FAQs
Who is a Humanistic Jew?
A Jew is a person of Jewish descent or a person who identifies with the culture, history, community, ethical values, and fate of the Jewish people. A Humanistic Jew chooses to combine the celebration of Jewish identity, history and culture with a humanistic philosophy of life. For more information, see ‘Who is a Jew’ resolution.
Who came up with the idea of Humanistic Judaism? How did it evolve into what it is today?
Humanistic Judaism began at the Birmingham Temple, a suburban Detroit Jewish congregation, established in 1963. Its founder, Rabbi Sherwin Wine, was a Reform Rabbi who developed first the philosophy and then the liturgy that emphasized Jewish culture and identity and humanism within a communal framework. Since then, the message of Humanistic Judaism has spread and today there are about 30,000 Secular Humanistic Jews in 45 communities. Most major metropolitan areas in North America contain a Humanistic Congregation, all of whom are supported by the umbrella organization, The Society for Humanistic Judaism (SHJ). HuJews, the teen and young adult division of the Society was founded in 2007 and supports congregational teen and college youth groups, promotes Taglit-Birthright Israel trips and yearly teen and young adult conclaves.
Find out more about our movement's history at the Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation website.
Most people would say that God is the center of Judaism. If you are non-theistic, how can this be Judaism?
Judaism is a civilization, consisting of a wide range of religious beliefs and observances. It has evolved over time and each generation has made modifications in order to adapt to changing times. Humanistic Jews have created a new branch along the continuum of Judaism that fits the secular culture they live in, choosing to focus on Jewish culture and to believe in human responsibility instead of relying on divine intervention.
Where do Humanistic Jews find truth?
Humanistic Jews rely on the knowledge gained from human reason, scientific inquiry and experience. There are questions that we cannot yet answer, such as: “What existed before the Big Bang?” or “Can prayer help the sick?” or ”Does the chicken really did come before the egg?” Humanistic Jews rely on science and reason and the evidence they produce to find truth. They choose to rely on what we do know about ourselves and the world.
You say you’re non-theistic, so where do you find your ethics?
Where Humanistic Jews fall on the theological spectrum can vary, but all find common ground in their reliance on reason to guide human behavior. A foundation for ethics is found in affirming human dignity and promoting human happiness. Humans can act unethically whether they rely on a supernatural being to determine their morality or not. Humanistic Jews use a positive ethical philosophy called Humanism that emphasizes the importance of human power and responsibility. This viewpoint requires Humanistic Jews to use empirical evidence as a means of discovering truth and to rely on human experience to find wisdom. Humanistic Jews also use a philosophical notion called consequentialism to determine their behavior. We evaluate the consequences of our behavior using the preservation of human dignity as our guide.
If you choose not to emphasize a deity, how do you pray?
Humanistic Jews find value in reflection and the power of poetry and music that promote humanistic ideals, as well as an appreciation of the shared Jewish experience to create an inspirational experience and build community. Since prayer implies a communication with a deity, it is not a relevant form of expression for Humanistic Jews.
What is your relationship to the Torah/Talmud?
Humanistic Jews view the Torah and Talmud from an historic perspective, seeing them as texts written by human beings. We study Torah as literature, a body of work written by many authors over time that has beauty and invaluable lessons taught through legends and characters as well as historic relevance.
Intermarriage is said to be a pandemic among the Jewish population today. How does Humanistic Judaism feel about this?
Humanistic Judaism affirms the rights of all individuals to choose their dating and marital partners. Our rabbis and leaders officiate and co-officiate at intercultural marriage ceremonies. Both partners involved in intermarriage are welcomed into our communities and encouraged to become full members of the community and participate in all congregational affairs, if they choose.