We were visiting one of the very involved members of the Jewish community here in S. Luis Obispo, CA (whom we later learned was actually a former officer at the local temple). As we were about to leave, he suggested that we go down the street to visit another Jewish family that he knows. Thanking him for his time and the tip, we ambled off down the road.
As we approached the house, we were jovially greeted by a gentleman named Scott and his family. After inviting us into their home, Scott told us that he does not believe in G‑d but he "identifies very strongly with Judaism." We spent a long time in earnest conversation, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Subjects ranged from anti-Semitism to the core of Jewish identity. Other highlights included seeing some old family photos. Some of the pictures bore the images of deeply religious Jews wearing traditional clothing and the men sporting full beards.
During the course of our conversation we learned that Scott had never had a bar mitzvah. To the delight of the entire family, we whipped out our tefillin and held an impromptu belated bar mitzvah right then and there.
