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Congregation
Adat Chaverim
Our
Beliefs, Our Values,
Our Identity
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Please also read the comments of founder, Rabbi Sherwin Wine.
PDF
Texts of several of our Services now available here!
Secular Humanistic Judaism is not Judaism "lite," or a less demanding version of Reform Judaism. It is a bold statement by those Jews who clearly articulate a belief in the power of humanity and in Jewish identity. --- Adam Chalom, SHJ Rabbi
We
in Adat Chaverim are Humanistic Jews.
-Humanistic
Judaism offers secular Jews a non-theistic philosophy of life that integrates
the value of Jewish identity with a belief in the importance of human reason
and human power.
-It
declares that reason rather than faith is the source of truth, and that human
intelligence and experience are capable of guiding our lives.
-And
it offers an opportunity to practice Judaism in ways that are consistent with
our humanistic outlook.
Humanistic
Jews understand Judaism — with its culture, civilization, ethical values —
as a people-centered philosophy. Encompassing
many languages and cultures, a vast body of literature, ethics, art, dance,
music, and food, Judaism is much more than a set of religious beliefs and
practices.
-It
is the sum total of the cultural and historical experience of the Jewish people.
Humanistic Jews discover their "Jewishness" — and derive their Jewish identity,
values, ethics, and teachings — from the lessons of this experience. These
experiences include not just the ancient events of Biblical times, but our
own contemporary events and challenges as well. Indeed, the experiences of
our own times-- including the Holocaust and the rebirth of the State of Israel,
along with the personal sagas and journeys of our own families-- occupy an
important part of our Jewish consciousness.
Humanistic Jews thus preserve the aspects of our Jewish culture that offer a meaningful connection to our people's past. -And we practice Judaism in ways that are relevant to our lives and are compatible with our humanistic values. -We celebrate Jewish holidays and life-cycle ceremonies as cultural expressions of the cycles of nature, human life, and events in Jewish history. -Using language that conforms to our humanistic approach, we feel free to adopt or adapt aspects of traditional observances that we find meaningful, and to create new forms that meet the needs of present and future generations.
We also teach that we are responsible to one another and that we need one another: to celebrate our joys, to endure our sorrows, and to become partners together in making the world a better place for all people. -We therefore seek to foster and sustain this Valley Congregation to realize our beliefs. -Adat Chaverim welcomes individuals and families of all ages, of all nationalities, and of all make-ups, including inter-cultural families, to join us in this joyous endeavor.
What Can Our Congregation Offer You?
As a Humanistic Jewish congregation, we offer you a warm, welcoming community of like-minded people-- a fellowship of humanistic Jews who have joined together to celebrate their Jewish identity in a style consistent with rational thinking. -You will discover a community who, like yourself, seeks to affirm the many values of Judaism's past while learning how to better cope with the challenges of our modern world. -Click on a link below to get more information:
Adat
Chaverim is an affiliate of the national 