Mic 6:4 “For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.”
As it was in the BCE to CE transition of the world and Jewish history, the primary role of a “Rabbi” – a חכם Chacham, a ቄስ Qess, a מורה Moreh/Morah – was to teach and to lead, by providing knowledge and doable examples to those who seek to deepen their appreciation of the *Jewish* way of life. It wouldn’t be until the 3rd century CE that Rabbis also became – in a sense – “priests,” who are leading prayer services. It was at this time of history that synagogues transformed into more than just schools and community centers, but into prayer halls.
Then, fast forward to present, European Jews experienced a modern 19th century emancipation, and the role of community teacher has now become politically complicated in many Western Jewish institutions. College degrees are near worshipped, alongside the Rabbinical title itself (and, if you want recognition, you will get them!) – and an air of authority and disconnect from the common everyday Jewish lives abounds everywhere that big name Rabbinical movements dominate. Some call this, along with the “white privileges” that come with it, “Ashkenormativism.” We call this something very sad that is to be avoided, along with the highly expensive in cost “Christianized” approach to this Western Judaism.
In our traditional ethical Jewish community, it is *we*, the Jewish people of our community, that decides the type of teachers that we want to inspire us to action, and who within the community will be those teachers (who amongst us *obviously* has the needed gifts to lead and inspire!). The community Teachers’ role is very clear – he or she informs and teaches, leads and addresses lifecycle rituals, and counsels community members – as it should be, according to historical tradition. He or she assists/prepares future Rabbis of the community (potential rabbis are chosen by the community, not by the teacher and not based on artificial paper credentials), and he or she suggests halachic rulings that addresses halachic concerns of the community (for community consideration and adoption).
In Traditional Ethical Judaism, we respect the role that three-times-a-day prayer Judaism has played in keeping our people’s way of life and ethno-religion alive and continuing throughout the generations of this multi-millennia Common Era. This is why we continue the uniquely Jewish version of verbal meditative reflection – at least once a day, depending upon the individual – for every adult member, with children encouraged.
But, unlike religious prayer Judaism, we do not repeat the traditional – now, world-wide – prayer liturgy. It would be very disingenuous for us to do so, as traditional Jews who are non-theistic. Instead, as the secular/atheist humanistic Judaism movement puts it, “We say what we mean, and mean what we say!” (and unlike some of them, we *know* our definitions and apply them accurately for the sake of tikun olam!).
At least once a day, we cover ourselves in tallit with tsitsit – some include tefillin – and we chant from a siddur that is specifically designed to be in a dialogue with prayer Judaism. This siddur we call “Siddur Sfekot,” a Siddur of Doubts. Whenever we chant together as a community or as a minyan or as a group, anyone can lead the chanting of the words in this siddur.
As some would say, we look the part, we behave the part, but – very openly – we respectfully deny the imagined “God” part in Jewish tradition – thereby, placing the authority of halachic way of life into the hands of the true holders, the Jewish people. (This is not to say that we deny the possible existent of a creative Source to the universe, only that we question and reject all human-imagined expressions of this potential Source that possibly exists.)
We categorically recognize that it is we, the Jewish people, through our wrestling with our ethno-religious tradition and our history as a people, who are the ones who are determining our future – and whether our prophets are right about our survival that continues until the land, the earth, is no more!
Here, below, is a sample from סידור ספקות (Sidur Sfekot).