So what can we learn from these various initiatives? What basic principles do they expect members of the community to embrace? I see four key tenets which all of these initiatives share:

1. Personal choice. An individuals has the autonomy to navigate his or her own way through a multiplicity of choices. There is no one, authentic pathway that everyone must follow. Each person must be true to him- or herself while engaging with others to form a community of seekers.

2. Egalitarianism. While men and women are not necessarily seen as identical, they are treated equally in terms of access to leadership, learning and engagement. Each person's individuality is acknowledged (with their gender being part of that individuality), and no one faces discrimination or limits based on gender.

3. Inclusivity. Instead of raising barriers to participation, the institutional culture invites people in, helping them deepen their Jewish commitment and learning, without expending energy on defining who belongs and who does not.

4. Engaging deeply with Jewish texts and tradition. While each of these initiatives allows individuals to find their own way, the authentic Jewish voice is maintained through an unmediated engagement with Jewish texts and tradition. Participants are expected to study and grow by engaging with Jewish texts and each other. Different interpretations are welcomed, and critical thinking encouraged.

These four factors emerge from my own reflections on the passionately pluralistic conversations in which I have engaged throughout my career. Many flow from my years of work at the Wexner Foundation, where we cultivated this sort of dialogue. Our participants came from all branches of Judaism: Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Conservative, Chasidic, Reform, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Renewal, Cultural, Secular and "Just Jews." The common factor was a passion for Jewish life and an openness to being part of a pluralistic learning community.