Youth Education

A major initiative for many of our Secular Humanistic Jewish communities is the education of our youth. How we educate our children is emblematic of what we truly value. These curricula, handbooks, publications and articles are an introduction to our approach to Secular Humanistic Jewish youth education.

Online Curricula

• Sholem Community Curriculum Overview
• Jewish Children’s Folkshul Curriculum (Philadelphia, PA)
• Jewish Cultural School Curriculum (Machar, Washington DC)

School Handbooks

• Bar/Bat Mitzvah Program booklet (Kol Hadash, IL)
• Youth Education Handbook (Kol Hadash, IL)
• Shalom Sunday Handbook (Secular Jewish Circle of Puget Sound, WA)

Articles

• Jewish Telegraphic Agency article on Secular Bar Mitzvahs and CSJO
• The New York Times describes a City Congregation (NY) Bar Mitzvah
• An account of a Humanistic Bar Mitzvah shortly after September 11, 2001 (appeared in Chicken Soup for the American Soul)

Publications

• Passionate Pioneers: The Story of Yiddish Secular Education in North America, 1910-1960 by Fradle Pomerantz Freidenreich
• Plays from Jewish History and Literature for Secular Jewish Children by Abbott Goren  (see also the IISHJ publication Dr. Yudelman’s Computer)
• Learning Bible Today – complete text online, printed copies available for purchase from IISHJ
• International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism
• Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations education publications
• Society for Humanistic Judaism education publications
• Respecting the Wicked Child: A Philosophy of Secular Jewish Identity and Education by Mitchell Silver

If you have other resources to suggest for this list, or if you find that one of these links no longer works, please contact us. If you find these resources useful, please consider supporting our important work.