PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) -- Providence Mayor Brett Smiley says he's officially converted to Judaism. The mayor told 12 News he had been yearning to be a part of a faith community for years, after he stopped going to Christian services sometime around his high school years. (Smiley grew up in Chicago and was raised under the United Church of Christ.) "I always had some spiritual footing, but never felt connected to a church community, really in a long time," Smile said last week during a wide-ranging end-of-the-year interview with 12 News. "My grandfather was Jewish, so there's always been that part of my family and that part of my life," he added. Smiley decided to start working with Rabbi Sarah Mack, who serves as senior rabbi of Temple Beth-El in the East Side neighborhood of Providence, and Smiley said he decided to explore if that could be his "new home." "After about a year of study and work, I felt more confident than ever that I had found my place and found my people," he said. Smiley said he completed his studies and officially converted to Judaism in August. "It's been a source of great comfort for me and, a really happy development in my life," Smiley said. "And it was one of these things that was really just for me." "While I'm happy to talk about it publicly, this was a decision that I made because I felt, sort of, an emptiness that needed to be completed in terms of a little bit stronger spiritual and moral foundation in my life," he added. Smiley said he still plans to join in on family Christmas celebrations and traditions each year, but he's excited to have this new part of his life. "For the last couple years, I've had friends who've included me in their Passover Seder, and that'll be even more meaningful for me when that comes about this spring," he said. Alexandra Leslie ([email protected]) is a Target 12 investigative reporter covering Providence and more for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and on Facebook.