Humanistic Judaism

Humanistic Judaism is a movement within Judaism which particularly focuses on Jewish culture and focuses on historical knowledge to belief in God as the foundation of Jewish identity.

Its rituals and ceremonies include no rabbi and no divine invocation. His philosophical views derived from the humanism , and his beliefs can be described by the following statements:

• A Jew is a person who identifies with its history, its culture, and believes in the future of the Jewish people
• The Judaism is the historic culture of the Jewish people and religion is only a small part of this culture
• The people have the power and responsibility to preserve his liberty by a strong independence vis--vis a supernatural authority and those who would argue representatives;
• The ethics and morality should serve human interests and choices must be based on consideration of the consequence of actions, rather than on traditional laws or commandments,
• Jewish history, like all stories, is a purely human and natural. Biblical texts and traditional are the product of human activity and are better understood from the archaeological and other scientific analysis.

Summary 1 Origins 2 Principles of Belief and Practice 3 Identity Jewish Marriage 4 Egalitarianism 5 Notes and references 6 Annexes 6.1 Related articles 6.2 External Links 7 External links

/ / Origins

The secularism and atheism is growing among Jews in the 19th century during the Haskalah , also called Jewish Enlightenment, during which many leaders and intellectuals who reject religious practices and beliefs in order to prefer the use of reason and the scientific method. Among these leaders of the late 19th century and early 20th century, the most promising of the humanist movement were Ahad Ha'am and Simon Dubnow.

In its current form, the Humanistic Judaism was founded in 1963 by Rabbi Sherwin Wine. So rabbi belonging to the movement of Reform Judaism , partly secular, Wine develops a liturgy Jewish philosophy which focuses on Jewish culture, history and identity which aims inherent ethical rules of humanism without rabbis or references to God. His congregation is growing in the Birmingham Temple , currently located in Farmington Hills (Michigan). He is quickly joined by a congregation of Reform the Illinois led by Rabbi Daniel Friedman, then a group of Westport (Connecticut).

In 1969, these congregations are grouped under the name Society for Humanistic Judaism. The international federation of Jewish secular humanist, which includes organizations from thirteen countries, was then founded in 1986. It has approximately 20,000 members worldwide.

Principles of Belief and Practice

The principles of Humanistic Judaism are similar to those of Reconstructionist Judaism , with an emphasis on Jewish identity that accepts inputs various scientific and humanist ethics. However, the Humanistic Judaism represents a radical departure vis--vis the Jewish religion.

Mordecai Kaplan redefines God and other traditionally religious terms to make them consistent with a vision materialistic world, and continues to use traditional religious language. Wine rejects this approach as it considers misleading, as people use words outside their traditional definition.

Wine then completes his philosophical work by creating rituals and ceremonies totally non-theist. Services were created for the Sabbath , Rosh Hashanah , Yom Kippur and other holidays and Jewish holidays, and giving a new interpretation of these moments to make them compatible with humanistic philosophy advocated.

Humanistic Judaism was developed as a solution to preserve Jewish identity among non-religious, secular Jews in North America, at a time when other forms of organizations lose their impact, including Jewish cultural nationalism, the Yiddish , and forms of Zionism.

Jewish identity and marriage

Within the Humanistic Judaism, Jewish identity is primarily a problem of personal identification with a culture.

Humanistic rabbis, supported by other personalities, formalize marriages between Jews and non-Jews, and the movement of Humanistic Judaism, unlike other Jewish organizations, takes no position or action that goes against these marriages non-Jews. This vision of Jewish identity is being criticized by those who believe that the assimilation of Jews into new companies or marriages outside religion will affect the continuity of the Jewish people.

Wine and other precursors of Humanistic Judaism respond to these remarks that the opening to non-Jews is necessary to prevent the fact that their peers reject entirely Jewish identity. They claim more than the continuity of the Jewish people can not be preserved by institutions who reject the growing number of Jewish laity , or marrying non-Jews.

Egalitarianism

Humanistic Judaism claims to be egalitarian with regard to respect for gender, Jewish status, and sexual orientation. Those who identify themselves as Jews, and those who do not identify as such, and that gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender persons can participate in all rituals and access all key positions.

References