Secular Humanistic Judaism

Secular Humanistic Judaism

Judaism is the evolving civilization of the Jewish people. It has been created, lived and recreated in response to the needs and beliefs of each generation. In our days, we believe in the power of people to understand their world and to influence it for the better. We celebrate human freedom and responsibility for our choices and actions. And we know that if justice is to exist in our world, we must create it together. Secular Humanistic Judaism is a cultural Jewish identity lived through this human-focused non-theistic philosophy of life.

There are many evolutionary forebears to Secular Humanistic Judaism:

  • The Jewish wisdom literature tradition, exemplified by Proverbs and Job…
  • The encounter of Jewish culture with Hellenistic philosophy in Late Antiquity…
  • The emphasis on human action and mutual support in rabbinic Judaism…
  • The Jewish experience of an urban and literate people who used their talents and intellect to survive…
  • The rational philosophies of Baruch Spinoza and Enlightenment philosophers…
  • Nineteenth-century Jewish ethnic and national identities, such as Yiddishism and Zionism…
  • Secular Jewish schools, labor unions, political parties and social welfare organizations…
  • Modern Humanist philosophies of human power and responsibility…

Secular Humanistic Jewish celebrations and ceremonies, whether holidays or life cycle events, take place in both community organizations and in family settings all over the world. Secular Humanistic Jewish communities offer communal celebration, adult and youth education, ethical action, and emotional support. In North America, the Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations and the Society for Humanistic Judaism are the two community organizations that support the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism and are served by its graduates.

In the summary of one of our founding thinkers, Rabbi Sherwin Wine,

  • Judaism is the culture of the Jewish people, which includes many religious and secular traditions.
  • A Jew is any person who chooses to identify with the fate and culture of the Jewish people.
  • After the Holocaust, it is clear that the meaning of Jewish history is that Jews must be responsible for their own fate.
  • Every person is entitled to be the master of his or her own life, subject to the final authority of his or her own conscience.
  • The power to achieve human survival, happiness, and dignity is a human power. (from Judaism in a Secular Age, p239)

To further explore the philosophy of Secular Humanistic Judaism, please visit our Resources. You can also learn more about our movement’s history and organizations, or listen to IISHJ Dean for North America Rabbi Adam Chalom discuss “What is Secular Humanistic Judaism” at Georgetown University in 2011.