Andrew Lustig  been working  on and thinking about his  Jewish identity, through  his poem  "I am Jewish".

It  had been viewed by well  over  270,000 poeple on line online as of last week,.  Posted on Vimeo and YouTube in early January, it is has spread rapidly from Facebook page to page  like a wild fire..

In the video, Lustig recites his poem,  which has lines such as the following:

“I am the collective pride and excitement that is felt when we find out that that new actor, that great athlete, his chief of staff… is Jewish

I am the collective guilt and shame that is felt when we find out that that serial killer, that Ponzi schemer, that wife beater… is Jewish…”

“I am an IDF sweatshirt and the Chai around your neck. I am a $100 Challah cover you will never use and a 5 Shekel piece of red string you will wear until it withers away. I am your Hebrew name. I am your Israeli cousins. I am your Torah portion and your 13 candles. I am your Bat Mitzvah dress and the cute Israeli soldier on your Birthright trip.”

The poem was written last year while Lustig was applying to year abroad programs dealing with social justice and traditional learning in Israel.

See the Video: "I am Jewish" at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJe0uqVGZJA