Humanorah the newsletter of the Society for Humanistic Judaism affiliated with the International Federation of Secular Humanistic Jews Autumn, 2007 Vol. 30 No. 1 2007 colloquium to pay tribute to SHJ Conference 2008 will display the memory of Rabbi sherwin wine children’s works by president lou altman Don’t miss viewing the student ven before I became active in Human- the College of Pluralistic Judaism in “Tikkun Olam/Repairing the World” Eistic Judaism, I fell in love with the Jerusalem and a columnist for The Jerusa- competition entries displayed Fri- biennial colloquia that Rabbi Wine and the lem Record. 2001: “Secular Spirituality: day, April 4-Sunday, April 6, 2008, International Institute put on. This Octo- Passionate Journey to a Rational Juda- at the Marriott Warner Center in ber 19-21 promises to bring another in a ism” looked for the balance between a Woodland Hills, California, during string of great shows. secular lifestyle and the quest for “spiri- the 2008 SHJ Conference and tual” fulfillment. Does our rational belief Teen/Young Adult Conclave. Con- Few events provide such a concentrated system leave any room for such a thing? gratulations go to the following fi- intellectual feast. Rabbi Wine was a great 2003: “Jews & Non-Jews: The Love/ nalists: draw as a speaker, but these meetings also Hate Relationship” Time magazine’s have benefitted from another of his tal- Lisa Beyer helped us investigate. Art Competition ents: the ability to identify and attract lead- 2005:“Digging for the Truth: Archae- Beth Adam, Boca Raton ing scholars and speakers in their respec- ology and the Bible.” Who knows more Ben McGrath (4th-8th grade) tive fields and then give them a forum to about this than Professor Israel Finkelstein Ashley and Adam Heller impart their knowledge and insight, and of Tel Aviv University and Professor (4th-8th grade) sometimes even to figuratively knock Amihai Mazar of Hebrew University in Kahal B’raira, Boston heads with each other. Unfortunately, Jerusalem? Greg Kaiser (Kdg.-3rd grade) Rabbi Wine will not be with us, but be- Secular Jewish Circle of fore his untimely death in July, in his own AND NOW... Puget Sound inimitable manner, he did arrange this up- 2007: Jews and the Muslim World: Daniel Valarsky (Kdg.-3rd grade) coming event for us. Our presence, there, Solving the Puzzle. Speakers include Suzanne Parikh (high school) will pay homage to his memory. Fawaz Gerges, author, senior analyst and commentator for ABC TV; Amir Hussain, Writing Competition After a colloquium weekend I typically author and specialist in Muslim societies Beth Adam, Boca Raton return home with the feeling that I have in North America; Jacob Lassner, author Jason Dobkin (4th-8th grade) had a quick PhD, that I have seen all sides and professor of Jewish Studies, North- of a subject and now understand it fully. western University; and others.The topic Special Awards for Group Projects And how important are those subjects, is timely, and I, for one, wouldn’t miss it Birmingham Temple, MI how central to our lives as Humanistic for the world. Or Emet, MN Jews? Decide for yourself. SHJ members sometimes ask how they Witness our students’ creativity at 1997: “Reclaiming Jewish History” I can get more out of their membership in Conference 2008, “Connecting to heard what historians— scholars such as the Movement. Here’s one way. Come to Judaism: I Did It My Way,” Join Norman Cantor— had discovered about Colloquium 2007 and have a once-in-a- us as we explore how each of us con- the truth behind our myths. 1999: “Be- lifetime intellectual adventure you’ll never nects to Judaism in our own way. yond Tradition: the Struggle for a New forget. For more information, call 248- Jewish Identity” We examined alterna- 476-9532, email [email protected] or visit Book your hotel room now: 1-800- tives ranging from Bundism and Ethical www.iishj.org. And if you want to catch 228-9290, and tell them the SHJ sent Culture to Reconstructionism and Secu- up, purchase the proceedings of past col- you. Stay tuned for more informa- lar Humanistic Judaism with the dean of loquia from the SHJ (www.shj.org). tion. 2nd To Honor a man and his life’s work Belonging to SHJ is a wonderful thing; you SHJ have like-minded friends wherever you go! AFFILIATES My daughter, Paula, is now a member of Oraynu, in Toronto and good friends with Rabbi Eva Goldfinger. It’s a small world! ALABAMA A natural outgrowth of my involvement with Or Hadash, HJC of Birmingham SHJ was to establish THE KAREL & SHEILA ARIZONA BASS FUND FOR COMMUNITY DEVEL- Or Adam, CHJ OPMENT. On Sherwin’s recent visit here, CALIFORNIA which was received with great enthusiasm by Adat Chaverim, Valley CHJ Kol Hadash, CHJ both members, and guests, I brought my Fund Orange County SHJ n two days, it will be seven years since to his attention and let him know that it has Pacific Community of SHJ HJC, San Diego Karel died. I think of him every day, but its place in my will. I did not tell him to re- even more at this time. It was Karel who ceive his thanks, but to let him know that I COLORADO I Beth Ami, Colorado CHJ became enamored with Sherwin. Not long af- wish to honor his life’s work. Sherwin cre- ter we arrived in Detroit from London in ated this wonderful Movement with which so CONNECTICUT CHJ, Fairfield County 1968, he attended a class on comparative re- many of us have linked our lives; I want to ligion and couldn’t stop talking about this make sure that it will continue long into the FLORIDA Congregation Beth Adam wonderful Rabbi Wine! Deciding to join the future, after both he and I are no longer Congregation for HJ, Sarasota Birmingham Temple was the best thing we around. ILLINOIS ever did! Not only did we find intellectual Beth Chaverim stimulation but many, many, new friends. The I hope those of you who are able will also take Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation Temple truly became our second home and this step, which will ensure the place of Hu- MASSACHUSETTS the center of our lives. manistic Judaism as the fifth dimension of Kahal B’raira, Boston CHJ Judaism.To the Humanorah Editor MICHIGAN Later, when we toyed with the idea of mov- The Birmingham Temple Sheila Bass, president, Orange County, CA ing to California, the decision was made easy MINNESOTA by the very existence of O.C.S.H.J., right here [Editor’s Note: You, too, can honor Rabbi Or Emet, CHJ of Minnesota in what was then Leisure World. The minute Sherwin Wine and ensure the future of Human- NEW JERSEY Morris County CHJ we walked in on that first Friday night, we istic Judaism by remembering the SHJ in your felt at home. That was nine years ago. Our will. In turn, the Society will recognize you in NEW YORK Beth Haskalah, Rochester SHJ group, here, is still vibrant, though smaller its Heritage Circle. Established in 2007, the The City Congregation than previously, and the core members are Heritage Circle was created to distinguish and Kol Haverim, Finger Lakes CHJ Long Island Havurah for HJ definitely aging. I just celebrated my 75th honor those donors who have supported the Queens Community for birthday and am the kid; that’s why they let Society through a planned gift. Look for our Cultural Judaism Spinoza SHJ, Riverdale me be president, going into my seventh year! new brochure in the mail later this fall.] Westchester CHJ Autumn 2007 NORTH CAROLINA Humanorah Vol. 30, No. 1 Triangle CHJ Humanorah is a publication of the Society for Humanistic Judaism, a non-profit organization that mobi- OREGON lizes people to celebrate Jewish identity and culture consistent with a humanistic philosophy of life. Kol Shalom, CHJ PENNSYLVANIA Humanorah is sent to members of the Society for Humanistic Judaism as a benefit of membership. Mem- Shir Shalom, CHJ bership in the Society for Humanistic Judaism is $75 per year plus local dues where applicable. Member- ship is tax deductible as provided by law. WASHINGTON Secular Jewish Circle of Puget Sound President: Lou Altman WASHINGTON, DC Executive Director: Bonnie Cousens Machar, CHSJ Community Development Director: Rabbi Miriam Jerris Editor/Designer: Harriet Maza CANADA Oraynu, Toronto, ON Address all inquiries about Humanorah to the Society for Humanistic Judaism, 28611 W. 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills, MI, 48334, 248/478-7610, Fax: 248/478-3159, E-mail: [email protected], Web page: www.shj.org. 2 Notes From Around the Globe Oraynu holds screening of kike like me After the destruction of the Temple, the legend devel- non-Jews, and who gets to choose the definition. Kastner oped that on the spring harvest holiday of Shavuot, God cast himself as a cool guy, eager to get along with strang- gave the Torah to the Israelites on Mt Sinai. Shavuot thus ers but who inadvertently creates revealing situations became a time to explore our defining texts. wherever he goes. From Orthodox Jews in New York to an aborted meeting with Pat Buchanan, from an Humanistic Jews do not limit our texts to the Torah Amsterdam football team who call themselves Juden as and ancient sources. Nor should we limit ourselves to print some kind of joke, to a Paris encounter with Arab anti- texts. Jews have used film since its invention in the last semitism, his scenarios open up surprises and questions century to explore identity. about ritual and self-conception, bigotry and oversensitivity.