For as long as I can remember, the concept of Or Lagoyim from the Book of Isaiah, the Hebrew phrase meaning “a light unto the nations,” has existed more as Jewish inheritance than practical instruction. It is a phrase deeply embedded in Jewish education, invoked often, though rarely interrogated, and never truly pursued.
The concept of illuminating the nations of the world was always envisioned as one of prophetic destiny rather than real obligation, a promise deferred to some vague, distant future or to messianic times, safely removed from our present turbulent path. Author Rivkah Lambert Adler confronts this very notion.
When I first met Lambert Adler, what struck me above all was her literalism. She speaks of Or Lagoyim not as a biblical metaphor or ancient myth but as something that demands structure, time, and attention in our present reality. A tangible aspect of contemporary Jewish agency.
She made aliyah from Baltimore, Maryland, in 2010. Already religious, she came with a desire to deepen her Jewish identity and contribute meaningfully to Israeli society. She initially intended to work directly with olim (immigrants) but soon found herself in journalism, freelancing for Israel365, a Christian Zionist outlet.
Her task was to cover all aspects of biblical Israel: events, traditions, agricultural cycles, and the ways in which ancient Jewish practice still shapes everyday life.
It was through this work that she encountered a host of Christian Zionists from across Europe and the United States. Many were living deliberately biblical lives by observing feast days, structuring their calendars around Scripture, and adopting cultural practices inspired by Jewish tradition. Their interest was deep-rooted and heavily sustained. These were not casual observers or admirers but individuals attempting to organize their lives around the biblical world.
Initially, Lambert Adler approached them in her role as journalist, wanting to understand, articulate, and publish why they felt so drawn to Judaism, why they spoke of it as something foundational, yet incomplete in their own religious experience.
That inquiry eventually developed into her first book, Ten from the Nations, structured around encounters with these numerous individuals; the book’s organizing principle came from the Jewish prophet Zechariah:
“Thus says the Lord of Hosts: ‘In those days, 10 men from the nations of every tongue shall grasp the corner of the garment of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you’”(Zechariah 8:23).
Sharing our wisdom
Lambert Adler did not treat this verse as mere allegory. She understood it as a description. The people she met were not seeking conversion or theological synthesis. They wanted to learn, observe, and be instructed in the ways of the – Jewish – Torah. In her understanding, these Christians were “grasping” the “garment.”
As someone who had not discovered the depth and wisdom of the Torah until she was a young adult, Lambert Adler felt compelled to share that understanding with those willing to engage it in the required seriousness.
Her second book, Lighting Up the Nations, was an attempt to articulate this position more clearly: Or Lagoyim is not merely an ethical ideal or distant hope but a responsibility that had long been postponed. For much of Jewish history, inward focus was necessary.
Torah was guarded closely, often deliberately, to preserve identity and ensure survival. Lambert Adler does not dispute this history. She simply argues that circumstances have changed. Jews today have security and sovereignty unknown for many centuries, and there is now an audience actively seeking Jewish wisdom with a Jewish ontological capacity that grants us the ability to meet this demand.
Her early encounters with Christian readers were sporadic and often online. But after Oct. 7, she decided that her new Jewish calling demanded structure and routine. She began teaching a weekly class.
Lambert Adler is clear about what she does not do. She does not teach Christianity, engage in Christian theology, or promote conversion.
She teaches Torah, and only Torah. She shows what the Jewish people are all about, without any missionary tendency whatsoever.
Her students range from devout Christians to those considering formal conversion to Judaism. She sees this distinction as secondary. Her responsibility is to the Torah itself and to those seeking to understand it. Her classes now draw several hundred.
This educational work comes with consequences, she says.
Some students face polarizing tension regarding their families or communities; others lose social standing. Lambert Adler does not frame this as heroic or redemptive; it is simply the reality of serious engagement with a new and deeper domain of human wisdom. She essentially describes herself as a bridge between the nations on one side and the Jews on the other. She does not attempt to erase the distinction, only to show clearly what exists on the Jewish side of the divide.
Feared rather than forgotten
This approach runs counter to a long-standing Jewish instinct of viewing Christian interest and inquiry with suspicion.
While Lambert Adler acknowledges historical trauma, she refuses to let it dictate her contemporary sentiment.
The verse in Zechariah remains central, describing the nations approaching Jews, not the other way around.
The question is whether Jews are ready to cast aside their fears and instead teach the knowledge they have been accumulating for two millennia.
In Lambert Adler’s view, they largely are not. Most Jewish institutions are designed for internal education. Outreach exists, Chabad being a notable example, particularly through teaching the seven Noahide laws, but sustained Torah education for non-Jews is rare. It is infrastructure, rather than intention, that acts as the primary limitation.
The Internet, she says, does wonders in facilitating that initial contact, but it cannot replace real human connection. Digital curiosity without a sustained relationship risks superficiality.
Teaching Torah outwardly requires time, structure, and accountability. Lambert Adler sees her work as addressing that gap as best she can, with two dozen other teachers taking on this same responsibility.
Antisemitism inevitably enters the conversation, though she resists centering it. Though her aim is not to reduce hostility toward the Jews but rather to enrich the world with Torah wisdom, she recognizes that ignorance fuels misunderstanding.
Her students approach Judaism with seriousness and respect. While understanding does not guarantee acceptance, misunderstanding almost always guarantees resentment, especially when Jews are involved.
Learning from the past, teaching the future
With a book on the process of individuals leaving Christianity, Adrift among the Nations, published last year, Lambert Adler is currently working on further projects. Her next publication focuses on 10 impactful female converts from the Bible.
Her message to the Jewish world is restrained, respectful, and direct: For 2,000 years, Torah wisdom was guarded closely, often out of necessity. That crucial instinct ensured survival and continuity. But preservation was never meant to be permanent.
The act of being a light unto the nations was always embedded in the holy text.
Lambert Adler is not inventing a new form of Judaism; she is simply bringing to life something that has long been dormant and is long overdue.
Whether the Jewish educational world is ready to follow remains uncertain. Nevertheless, her work offers a model of serious study, consistent teaching, and openness framed by rooted identity.
It is a reminder that being “a light unto the nations” is not abstract; it is a responsibility ready to be taken on right now.■
Contact Rivkah at rivkah@kotevet.com. Her newest book, Women from the Nations in the Hebrew Bible, will be available later this year.