Humanistic & Secular Jews Build Transnational Organizations in North America

Secular and cultural concerns have long been an organizing force among North American Jews. In 1900, a convocation of immigrants gathered to found Der Arbeter Ring, in English, The Workmen's Circle. Early in the 20th century, they established the I.L. Peretz School/Shule System. In 1963, Rabbi Sherwin Wine founded the Humanistic Jewish Movement, establishing the Society for Humanistic Judaism in 1969. A few years later the Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations was formed from a loose coalition of secular Jewish groups that had been meeting since 1965. All three of these groups have been transnational, including groups in the United States and Canada.

Congregations and Communities

Most of the congregations and communities in North America belong to one of these large groups, although there do exist Humanistic Jewish groups in North America that are not affiliated with any of these organizations.

International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism

The IISHJ is the academic and intellectual center for Secular Humanistic Judaism. It provides professional training and general adult education, focussing on a 5-year program to ordain humanist rabbis. Its educational materials are the defining materials for Humanistic Judaism. (www.iishj.org)

Society for Humanistic Judaism

The primary national organization organizing humanistic congregations and communities throughout the United States. (www.shj.org)

Arizona: Or Adam Congregation for Humanistic Judaism
Califormia: Adat Chaverim Congregation for Humanistic Judaism
       Kahal Am Humanistic Jewish Community of San Diego
       Kol Hadash Northern California Community of Humanistic Judaism
       Orange County Society for Humanistic Judaism
       Pacific Community of Cultural Jews
Colorado: Beth Ami Colorado Congregaion For Humanistic Judaism
Connecticut: Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of FairField County
District of Columbia: Machar: The Washington Congregation for SHJ
Florida: Congregation Beth Adam
       Congregation for Humanistic Judaism
       Humanistic Jewish Havurah of Southwest Forida
Illinois: Beth Chaverim Humanistic Jewish Community
       Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation of Chicago
Maryland: Baltimore Jewish Cultural Chavurah
Massachusetts: Kahal B'raira Boston Congregation for Humanistic Judaism
Michigan: Birmingham Temple
Minnesota: Or Emet Minnesota Congregation for Humanistic Judaism
New Jersey: The Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Morris County
New York: Beth Haskalah Rochester Society for Humanistic Judaism
       The City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism
       Westchester Community for Humanistic Judaism
North Carolina: Kol Haskalah: A Humanistic Jewish Congregation
Ohio: Humanist Jewish Chavurah of Columbus
Ontario, Canada: Oraynu Congregation
Oregon: Kol Shalom Community for Humanistic Judaism
Washington: Secular Jewish Circle of Puget Sound

 

Transnational Organizations

Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations

www.csjo.org

Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring

Fosters Jewish identity and Yiddish culture and education and the pursuit of social and economic justice.
www.circle.org

Hashomer Hatzair

A Progressive Zionist Youth Movement that specializes in youth-led experiential Jewish education.
www.hashomerhatzair.org

Humanist Organizations
As time goes on, the philosophical similarity between humanism and Humanistic Judaism is becoming more marked. Humanistic Jews still have the Jewish experience and history that remain different from the experience and history of other humanists, but their shared humanism gives Humanistic Jews many good friends among non-Jewish humanists. In addition, we have found that most humanist organizations attract Jewish members. IFSHJ has a special responsibility to Jewish members of humanist organizations that are not associated with Humanistic Judaism. IFSHJ will remain vigilant for ways to carry out its responsibility in this area. Our first step is to cement our friendship with these groups.

American Humanist Association

The American Humanist Association was founded in the early 20th century by a combination of humanists and ministers of the Unitarian-Universalist Association. Their humanist founders felt a need for a major organization to support humanism. The Unitarian ministers also wanted to provide an outlet for their humanist members that would not seriously challenge the Unitarian-Universalist Association, unlike Ethical Culture. For most of the 20th century, the American Humanist Association remained the central organized structure for humanists outside of Ethical Culture. The AHA and Ethical Culture cooperated on many intellectual and organizational developments in humanism during the 20th century, including the Humanist Manifestos and the International Humanist and Ethical Union.
www.americanhumanist.org

Secular Coalition for America

Advocacy organization for the entire nontheistic community in the United States. Lobbies U.S. Congress on issues of concern to their constituency.

www.secular.org

American Ethical Union

Ethical Culture is the oldest branch of organized humanism in the United States, dating back to the 19th century. Ethical Culture has always offered an alternative to the humanism that was available within the Unitarian-Universalist Association. Within Ethical Culture, the humanist philosophy has always had first-class status, while within the Unitarian-Universalist Association, the support for humanism has always had a second-class level of support relative to the Christian elements of the Unitarian-Universalist sect. Today, however, most Unitarians will argue that humanism does not have second-class status within Unitarianism. The nature of humanism is that such questions remain open and in controversy.
www.aeu.org

HUUmanists

Throughout the 20th century, most studies show that more self-proclaimed humanists were associated with the Unitarian-Universalist Association than any other national organization in North America. Founded in 1962 as the Fellowship of Religious Humanists, this group has avoided use of the term "secular", but has recently re-affirmed its purpose of advancing humanism within the Unitarian-Universalist denomination. There was a period of time when this organization tried to establish "Religious Humanism" as a widely accepted approach within the United States, joining forces with Ethical Culture as much as possible. The inherent organizational conflict between Unitarianism and Ethical Culture may have helped doom this effort, even though they agree that humanism, even when strictly naturalistic, is more than simply a set of secular concerns.
www.huumanists.org

Other Organizations
In addition to philosophically-based organizations, there are a few organizations that serve more than just humanists but that are very important to humanists.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State

Advocacy organization that seeks to preserve and protect religious freedom for every single American. Although broader than humanism, drawing support from many people of many religions in America, this organization is supported heavily by humanists, freethinkers, and atheists. They have successfully organized across all organizational boundaries by keeping their purpose very secular and American. Founded in 1947.
www.au.org