Adam Fox opened up about his Jewish upbringing and how it transformed him into the kind of person he is today.

There are only 13 openly Jewish hockey players in the NHL today and New York Rangers star defenseman Adam Fox happens to be one of them.

Fox is one of the few professional hockey players to be born and raised in a Jewish household.

Growing up in the New York area, Fox enjoyed being involved with Judaism from a young age and taking part in traditions with his family.

“The public school I went to had a decent amount of Jewish kids there,” Fox said. “Long Island has a pretty big Jewish population. Not many on the hockey teams I played on. Anytime there was a holiday, I went to Temple with my family. A lot of fun memories during the holidays.”

Fox credits his father Bruce for instilling Jewish values into him from a young age.

Everyone has their own meaning of religion and how it impacts their life. For the star defenseman, Judaism is a family value while he also uses his religious beliefs to help better himself as a person.

Loving your neighbor as yourself and the importance of giving to those in need are two crucial aspects of Judaism that Fox takes to heart.

“First and foremost it’s your belief system, your moral values,” Fox said of what Judaism means to him. “It's a big family value. My dad really tried to instill that in us. A lot of religion comes back to that core and it’s really the moral value system. Being good to the person next to you. I think that’s the biggest thing for me. I’m in a fortunate opportunity and position to give back. I think that’s the biggest thing for me…

“My family is big on what goes around, comes around. The position I’m trying to give back to people whether that’s people in the Jewish community when they are going through stuff. It’s easy for me to give my time and resources to help. I think being a good person is the biggest thing.”

Being a professional athlete, hockey consumes the 26-year-old’s time and it’s difficult for him to be as involved in religious customs compared to during his childhood.

However, that Jewish spark and passion for religion has never left Fox.

“I light the menorah of Hanukkah,” Fox said about what Jewish customs he still observes. “Whenever I get the chance and I’m able to, I go to Temple with my dad and brother. It’s good to have that belief system, almost something a little bigger than yourself. For me, I think it’s a big part of my identity and who I am, so embracing that and keeping those values I was taught at a young age,”

Since he is one of the only Jewish players in the NHL, Fox wants to be a role model to all Jewish kids and he feels honored to represent his community.

“I think it’s something where there are not too many Jewish hockey players, so something for young kids to look up to,” Fox emphasized. “I think representation is always important. For me to be someone they look up to, representing that community, that’s definitely a nice honor.”

Fox is a two-time All-Star, Norris Trophy winner and widely renowned as an elite defenseman. Playing the game of hockey is temporary, but Fox’s Jewish values will stick with him forever.