Our Beliefs

Humanistic Jews are believers; we believe in people.

Human responsibility

instead of prayer

We celebrate Jewish identity and culture by replacing worship with our belief in human responsibility and equality. We view our founding narratives as powerful literary myths, but not history.

Genuinely Welcoming

We fully accept everyone’s life choices, partners and family heritages. Services are mostly in English, human-focused, and sensitive to a diverse audience; everyone  is able to equally and meaningfully participate.

Responsibility to

improve the world 

Our attention is on this life, this world, and real human experience. We emphasize action and responsibility, believing in the need to make a positive difference in our own lives and in the lives of others.

 

Jewish traditions adapted to match our values

We honor our tradition by adapting our inheritance to reflect our values and meet our needs, as our ancestors did before us.

 

Saying what we mean and meaning what we say

What we say and practice in our congregation is consistent with what we believe.  If you don’t believe the words you are saying, even in another language, why say them?

A strong cultural education that encourages questions rather than just answers 

Our children explore what it means to be Jewish and to value their Jewish identity. We teach them to feel confident in asking questions and thinking for themselves.

No financial barriers to joining our community

We believe that membership should be about meaning rather than money. Our innovative membership model, which allows people to freely choose their annual financial contribution, is another example of how we live our values of equality and welcoming all.