Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, Billy Bie had broad exposure to various Christian denominations. “My dad was Catholic, my mom Episcopalian, my aunt a Methodist, and I went to vacation bible school at a Baptist church!” He was raised predominantly Catholic, but his family was very open to other religious traditions. He attended Catholic school until eighth grade. Then in high school, rather than being bussed across town, Billy attended Christian Brothers, a Jesuit school which “was the best high school in the city at the time.” Throughout high school, Billy recognized that Catholicism “didn’t work for me,” but he remained religious. After high school, at Tulane University, Billy stepped away from religion “for a time.” He remembers being struck by how many Jews attended Tulane. After graduating from Tulane, Billy entered the Air Force and trained to become a pilot. While in pilot training, he met his future wife, who happened to be Jewish. Billy remembers fondly his first seder — “We were dating at the time, sort of.” Their relationship “began to blossom, and we decided to get married.” Though they had a Jewish wedding, Billy wasn’t Jewish — “I was religious without a religion” — and his wife wasn’t practicing. However, “we decided that when we had children, we would raise them as Jews.” Billy and his wife had their two sons while stationed in North Carolina. With the nearest temple being an hour-and-a-half away, they would “participate in the Jewish community whenever it felt right and were able.” This consisted mostly of seders and Shabbat for the kids. In 2000, the family moved to Cincinnati and joined Wise Temple. Serendipitously, Rabbi Kamrass knew Rabbi Dinner, Billy’s rabbi back in North Carolina, whose husband, like Billy, was from Memphis. “So many connections!” The Bies developed a home at Wise during this time. His boys would attend Jewish summer camp, “we started to meet Jewish friends,” and we “decided to join Wise officially.” Over the next year or two Billy “slowly learned more about Judaism” as his house became more Jewish and his family participated at Wise more regularly. At different times throughout our interview, Billy reiterated how Judaism “resonated with me.” “Judaism,” says Billy, “is the way religion — my spirituality — works.” Eventually, Billy recognized that he wanted to convert. Feeling compelled as he walked past Rabbi Kamrass in the halls of Wise, “I exclaimed, ‘How do I convert?’” This began a two-year conversion process with Rabbi Kamrass which Billy describes as “eye-opening and gratifying.” The process was very personal. The two of them would meet monthly with “homework” assigned in between meetings. This was a time for Billy to investigate the breadth of Jewish religious expression and develop his own form of Judaism. He was grateful he was able to explore questions both “philosophical and pragmatic.” After converting in January 2003, Billy became a stay-at-home dad for a few years, having been furloughed from Delta Airlines. During his furlough, Rabbi Kamrass asked Billy to teach Sunday school, telling Billy, “The best way to learn about Judaism is to teach it!” He taught “a variety of interesting classes” and is thankful the opportunity allowed him to connect more with his sons. Soon after, Billy began working for the Jewish Federation’s grant program, working there for roughly four years. This role “deepened my appreciation for Cincinnati’s Jewish community.” Currently, Billy is a flight instructor, combining “my love for flying and teaching.” The philosophical portion of Judaism attracts Billy in particular. “Judaism is a thinker’s religion,” says Billy appreciatively. Billy is thankful the Reform tradition leaves room for ample individual expression and diversity of thought. “There is very little dogma. That really resonates with me.” He recalls how, during his time with the Jewish Federation, “even in a room of Conservative, Orthodox, and Reform Jews, we all had a fundamental acceptance of one another.” Judaism fosters a “deep sense of community.” Currently, Billy and his wife are not kosher, and they celebrate the major holidays. “Now that the kids are gone, we do what the empty nesters do.” Particularly drawn to Yom Kippur, Billy spends all day at temple. For those considering conversion, Billy advises them to “engage with Jews to get a feel for the way they live.” This includes visiting various synagogues and speaking with various rabbis. Converting “is not something to be taken on lightly.” He describes how Judaism “can provide so much acceptance and community.” No matter “what type of Jew I am with — Conservative, Orthodox, Reform — we are all Jews.” Billy recounts how during his conversion process he began feeling “spiritually fulfilled” which signaled to him that he was moving in the right direction. Resonating(!) with the heart of this column — Jews By Choice — are Billy’s final words: “When one chooses Judaism, not only are you Jewish, but you didn’t have to be.” Billy chose it.