About Humanistic Judaism
Humanistic Judaism offers secular Jews a philosophy of life that integrates the value of Jewish identity with a belief in the importance of human reason and human power. It declares that reason, rather than faith, is the source of truth, and that human intelligence and experience are capable of guiding our lives. It offers an opportunity to practice Judaism in ways that are consistent with our humanistic outlook.
Humanistic Jews understand Judaism as the human-centered history, culture, civilization, ethical values and shared fate of the Jewish people. Encompassing many languages and a vast body of literature, art, dance, music, and food, Judaism is much more than a set of religious beliefs and practices. It is the cumulative cultural and historical experience of the Jewish people.
Humanistic Jews discover their Jewishness and derive their Jewish identity, values and teachings from the lessons of those cumulative experiences. These include not just the ancient events of Biblical times but the current events of our own time as well. Indeed, the experiences of our own times, particularly the Holocaust and the rebirth of the State of Israel, along with the personal sagas and journeys of our own families, occupy a central part of our Jewish consciousness.
Humanistic Jews regard classical texts and traditional teachings as valuable sources of learning and inspiration, especially as they record the history of the Jewish people and offer lessons based on that history. These texts, however, are not accepted automatically as authoritative and are treated with the same dispassionate scrutiny that we would use to examine any sources of learning. Because we live in a pluralistic culture, we also recognize that no one people has a monopoly on truth and that we can draw worthy lessons from teachings other than our own.
Humanistic Jews preserve those aspects of our Jewish traditions and culture that offer a meaningful connection to our people's past. We practice Judaism in ways that are relevant to our lives and are compatible with our humanistic values. We celebrate Jewish holidays and life cycle ceremonies as cultural expressions of the cycles of nature and human life and of events in Jewish history. Using language that conforms to our humanistic approach, we feel free to adopt traditional observances that we find meaningful, to adapt others, and to create new forms that meet the needs of present and future generations.
Humanistic Jews affirm that we have the responsibility to shape our own lives. We also teach that we are responsible to one another. And that we need one another: to celebrate our joys, to endure our sorrows, and to become partners together in making the world a better place for all people. And so we form communities, like The City Congregation, to share in these common purposes and goals.