 Message
from Earl, our Ceremonies Leader
“The Jewish people are an extended family whose shared history, memories, and destiny
are commemorated in beautiful holiday celebrations. Humanistic Jews find meaning in the celebration of life through the historic
Hebrew calendar and seek to interpret this calendar in a naturalistic way.” -- QUOTE FROM THE SOCIETY FOR HUMANISTIC JUDAISM Shabbat
and Holiday Services: If you have experienced traditional
services and found them to be either unfulfilling or just a bit boring, you’ll enjoy our humanistic services. Actually,
rather than calling them services, we refer to them as celebrations. Using non-theistic language, we combine elements of traditional
and contemporary words, poetry and music to make the services beautiful, inspirational, motivational, and thought provoking.
You could even say they’re very spiritual. By drawing on many resources, ancient and modern, we celebrate Jewish holidays
with rituals consistent with our humanistic philosophy. Attend one and see for yourself. Celebration
of Life Cycle Events: The
birth of a child, the coming of age (Bar and Bat Mitzvahs), marriage and death all present occasions for family and community
to share the emotions and articulate the values that make life meaningful.
Eva
Goldfinger - Consulting Rabbi
Rabbi Eva Goldfinger was raised in a Chasidic
family in Toronto, Canada. As she grew into adulthood, she began to experience doubts about the role prescribed for her by
Orthodox tradition, that of dutiful wife, mother, and community member, and to question the requirement for absolute obedience
to Talmudic teachings. Throughout her years of Jewish education, she yearned for a philosophy which would allow her to embrace
Judaism without compromising her ideals and beliefs, and eventually “found a home” in the Humanistic Judaism movement. Eva was ordained as Canada's first Humanistic
rabbi in 2005, and currently serves as a rabbi for the Oraynu Congregation in Toronto. She remains active on the Boards of
the Society for Humanistic Judaism, the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, the Congress of Secular Jewish
Organizations, and both the national and international sections of the International Federation of Secular Humanistic Jews.
Additionally, Eva maintains an active psychotherapy practice in Toronto. "Working in this movement has taught me a great deal, not the least of which is patience, diplomacy,
and respect for differences. Over the years I have grown intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually in ways that I can directly
attribute to the amazing philosophy of Secular Humanistic Judaism.” |
