Jewish holidays consist of layers of development. They were originally created by human beings to acknowledge and understand natural events and occurrences, human desires, and human achievements. Religious figures subsequently added a divine layer to the holidays as a way of elevating them to the realm of the supernatural, but the human themes always remained.
Humanistic Jews observe the Jewish holidays through a philosophy that emphasizes the original themes of human knowledge, achievement, and responsibility. Through innovative liturgy (which is largely in English), we honor Jewish traditions, but instead of doing things simply because “that’s the way they’ve always been done,” we explore the origin of the holidays and the history behind the traditions, and we adapt the themes to be relevant to our lives today. As Humanistic Jews, we read, say and sing what we truly believe.
Celebrate the Jewish holidays humanistically! Find upcoming Hanukkah programming here.
