46.9 F
Spokane
Friday, April 4, 2025
spot_img
HomeCommentaryAsk A Jew: What is Humanistic Judaism?

Ask A Jew: What is Humanistic Judaism?

Date:

spot_img

Related stories

Gaza’s tragedy is a call to action we cannot ignore

Gaza’s suffering demands urgent attention, writes the author. Read how she urges us to stand in solidarity and act immediately to end the injustice against Gazans and their land.

A frozen debit card melts my heart and teaches me kindness

A frozen debit card melts the author's heart replacing her irritation with compassion, teaching her kindness by seeing others as children of God.

‘Cremation of the Century’ celebrates Bali’s rich Hindu culture

The author recalls Bali's "cremation of the century" over 30 years ago he experienced, when Balinese honored their dead, along with a queen from an ancient Hindu kingdom.

A call to national unity: ‘Try to love one another. Right now.’

Classism and inequality are real, but the focus should be on national unity, not dividing by party. We need to work together to address economic struggles.

Multiple cultures clash over the future of the American dream

If the future of the American dream is to survive, her people need to reaquaint themselves with the culture of civility and honesty. Then, they need to clash against disinformation, social media influencers, and more.

Our Sponsors

spot_img

What questions do you have about Judaism? Submit them online, or fill out the form below. 

By Hyphen Parent

I recently learned about ‘Humanistic Judaism.’ I understand it’s a movement within Judaism, but don’t quite understand. Can you help explain?

Humanism is the belief in attaching importance to the human being rather than the supernatural.  Humanistic Judaism is a branch of Judaism that focuses on relationship to others rather than a belief in G-d.

According to the website for the Society for Humanistic Judaism,

Humanistic Judaism embraces a human-centered philosophy that celebrates Jewish culture without supernatural underpinnings. Humanistic Jews value their Jewish identity and the aspects of Jewish culture that offer a genuine expression of their contemporary way of life. We believe in the human capacity to create a better world.

Judaism is both a religion and an ethnicity. Humanistic Judaism’s focus is on the cultural aspect of Judaism. They believe in the history, ethics, and cultural aspects with no central religious belief and sometimes no religious belief at all.  Humanistic Jews celebrate Jewish holidays and life cycle events, but do so for their connection to the culture and community rather than based on the belief in a higher power.  Whereas traditional Jewish blessings contain many references to G-d, Humanistic Jewish blessings contain none at all and rather include references to elements (light, sustenance, sun, rain, etc.), people, and humanity. 

The first Humanistic Jewish congregation was founded in Michigan in 1963.  Various Humanistic Jewish organizations have been created since that time. There are nearly 30 congregations. The group trains and educates their own rabbis and other leaders. The group is a relatively small subset of Judaism. It falls fifth among the branches of Judaism after Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist Judaism. 

In 2008, NPR’s Faith Matters featured a segment on Humanistic Judaism that may provide more insight. 

Hyphen Parent
Hyphen Parent
Dorothy-Ann Parent (better known as Hyphen) is a writer, a traditional Jew, a seeker of justice, a lover of stories and someone who’s best not left unattended in a bookshop or animal shelter.

Our Sponsors

spot_img
spot_img
spot_img
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest


0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
spot_img
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x