Raindrops on roses? His Jewish favorites include tzitzit on tallis

With apologies to "The Sound of Music," which has become an annual sing-along hit in San Francisco, these are a few of my favorite Jewish things:

Potato kugel.

Kvelling when a prominent Jew does something to bring pride to the Jewish people.

Feeling an instant connection when I run into a fellow Jew, no matter where I see him or her, even if far from home. Especially if far from home.

Pirkei Avot.

The faces of young Jewish children.

The faces of bubbes and zaydes.

The courage and vision of Yitzhak Rabin.

Long winter Friday nights.

Jewish organizations that truly make the lives of Jews better.

Hamantaschen.

Yom HaShoah and Yom Hazikaron in Israel. Having an entire country come to a stop for two minutes to remember those who were murdered in the Holocaust and to honor those who died defending and fighting for Israel is an experience unlike any other. It is to feel bathed with a Jewish sensibility and to encapsulate so much of who and what we are.

The movie, "Frisco Kid."

The incredibly astute and wise sayings of Reb Nachman of Breslov, who, in a few sentences, teaches more about living life, living Jewish life in the real world than anyone or anything I've ever encountered.

A history full of people who have contributed so much to the world in so many ways.

The loving concern the Lubavitcher Rebbe had for each and every Jew and the way he put that into action all around the world.

The Israeli flag. I get chills every time I see it.

Taking a spiritual inventory during the High Holy Days, secure in the belief that God will accept my atonement and give me the chance to do better in the coming year.

Jewish meetings at which an interesting topic gets knocked around with all kinds of interesting insights and feelings coming from all kinds of directions.

Staying up all night the first night of Shavuot.

Just about any TV show with an identifiably Jewish character.

Chicken soup. Go ahead, make jokes, but I love the stuff, can't get enough. As long as it's been made by my mother.

Feeling that God is always with me, loves me, wants only good for me, silently guides my life.

Meeting Jews in another country.

Rabbis who act like rabbis. I can't define what that means, but I know it when I see it.

Latkes.

Lighting Chanukah candles.

Prayers set to music, as long as it's got an uplifting, spirited beat.

Watching Jews attack a kiddush table.

Jewish athletes.

The movie "Schindler's List."

Praying with concentration. It doesn't happen very often but when it does, it's sublime.

Saying psalms in English so I know what I'm saying.

Wearing beautifully embroidered tallis and toying with the tzitzit.

Going to Reform and Conservative shuls and seeing how much alike they are to the Orthodox shuls I grew up in and seeing how much being Jewish is being Jewish no matter what Jewish team you affiliate yourself with.

Walking in Jerusalem.

Jews who take the phrase "all Jews are responsible one for the other" seriously and actually put it into action. They are very precious souls.

Gathering all the Shaloach Manot received on Purim and picking out all the yummy stuff to eat.

Sephardi Jews. Their love of life, their faith in God, their acceptance of all Jews, their spirited ways, their good common sense, show us how Jews are supposed to be.

Jews who take the notion of Bikur Cholim, visiting the sick, seriously and actually do it. I can think of few greater mitzvot.

The sound of the breaking of the glass at a wedding.

The final shofar blast on Yom Kippur.

Kissing the stones of the Western Wall.

Watching a bar mitzvah boy or bat mitzvah girl who doesn't view the ceremony as a "graduation" from Jewish life.

Knishes. Potato or meat. Not spinach.

A beautifully designed ketubah.

The movie "Exodus."

Jewish calendars.

Funny Jewish jokes.

Talking to involved Jewish teens about the Jewish future.

Challah.

Saying kaddish on my father's yahrzeit.

Woody Allen.

Ted Koppel.

Talking to God.

Saying "Good Shabbos" to co-workers as we all leave the office Friday afternoon.

Saying "See you next year" when we leave the office for Rosh Hashanah. Yes, it still cracks me up.

Seeing former enemies of Israel become our friends. Seeing peace come closer and closer.

Jewish summer camps.

Jews who respect Jews who are not like them.

Horseradish. Funny thing is I never used to like it, but now I do. I think the fact that there's a sweetened version has a lot to do with that.

My parents' stories of life in the old country.

Chuppahs.

Checking out new kosher restaurants.

The shamas, the guy in shul who really knows what's going on and who really runs things.

Honey cake.

Not only the diary of, but the story and life of, Anne Frank.

Falafel, but only in Israel.

A heartfelt, personal eulogy that captures the essence of the departed.

Kids who know the answers at the seder.

Kishke. Preferably swimming in gravy.

A mensch.

Teachers in any kind of Jewish school. The way they are treated, the way they are paid, is the community's greatest disgrace.

The smell of a fresh etrog.

Saving etrogs from year to year until you have a sizable collection of them. Hey, some people collect Bulls' memorabilia, for me it's shriveled-up, discolored etrogs.

Jews who really care about being Jewish.

The first bite of chametz after Passover.

The large number of references to things Jewish and to Jewish people and backgrounds that you find each week in Time and Newsweek.

The large number of words like "shlep," "kvetch" and the ever-popular "tush" that you hear on late-night TV talk shows.

Spinning a dreidel. Not playing dreidel, which to this day I don't know how to do, but I do know how to spin a dreidel and I frankly enjoy doing so over and over.

Anything chocolate shaped like any Jewish symbol.

A fahrbrengen. If you don't know what that is, call your nearest Lubavitch Chabad House and ask to be invited to the next one.

Hearing American songs sung with Yiddish words. I could listen to the Yiddish version of "Fiddler on the Roof" and to Mandy Patinkin singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in Yiddish for hours on end.

Theodore Bikel singing in any language, in every language.

Jewish names.

Jackie Mason.

But my most favorite thing about being Jewish is, well, being Jewish.