Rick Gold currently serves on the SHJ Board of Directors, is an international democracy assistance specialist, and former President of Machar, The Washington Congregation for Secular Humanistic Judaism. As a leader in the Machar community, he has led the congregation’s adult education and social action programs and guided B’nai mitzvah parents. Living in Florida, he is organizing one of SHJ’s communities in formation, the Gainesville Humanistic Judaism Community. He also is organizing Jews for a Secular Democracy Florida.
The Society for Humanistic Judaism Lives Up to Its Mission Statement
I appreciate the opportunity to reflect on the mission statement of the Society for Humanistic Judaism, which has been part of my life for over a quarter century.
I have been active in the Humanistic Judaism movement for 25 years, after growing up as a skeptical 
reform Jew who questioned the values and political positions of Baltimore’s Jewish community. The institutions of Humanistic Judaism have been a welcoming environment for my Moroccan Muslim wife, Bouchra, and me. They also provided support, meaning and a sense of identity to our children, Sarah, 31, and Adam, 29. Having seen Machar members at gay rights demonstrations and empathizing with their Jewish and humanist identities in the 1980’s, I joined the congregation in 1999. Our kids developed their secular humanistic values and commitment to Jewish culture by attending Machar’s Jewish Cultural School. My international development work took the family to Egypt for a few years. In lieu of a mitzvah program for Sarah in Cairo, I guided her in a secular study of the Holocaust. Back in Washington, Adam did a research paper on the concept of evil in Judaism for his mitzvah ceremony.
I joined Machar’s board and later served as President for two years. I joined the SHJ Board as an at-large member in 2013 and am still serving in that position. In the meantime, I left Washington DC for Gainesville, Florida, where I have been organizing the Gainesville Humanistic Judaism Community and leading Florida Jews for a Secular Democracy.
As a strategic planning specialist, I am quite familiar with how organizations develop and use mission statements. A mission statement is a brief, broad statement about an organization’s goals and how it intends to meet them. It often addresses what the organization offers and how it hopes to serve its customers and stakeholders. Good mission statements identify the organization’s values. When it is used effectively, a mission statement guides the actions of an organization.
The SHJ mission statement reads, “The Society for Humanistic Judaism inspires, organizes, and advocates for secular individuals and congregations to celebrate Jewish identity and culture independent of supernatural authority and aligned with the values of Humanistic Judaism.”
I believe that this mission statement meets best practices. Let me dissect it for you.
The goal of SHJ, according to the mission statement, is to help secular individuals and congregations celebrate Jewish identity and culture independent of supernatural authority. It intends to meet this goal by inspiring, organizing and advocating. The statement is explicit about its values: those of Humanistic Judaism.
SHJ’s mission statement provides an important basis for its actions. I will go over the tactics that the statement inspires as well as how they have affected my family and me.
In its efforts to inspire, SHJ has published or supported books, magazines, print and broadcast media, social media, conferences, and participated in secular and Jewish networks. These resources have inspired many of us on our secular and Jewish journeys.
In helping to organize congregations, havurot, independent members and others interested in Humanistic Judaism, SHJ has helped groups in formation like the Gainesville Humanistic Judaism Community through visits and providing guidance and resources. It has helped to strengthen recruitment and retention of members. It also has supported congregational initiatives like schools, mitzvahs, adult education, and celebrations of holidays and the life cycle. For those outside congregations, it has helped organize independent members, HuJews on Campus and groups that bring together the Jewish community, particularly Jews for a Secular Democracy.
In efforts to advocate for Jewish, secular and interfaith causes, SHJ has joined groups such as Secular Coalition and Americans United; the National Council for Jewish Women and Keshet. It has issued resolutions on many issues of public concern. It also has joined with other organizations on amicus briefs for important social issues. Jews for a Secular Democracy, through state affiliates like mine in Florida, is an important vehicle for collaborating with many other organization to influence state and local decision-making on issues of separation of church and state and to fight the growing influence of Christian nationalism.
SHJ develops and provides resources for many people to celebrate their Jewish identity independent of supernatural authority. They include holiday supplements and guides, support for congregational liturgy, and opportunities for independent members and those interested in Humanistic Judaism to engage with each through social media.
The Society contributes to the celebration Jewish culture independent of supernatural authority through courses on Humanistic Judaism hosted by SHJ communities and by providing curricula and resources for schools and adult education.
SHJ’s work is aligned with the values of Humanistic Judaism. It sponsors a rabbi for the movement, facilitates community visits by the rabbi and executive director, and supports the training of rabbinical and lay leader candidates. It represents the Humanistic Judaism movement among Jewish and secular organizations.
To help those who are interested in how to live secularly, SHJ strengthens the capacity of Humanistic congregations to help their members lead secular and Jewish lives.
To build a movement of strong, secular congregations, SHJ provides best practices in organizing, recruitment, retention, networking, financing, and strategic planning.
Finally, SHJ advances the Humanistic Judaism movement. It educates members and builds the educational capacity of congregations. It helps develop creative Humanistic Jewish rituals. It also funds and works with other Humanistic Judaism institution, such as the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism.
As you can see, SHJ lives up to its mission statement, unlike many other organizations. Its work has affected all of us in this Board, as well as many people in our communities and around the world.
Very well said (written) Thanks for sharing this,