Guest Author – Society for Humanistic Judaism

The Hanukkah Story – Miracle, Myth, or History?

November 28, 2021
Guest Author

[Excerpted from Natan Fuchs in “Here is Our Light: Humanistic Jewish Holiday and Life-Cycle Liturgy for Inspiration and Reflection,” pp. 53-54. For a printable PDF of this excerpt, please click here.] Those who come from a traditional Jewish background are […]

Why I am Becoming a Humanistic Jew

November 3, 2021
Guest Author

Adopting Humanistic Judaism, Finding Humanistic Judaism, HJ Meaning

This is a guest post by Ronald Speelman of Lisbon, Portugal. We are happy to adopt him into the SHJ community and welcome him as a member of the Jewish people. His Hebrew name is Lior. Why become part of […]

A Sukkah of Peace

September 22, 2021
Guest Author

Advocacy, HJ Meaning, Holidays, Sukkot

This is a guest post by Rabbi Jeffrey Falick of the Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Metro Detroit, founded in 1963 as the Birmingham Temple. Happy Sukkot! If there was ever a great example of bad holiday planning, it’s Sukkot. […]

Rabbi Greg Epstein New President of Harvard Chaplains

August 26, 2021
Guest Author

Advocacy, Grow Humanistic Judaism, SHJ Member News

This is a reflection from Greg Epstein who has been name the new chief Chaplain at Harvard. See article by Emma Goldberg at “The New York Times” August 26, 2021. Twenty-one years and a few weeks ago, I met a […]

Birmingham Temple Becomes Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Metro Detroit

August 24, 2021
Guest Author

Community News, Grow Humanistic Judaism, HJ Meaning

Rabbi Jeffrey L. Falick describes how the first congregation for Humanistic Judaism received its new name. One of the core principles of Humanistic Judaism is that “we say what we mean and mean what we say.” That thinking is largely […]

Reflection on SHJ’s Mission from a Life-Long Humanistic Jew

August 17, 2021
Guest Author

Grow Humanistic Judaism, HJ Meaning

This is a guest post by SHJ Board Member Libby Otto. To begin our meetings a Board Member is asked to reflect on SHJ’s mission statement. This is Libby’s reflection. I was raised by a former SHJ board member so […]

Becoming a Humanistic Jew

July 12, 2021
Guest Author

Adopting Humanistic Judaism, Finding Humanistic Judaism, HJ Meaning

This is a guest post by SHJ member Kristen Koeblin who just adopted Judaism. Her Hebrew name is Tamar Jordana. This is her story. When I was 12, my family received our copy of The Book of Wikler. It is […]

Shame & Pride & Prejudice

June 11, 2021
Guest Author

Advocacy, HJ Meaning

This is a guest post by Rabbi Jeffrey Falick of the Birmingham Temple, Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, the first congregation for Humanistic Judaism, in Metropolitan Detroit. This morning I made one of my very rare visits to Facebook to wish […]

SHJ Mission Reflection

April 29, 2021
Guest Author

Finding Humanistic Judaism, HJ Meaning

This is a guest post by Victoria Ratnaswamy, a member of Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation and Vice President of the Society for Humanistic Judaism, shared at the April 2021 Board Meeting. The Society for Humanistic Judaism Mission Statement approved by […]

The Unwritten Eulogy

March 19, 2021
Guest Author

End of Life, HJ Meaning

THE UNWRITTEN EULOGY This is a guest post by Jodi Kornfeld, Rabbi of Beth Chaverim Humanistic Jewish Community in Deerfield, Illinois. The Unwritten Eulogy was first presented at the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism’s end of the year 2020 […]

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