It’s been deeply satisfying and wonderful, all these discussions that we’ve been having as a community. I love how we can radically disagree with one another, and not become offended by each other. With this said, I wish to share a thought about Hebrew words that strike deep emotional responses Read more…
Yes, this is the Torah … that every non-theistic Jew seeks to fully understand! בּעזרת החיים ברוך החיים! How do secular Jews express gratitude, praise or wonder, if not to a god then to the universe in which we live? Published on Nov 30, 2020 “Blessed Are You, World” – Read more…
We are trained from birth by the culture we are in to see “God” as monolithic, rather than pluralistic. What do I mean? The answer is, intimately, itself a question: “What is the name of “God”?” “God” is a generic term, not a name. So, “God” can mean *any* human Read more…
For Jews that have found themselves being secular and/or humanistic Jews in leaning, a lot can be learned from the study of Chasidic Jewish history. Here me out for a moment, please! Like it has been with the formation of legitimate “non-theistic” Jewish communities – that no longer find Jewish Read more…
A snapshot of the internet’s idea of “What is traditional Judaism?”. If all versions of modern Judaisms around the world are reflective of a serious approach to traditional Jewish ethno-religious practice, then how are we defining “traditional” Judaism? Is “traditional” based on simple family heritage, shared myths and ethical values, Read more…
Every now and then, there will be those claiming to be religious Jews or from Israel who will say something to us secular Jews that is akin to this: “When a so-called Jewish man blasphemes Torah by the words this one has used [saying it’s human written], he reveals himself Read more…
by Joseph T Farkasdi I am not my hair, but my hair is a סימן about me! (סימן simàn, sign/symbol). Outside of their grammarian Hebrew, one of the most notable features of Yemenite Jews is the traditional פאות pe’òt / corners, sidelocks. As Chabad Lubavitch Rabbi Menachem Manis HaKohen Friedman Read more…
His name was Isaac, and in the first version of this tale he was a child sacrifice. This is obvious just from carefully reading our inherited text. But, the following is not so obvious, as evidenced by all the debates over the akedah throughout thousands of years: Whose son did Read more…
Without you all, there is no future to Judaism the ethno-religion in this archaeology informed world, beyond a few hundred families living the past (in a rather modern way) in the present. When I say “you all,” I mean every Orthodox to Humanistic Jew – theistic to non-theistic – that Read more…
Though we approach Jewish belief and ethno-religious practice in this way: שמע ישראל ניטול את חלקינו בתיקון עולם!* לא יהיה לי אלהים על פני. זכור את יום השבת לקדשו. It is important for all Jews to discuss the sacred national myths of our Jewish people. This means exploring “G-d,” without Read more…