A Humanistic Jewish education. A leg up on life.
Students in Humanistic Jewish Sunday School gain wisdom and perspective by making meaningful connections to their history, without any religious indoctrination.
- They grapple with the big questions in life, which stimulates intellectual growth and encourages a spirit of free, rational inquiry.
- They grow from children into empowered young adults, gaining knowledge and skills that will last a lifetime and help them make the world a better place.
Click here for a list of local Humanistic Jewish communities offering children’s school programs.
The Humanistic Jewish Sunday School curriculum teaches evidence-based Jewish history, stories, art and music. Children learn to use critical thinking and scientific reasoning to assess inherited truths. The teaching of ethics and values forms the core of the curriculum at each grade level.
The Curriculum
Individual congregations tailor their programming to best meet the needs of their local communities.
Often, children study the Jewish holidays, art and music, life cycle ceremonies, and the full diversity of their family histories in the early grades, move on to study Jewish history and literature in the middle grades, and then focus on topics such as the Holocaust, Israel, comparative religion, and humanistic philosophy in the upper grades.
Sometimes students choose their own topics for study, with teachers serving as guides and resource persons. Creative, innovative methods and a variety of concrete, hands-on activities — such as dramatization, Jewish cooking, Jewish culture, field trips, community service, family involvement, and camp retreats — make a Humanistic Jewish education a stimulating, challenging, relevant, memorable, and enjoyable experience. Find a local program near you!
Since our approach to Jewish community is cultural rather than religious, we are radically inclusive: multicultural, multiracial, interfaith, intermarried, not Jewish, part Jewish, LGBTQ+…. all are equal participants with no special roles reserved only for some. If you are new to Humanistic Judaism, we invite you to explore this website to learn more about our nontheistic alternative to Jewish life and whether it aligns with your own philosophy.
For information about our unique Cultural B (bar/bat) Mitzvah coming-of-age ceremonies and study programs, please click here.
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