Our siblings in New Jersey
The Jewish Cultural School and Society Offers Secular Judaism For Families In the late 1950s and early 1960s, a group of American Jews did a peculiar thing: they took their 2,000-year-old monotheistic religion, and eliminated the theistic part. Read More »
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What do kids get out of a Humanistic Bnai Mitzvah Ceremony?
Visit our Youtube channel for video interviews with our Rabbis and members, as well as, videos of services. http: //www.youtube. Read More » -
New website for our Rabbi school
The International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism just launched a new website. The IISHJ trains our Rabbis, as well as the Madrikhim, who lead many of our smaller communities and assist leading some larger communities.Our newest group of Madrikhim and Rabbis will be installed at Colloquium 2012 in Chicagoland this spring. Read More »
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Chanukah begins on Tuesday, December 20th this year……
LET THERE BE LIGHTS! A Secular, Cultural, Humanistic Celebration of Chanukah by Rabbi Peter H. Schweitzer Click Here to Download a copy of this post Happy Chanukah! Or however you choose to spell it. Or celebrate it. By lighting candles. Reading about the history. Finding contemporary meaning. Singing familiar melodies. Exchanging gifts. Read More »
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Displaying the Ten Commandments in Public Places
There’s been a lot of hype in the American media about displaying statuettes of the ten commandments in public venues, such as outside courtrooms or state senates. Read More »
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“Though the Six Day war is celebrated in Jewish Israel, I find it hard to share in the celebration.”
Prayers for Jerusalem abound in traditional liturgy, the verbiage is quite eclectic, but they all focus on one theme, the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem and God’s subsequent residence in the city. The only element of that theme I am comfortable with is the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Read More »
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“..identity is the major issue…for children of interfaith marriages”.
Visit our Youtube channel for video interviews with our Rabbis and members, as well as, videos of services. http: //youtube. Read More » -
“…being happy is the only worthwhile pursuit”: A Paean to Ecclesiastes
Ten years ago I learnt the book of Ecclesiastes (Kohelet) by heart in honor of the holiday of Sukkot, when it is traditionally read. It is a marvellously anomalous book in the annals of Biblical literature, full of heretical sentiments, which despite being hidden by a later and more conventionally pious redactor mischievously shine through. Read More »
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“…the reading of biblical chapters in synagogue serves an important pedagogical function…”
In my liturgical compositions I like to follow the structure of the traditional prayer book, though I go my own way when it comes to content. One of the most problematic sections for me in the siddur is quite understandably, the section dedicated to God’s praises – pesukei dezimra (literally song verses). Read More »
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Northeastern Humanistic Jews get together Saturday-Nine Congregations participating.
Ice Breakers, Music, Workshops, Lunch, Havdalah, Camaraderie ! Cost: $10 which includes lunch. Locale: Community Unitarian Church of White Plains; 468 Rosedale Avenue; White Plains, NY 10605. Read More »
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“One of the more prominent features of Jewish law is its dichotomies…you’re either a Jew or a Goy,
One of the more prominent features of Jewish law is its dichotomies. You are either pure or impure, your food is either kosher or non-kosher, any action of yours is either permissible or forbidden, you’re either a Jew or a Goy, you are either a believer or a heretic. Read More »
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“Jewish identity is the major issue…In this day and age, we can have multiple identities”.
Rabbi Miriam Jerris, Rabbi of the Society for Humanistic Judaism on issues facing children of interfaith marriage: Visit our Youtube channel for video interviews with our Rabbis and members, as well as, videos of services. http: //youtube. Read More » -
The Bible is not an impossibly long text…. It is merely as long as War and Peace or one of Robert
The last of the major holidays in this festi-full month is Simchat Torah. In traditional synagogues the story beginning in Genesis 1, is completed. Deuteronomy 34 is read and if one has been vigilant about going to synagogue throughout the year, one will have heard the entire Torah read. Read More »
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“All of the Jewish people’s great modern achievements have been a direct product of secularism.”
Josh Mintz, in Haaretz, takes a long view of secular JudaismPhilip Roth, Carl Reiner and Julia Pascal are just three names from a long list of today’s Jewish treasures. Despite being a novelist, entertainer and playwright respectively, all three are bound by one thing; they are chicken soup Jews. Read More »
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A Lamentation for Isaac
Rosh Hashannah is one of those rare times of year when my scholarship into biblical criticism has a direct bearing on the rituals of a holiday. Read More »
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“There is no heresy or philosophy which is so abhorrent to the church as a human being.”
(James Joyce – 1902)Visit our Youtube channel for video interviews with our Rabbis and members, as well as, videos of services. http: //youtube. Read More »
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Many Jews believe in God, but not all.
Atonement, secular-style Rabbi Binyamin Biber of secular humanist congregation Machar, right, participates in a High Holidays candle-lighting ceremony with Deb Godden, Machar’s madricha, or ordained ceremonialist. Photo by Gary Peck Rabbi Arthur Blecher of secular humanist congregation Beth Chai makes a point from the podium. Read More » -
Sukkot and the Wandering Jew
The first mention of the holiday of Sukkot (the holiday of booths) in the Bible is in Exodus 23, where a short comment is made about the harvest festival (often identified with Sukkot) as one of the three times one should make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Read More »
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“kol Nidrei…is totally non-theistic.”
Kol Nidrei, the enigmatic “prayer” that will be recited in synagogues all over the world tonight is unique among traditional prayers in that it is totally non-theistic. Despite the lilting voice of the cantor reciting the Aramaic words, this “prayer” is not actually a prayer at all, it is a release form. Read More »
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Days of Awe
Rabbi Miriam Jerris is the Rabbi of the Societyfor Humanistic Judaism and Associate Professor of Professional Development at the Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism. Rabbi Jerris holds a Ph.D. in Jewish Studies and Masters Degrees in Near Eastern Studies and Humanistic and Clinical Psychology. Read More » - Load More
