Whenever a humanistic rabbi officiates a wedding or baby naming or funeral, afterwards people show great enthusiasm. Finally, they have witnessed a ceremony where words are said that don’t conflict with their beliefs. They ask “Where have you been?” These life cycle events embody the beliefs of the secular humanistic Jewish movement; being in community, celebrating Jewish connection inclusively, and maintaining our intellectual and spiritual integrity by honestly saying what we believe. 

And now, we are so fortunate to have a book, compiled by Rabbi Adam Chalom and Rabbi Jodi Kornfeld, that describes the beliefs, ethics, history, identity, and culture of the secular humanistic Jewish movement. In this book various humanist rabbis and other leaders of this movement and other writers have contributed to rich discussions that include Judaism without God, God as a literary figure, positive humanism as a guiding principle, Jewish identity, Jewish art, music, and literature, liturgy, life cycle, and education. 

Anyone who has an open mind and is interested in exploring a form of Judaism that is in sync with their humanist beliefs will be overjoyed when they read this book. Or maybe you are Reform, or Conservative, or Orthodox. You, too will benefit, knowing that the Jewish community as a whole includes secular humanistic Jews. We are all family and will all benefit from reading this rich and engaging book. 

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