What I believe

You knew someone was going to challenge me as to what I do believe about Judaism.  Since Maimonides listed 13 things, I guess I should do the same.

1. I believe in marking the shabbat, to differentiate between the workweek and the weekend.  I don't believe in the orthodox interpretation of "work," but I also believe it has to be more than just not going to work.  Ideally it's a day set aside for friends and family, and doing things that are pleasurable, not chores such as shopping and cleaning.  (That's what Sunday is for.)
2. I believe in Friday night supper.  Partly for the above reasons, being with others, lighting candles, expressing gratitude, and eating--what better way to mark the shabbat?
3. I believe in not eating wheat during pesach.   Again, I don't accept the Orthodox interpretation of "wheat" as any grain, and I'm perfectly happy eating oatmeal, although I will avoid making cakes or breads using wheat-free substitutes, because I think that violates the spirit (if not the letter) of the law.  I also believe in a communal seder, although I don't celebrate pesach for two days, and I don't take the last day off work.
4. I believe in fasting for Yom Kippur.  Yes it's unpleasant, but once a year is a small sacrifice, and doing it as a community is amazing.  In addition to Yom Kippur and Pesach, I also take a day off work on Rosh Hashanah, and I mark Purim, Shavuot, Tu B'Shevat.
5. I do go to synagogue on Tisha B'Av, which marks the destruction of the two Temples, although I don't fast. My synagogue also remembers the Holocaust on this day, which is important to me.  (There is a separate Holocaust Memorial Day but Tisha B'Av is the historical day of mourning for Jews, and so seems more appropriate to me.)
6. I believe in being an active member of my synagogue.  No I don't go religiously (pardon the pun) and yes, I never intended to sign up for security duty at my synagogue, but I still try to go often enough to be recognised.
7. I believe in publicly displaying my faith in the form of a mezuzah outside my front door.
8. I believe in recognising the anniversary of someone's death (a yahrzeit) by lighting a candle.
9. I believe in tzedakah, or charity.  Sadly, this hasn't always been the case, but I am working on it.
10. I believe the ability to make something "holy" (separate) is what separates humans from other animals, and that the act of doing so not only connects us to our community, but to our soul.
11. I respect--although I don't understand--the biblical dietary laws regarding what is kosher.  As a vegetarian, it is largely an ecumenical matter, but I think the current interpretation of kosher is facacta.
12. I support circumcision (although I suspect this is largely because I'm American, not Jewish).
13. I believe in Israel's right to exist (but then again, I always believed that).  I don't necessarily agree with their politics, but I respect it as a democracy.

Some things I don't believe:

1. I don't believe most of the Orthodox method of celebrating Judaism, but then again, most Orthodox Jews don't celebrate Judaism that way, either--they just refuse to acknowledge that they are progressive/reform.
2. I'm conflicted about Hanukkah.  It was an Israeli war of independence (one of the few successful ones) and perhaps that should be celebrated, not some nonsense about holy oil. That said, almost every culture has some sort of festival of lights and gift-giving during the winter period, and so taken that way, it's perfectly acceptable.
3. I haven't yet celebrated Sukkot, which is is a shame because a) it's one of the three major festivals in the bible, and b) it's part of the annual cycle, and c) it's a reflection of an agricultural past.  I also haven't celebrated simchat torah.
4. The counting of the Omer seems silly to me.