Humanistic Judaism

Abstract

Like Reconstructionist Judaism, Jewish Humanism offers a non-theistic interpretation of the Jewish faith. Originating in the 1960s in Detroit, Michigan, under the leadership of Rabbi Sherwin Wine, Humanistic Judaism now numbers about 40 000 members in the United States, Israel, Europe and elsewhere. Distancing itself from all other branches of Judaism, this new movement extols the humanistic dimensions of the faith. On the basis of this ideology, Jewish holidays and life-cycle events have been reinterpreted so as to emphasize their humanistic characteristics; in addition, Humanistic Jews insist that traditional Jewish beliefs must be reformulated in the light of scientific knowledge. Promoting a secular life style, this new conception of Judaism seeks to adjust the Jewish tradition to modernity. However, although Humanistic Judaism has attracted a growing number of followers, its confidence in human potential appears misplaced given the horrific events of the twentieth century. The Holocaust has cast a shadow over any form of Humanism, and it is difficult to envisage such a modernized form of Judaism appealing to world Jewry, particularly those individuals who seek a spiritual solution to the problems of the contemporary age.