Dear John —

I was recently visiting with my 94-year old father (his name is Ed, no one is funnier than him, and he lives in sunny Boca Raton) and he reminded me about a photo – and I just had to share it with you.

Here you go. Me at 13, in all my “glory” at my Bar Mitzvah:

I’ll admit, it’s easy to chuckle at this photo – the classic 1970s bow tie, the braces, the yarmulke, the looks – but it reminded me about something much more important: my faith.

Throughout my career in public service, I’ve thought a lot about the Jewish tradition of “Tikkun Olam,” or repairing the world. And over the last few years, there has been a lot that was broken, and a lot to fix. It’s been my cause.

Before I go any further, and I have a lot to say about this topic, I have to ask – will you click this link and pitch in a few dollars to my campaign? If you are not ready yet, or need more convincing, please read on. I have lots to share and more to say. I think you’ll like it.

I want to take you back to 1973. Our family moved around a lot because my father was in the “schmaltz” business. He worked as a regional manager for a men’s pantsuit company.

We moved from Massachusetts where I was born, lived a few years in Arizona, and ended up in the Bay Area. It was there where my dad got out of the clothing business and started a building materials yard.

This photo was taken at Temple Isaiah in Contra Costa, a reform synagogue we joined after moving to the Bay Area. And it came after months of practicing for my Bar Mitzvah. I even taped my practice sessions on our tape recorder (I thought it was funny to hear your voice back then!).

While the Hebrew language skills I quickly acquired were just as quickly lost, the lessons that my faith taught me endure and guide me to this day.

Do good. For the right reasons. And repair the world, as broken as it can be sometimes.

Those principles have guided my work in Congress. They guided my path as I investigated, impeached, and stood up to the most unscrupulous man to ever occupy the Oval Office.

And they guide me in the fight we face today: Repairing and building back our democracy to leave it better for my children and yours.

That’s why I put everything I have into my work in Congress and to the cause of our democracy. It’s the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning, and what I spend all of my waking time fighting for.

All that being said, I’m asking for your help to continue that work by chipping in $10 to my re-election campaign. In my view, doing good, and continuing to do that good is only possible if we prevent Donald Trump and the Republicans loyal to him from taking control this November. It takes a lot of resources to protect our Democratic majorities – if we don’t have the funds our progress could be lost and our democracy will be in true peril.

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Hopefully, this photo helped brighten your day and gives you a bit more insight into why I have dedicated my life to this cause.

Shalom!

— Adam