that it wasn't until she was nearly thirty that she encountered someone who practiced religious Judaism. This suggests a contrast between her childhood experience of Jewish identity rooted in secular values and the more traditional, faith-oriented expressions of Judaism. Her narrative highlights the complexities of cultural identity and the ways in which love and community can exist independently from religious faith.