Four Centuries of Secular and Humanistic Judaism

Seminar hosted by Machar: The Washington DC Congregation for Secular Humanistic Judaism

How did Jewish life become so diverse today? Who were the first Jews to connect with Jewish culture
independent of religion? And how did they lead to Secular Humanistic Judaism?

Friday, February 8 —NO CHARGE, ALL ARE WELCOME
At Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza, One Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910
7:00pm-9:30pm Shabbat Celebration – “Secular Humanistic Judaism & Jewish Tradition”

Saturday, February 9
At Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza, One Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910
I) 9:00am-12:30pm “Judaisms—Enlightenment, Emancipation & Modern Judaisms”
II) 1:30pm-4:30pm “Jewishness: Socialism, Yiddishism, Zionism & Modern Culture”

Sunday, February 10—FREE for Machar members or under 25
At Jewish Primary Day School, 6045 16th St. NW, Washington DC 20011
III) 10:00am-12:30pm Darwin Day: “Still Jewish: Science & Secular/ Humanist Philosophy”

More info: http://www.machar.org/index.php?option=com_easyblog&view=entry&id=161&Itemid=322.

It's Time to Repeal the 2nd Amendment

As a former card-carrying member of the NRA, I like guns.  But the time has come, IMHO, to get rid of this antiquated piece of junk known as the 2nd Amendment.  You don't need an assault rifle (or six) to hunt deer.

I have signed petitions http://www.change.org/petitions/united-states-congress-repeal-the-2nd-amendment
and http://wh.gov/Rord, and urge you to do the same.

Rabbo Frank Tamburello's Thoughts on the Newtown Tragedy

Rabbi Frank Tamburello is the rabbi of the Westchester Community for Humanistic Judaism, the Westchester County, NY affiliate of the Society for Humanistic Judaism.  Below are his thought on the tragedy that recently occurred in Newton, CT:

On behalf of the Westchester Community for Humanistic Judaism, I would like to
express my deepest sorrow and solidarity with the families and friends of the victims in
the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. May their memories continue to bless our
lives.

Our Jewish tradition tells us that there is nothing considered more sacred than the
preservation of life, and yet everywhere we turn, it seems, we are confronted with
images of violence, death, and destruction.

Our liturgy says “aleynu” - “it is up to us.” It is up to us to take responsibility for creating
a society that is life-affirming, to strive for a world where we can embrace each other in
love, a world where violence is not glorified, but abhorred, a world where differences are
resolved without conflict and with respect for the rights of every human being.

Let us strive for a world where “peace on earth, and goodwill to all” are more than just
trite holiday song lyrics. A world where our children, and all of us, can feel safe and
secure. A world where we see our own face in the face of everyone we meet.

These horrific images, and the brave response to them show us that although suffering
will always be with us, it is within our power to help in the healing process, and to work
to create a better world for all.

We read in Pirke Avot - The Wisdom of the Sages: “Suffering is the stuff of life, and
through suffering, one opens the heart to compassion, the shared pain of living beings.
We withstand our trials by feeling the pain without abandoning the world.” (V. 4)
It is up to us to light candles against the darkness of the world, and to be alive and truly
present in the project of tikkun olam - the repair of the world.

Rabbi Frank

Ask President Obama to Drop Religious Oath

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has sent a letter to President Obama asking him to reject the way this country politicizes religion. The Constitution, which prescribes the oath in Art. 2, Sect. 1, does not contain the “so help me God” language or require use of a bible. As FFRF has always done before presidential inaugurations, we are asking President Obama to honor the Constitution on Jan. 21 by omitting that religious verbiage from the Oath of Office.

Secular Americans are the fastest growing religious identification demographic in this country. It’s time politicians stop pandering to the religious right and start courting us. Please choose one of the three courses of action listed below.

Click here to read FFRF's letter before you take action. 
Thank you for your help! 

---

1. Easiest 

Submit a shorter version of this same letter on the White House webform. All you have to do is cut and paste one of the messages below and submit it to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments. 
Copy and paste the following text if you are 30 or younger. 
I write to respectfully ask you to re-examine using religion as a political tool in your second term. This election highlights the country’s rapidly shifting demographics. The electorate’s religious affiliation is changing more quickly than any other metric, including race. In 1990, 8% of Americans were nonreligious. When you were elected in 2008, 15% of Americans identified as nonreligious. Now that number is 20%.

Most strikingly, 1-in-3 Americans under 30 now identify as nonreligious. We, the 30-and-unders, elected you in 2008 and again in 2012. We are the future of this country. And we are tired of our leaders injecting religion into politics. Politicians use religion to pander to their base, but it excludes us.

You called Nov. 5 “the last day that I will ever campaign.” This is a gift. You are beholden to no future constituency. Reach out to secular Americans. In the past, that might have been politically costly. But this recent election shows that it will be politically costly not to reach out to secular America. Use this second term to build a legacy by rejecting the way this country politicizes religion.

You can start on Jan. 21. When you reaffirm your oath, do so in the language the Founders specified in the godless Constitution. Eliminate the religious verbiage and the bible. The “so help me God” tradition violates the Constitution in the act of promising to uphold it. The ritual alienates the demographic that politicians must now rely on.

Use this term to bring secular America into the political conversation, and to forge a legacy worthy of the Founders. Restore the presidential oath and begin divorcing American politics from religion.
Your first inaugural address recognized nonbelievers and expressed a hope “that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve, that … our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.”

The final tribal allegiance is not sex, or race, or sexual orientation. It is religion. Private citizens are free to maintain that allegiance, but it is time our government abandoned it. Please lead us into an era of politics free from religious rhetoric.

Start small. Start by restoring the oath. Our once silent minority will no longer remain silent as politicians trample the document we hold sacred—the Constitution. Honor the oath as you recite it on January 21 and lead us into the new era you promised 4 years ago.

With hope,

Copy and paste the following text if you are 30 or older. 
I write to respectfully ask you to re-examine using religion as a political tool in your second term. This election highlights the country’s rapidly shifting demographics. The electorate’s religious affiliation is changing more quickly than any other metric, including race. In 1990, 8% of Americans were nonreligious. When you were elected in 2008, 15% of Americans identified as nonreligious. Now that number is 20%.

Most strikingly, 1-in-3 Americans under 30 now identify as nonreligious. The 30-and-unders are the future of this country. They and the rest of secular America are tired of our leaders injecting religion into politics. Politicians use religion to pander to their base, but it excludes us.

You called Nov. 5 “the last day that I will ever campaign.” This is a gift. You are beholden to no future constituency. Reach out to secular Americans. In the past, that might have been politically costly. But this recent election shows that it will be politically costly not to reach out to secular America. Use this second term to build a legacy by rejecting the way this country politicizes religion.

You can start on Jan. 21. When you reaffirm your oath, do so in the language the Founders specified in the godless Constitution. Eliminate the religious verbiage and the bible. The “so help me God” tradition violates the Constitution in the act of promising to uphold it. The ritual alienates the demographic that politicians must now rely on.

Use this term to bring secular America into the political conversation, and to forge a legacy worthy of the Founders. Restore the presidential oath and begin divorcing American politics from religion.
Your first inaugural address recognized nonbelievers and expressed a hope “that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve, that … our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.”

The final tribal allegiance is not sex, or race, or sexual orientation. It is religion. Private citizens are free to maintain that allegiance, but it is time our government abandoned it. Please lead us into an era of politics free from religious rhetoric.

Start small. Start by restoring the oath. Our once silent minority will no longer remain silent as politicians trample the document we hold sacred—the Constitution. Honor the oath as you recite it on January 21 and lead us into the new era you promised 4 years ago.

With hope,

---

2. Easy 

Submit your own message on the White House webform. Use a few FFRF paragraphs to get you started. All you have to do is cut, paste, and add your own words. Then submit your response here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments. 
I write to respectfully ask you to re-examine using religion as a political tool in your second term. This election highlights the country’s rapidly shifting demographics. The electorate’s religious affiliation is changing more quickly than any other metric, including race. In 1990, 8% of Americans were nonreligious. When you were elected in 2008, 15% of Americans identified as nonreligious. Now that number is 20%. Most strikingly, 1-in-3 Americans under 30 now identify as nonreligious. We are tired of our leaders injecting religion into politics. Politicians use religion to pander to their base, but it excludes us.
Please use your second term to build a legacy by rejecting the way this country politicizes religion. You can start on Jan. 21. When you reaffirm your oath, do so in the language of the Founders. Eliminate the religious verbiage. The hand on bible, “so help me God” tradition violates the Constitution in the act of promising to uphold it. The ritual alienates the demographic that politicians must now rely on. Restore the presidential oath and begin divorcing American politics from religion.

---

3. Best — For those of you with a little time and a bit of drive

Write your own message asking Obama to take a secular oath and start divorcing politics from religion. Feel free to use any of our language. Submit your letter on the White House webform (2500 character limit): http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments
Write to President Obama:
President Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Call the White House Comment Line:
(202) 456-1111

Hanukkah for Non-Jews

Humanistic Jews have been celebrating something very similar to HumanLight for quite some time.  Check out this new humanistic holiday.  It's more fun than Kwanzaa!

Tell HHS to Follow the Science on Emergency Contraception

One year ago, scientists at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that emergency contraception would be made accessible over-the-counter. The FDA’s reasoning was based on more than decade of medical research that shows emergency contraception is both safe and effective enough for wider public use.

Yet inexplicably, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius exerted her authority and overruled the FDA’s decision, a move that cannot be justified by science or reason.
Sebelius’ disappointing move restricts the ability of women to exert full control over their reproductive systems. It is an established fact that emergency contraception works best when taken within 72 hours. However, those seeking to purchase emergency contraception face many obstacles, including prescription requirements for women under 17, pharmacists who deny prescriptions based on their religious beliefs, and transportation difficulties.

Political leaders should follow scientific evidence where it leads. It’s not too late for Secretary Sebelius to do the right thing. Tell the Secretary to reverse her decision and end restrictions on emergency contraception now!

Click here:
https://secure3.convio.net/cfi/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=281&JServSessionIdr004=vpt9z2xeh2.app332b

Hasidic Rabbi On Trial for Child Molestation

Williamsburg rabbi Nechemya Weberman is charged with molesting a 12-year-old girl over three years after her parents sent her to him for counseling.

“It doesn’t sound like modern Brooklyn, it sounds like the Salem witch trials,” said Assistant DA Kevin O’Donnell.  He said the alleged victim’s parents sent her to Weberman after she was shunned by the Satmar Hasidic community because she questioned authority and acted immodestly. O’Donnell alleged that Weberman fondled the girl in his office and forced her to perform oral sex, “over and over again.”

Defense attorney George Farkas noted the seeming strangeness to outsiders of Hasidic Judaism, warning jurors not to judge Weberman on his adherence to religious doctrine. “He looks different. He dresses different. He acts different than the rest of the citizenry,” Farkas said.  The same, of course, can be said about Catholic priests, some of whom have been famously accused of child molestation.  At least Rabbi Weberman did not apparently violate the commandment prohibiting lying down with a man.

The defense team has argued that the girl’s accusation stems from a bizarre incident where Weberman and her father secretly filmed her having sex with her boyfriend — then turned the tape over to authorities in an attempt to file statutory-rape charges against the boyfriend.  They say she made the accusation to retaliate against Weberman.

Four Hasidic (the New York Post insists on calling them "ultra-Orthodox", even though Hasidism is a sect that, at the time of its creation, was kind of reform) men have been busted for allegedly intimidating witnesses in the case. One was charged with offering the alleged victim $500,000 to leave the country and drop her accusation.

You can read more here.

The River Cafe Discriminates Against Jews

Actually, only against religious Jews.  Another reason to get enlightened.

Read the NY Post article here: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/pay_per_view_jews_cETUcmBGFROVXDBDtxwzeI.

Jewish History They Didn't Teach in Sunday School

A Provocative People: A Secular History of the Jews by Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine (1928-2007), the founder of Humanistic Judaism, is the culmination of a lifetime of study and insight by one of the most provocative rabbis in Jewish history. Its unflinching approach to academic truth, be it biblical, medieval or modern, is unusual. And its celebration of the contemporary secularized reality of most Jews as the culmination of, not a rupture with, the Jewish historical experience is intriguing. Rabbi Adam Chalom, editor of Wine's magnum opus and his successor as Dean for North America of the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, will explore the importance of this new history for the present and future of the Jewish people.

Thursday, November 29

15 West 86^th Street, New York City

7:30pm (Doors open at 7pm

No charge. Open to the public.

 

Co-sponsored by The City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism (www.citycongregation..org) and the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism (www.iishl.org).

Books will be available for purchase at the event for $25 (price includes sales tax)

For more information, call 212·213·1002 or email info@citycongregation.org.

Atheists Petition Obama to Nix God

I first read about it on a right-wing blog: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/atheists-petition-obama-to-nix-god-the-bible-from-presidential-oath-religious-rhetoric-is-empty/.  What do you know, it turns out the petition was started by FFRF, the Freedom from Religion Foundation, of which I am a proud member!  It is actually not an atheist organization--it just aims to keep church and state separate, just as the founding fathers of our country intended.  If you want to join in, here is a link to the petition: http://ffrf.org/news/action/item/16075-easiest-contact-president-obama.

Bei Mir Bist Du Scheen

Bei Mir Bist Du Scheen for the 21st century, by Ilhama featuring DJ OGB:
http://youtu.be/r4B90Knx57w

Center for Inquiry Presents: Open Mind Open Mic

Wednesday, November 14^th 2012 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Location: Ivy Bakery, 138 West Houston St, Manhattan

The Open Mind Open Mic is an open mic for people to share performance art inspired by science, the natural world, and the power of secular humanism. Bring a song, poem, comedy act, or story, whether original work or a cover of an existing piece that inspires you. Experienced and beginner artists encouraged to perform. All encouraged to listen.

The Open Mind Open Mic takes place on the first Wednesday of every month. Please contact nyc@centerforinquiry.net with any questions.

Fool's Gold in the Golden Age of Muslim Civilization

They gave us algebra and chemistry, but, according to an article in the November/December issue of the Skeptical Inquirer, they did not invent flight.  In fact, according to the magazine, the touring exhibit 1001 Inventions: Discover the Golden Age of Muslim Civilization has many serious misrepresentations of the contribution of Moslims to the advancement of knowledge.  To me, the funniest example was that of the invention of flight: eagle feathers? seriously? based on a chronicle written 700 years after the alleged event?  Among other busted myths of Muslim contribution: optics, clocks, colleges.  According to the authors of the article,

These gross errors are just a sample—similar problems repeatedly show up throughout the exhibition catalog.

 You can read a part of this article here.  Hopefully, it will eventually become available in full on their website (if they have the cojones).

"The Conservative Movement is ... schizophrenic"?

"The Jewish Week" has an interesting article on the hypocritical treatment of intermarriage in the Jewish conservative movement: http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/new-york-news/conservatives-walking-intermarriage-tightrope.

Annual Westchester/Fairfield Thanksgiving Diversity Breakfast

Celebrating diversity within diversity. Sponsored jointly by AJC/Westchester, the Duchesne Center, and the Westchester Jewish Council. Honoring Sarah Henkel, Multi-Cultural Coordinator of the Hudson River Presbytery, Rabbi Rigoberto Emmanuel Vinas, Lincoln Park Synagogue, and Bishop Martin Nelson, Bezer Holiness Church. For more information and reservations, click here.  To download the event flyer, click here.

Thursday, November 15th, 7:30 a.m.  Manhattanville College, Purchase, NY.

In Memoriam: Paul Kurtz, CFI's Founder

The Center for Inquiry marks with great sadness the passing of Paul Kurtz, founder and longtime chair of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, the Council for Secular Humanism, and the Center for Inquiry, who died Sunday at the age of 86. A philosopher, activist, and author, Kurtz was for a half-century among the most significant and impactful figures in the humanist and skeptic movements. 

Kurtz's legacy includes the above organizations, the creation of the skeptics' magazine Skeptical Inquirer, the secular humanist magazine Free Inquiry, independent publisher Prometheus Books, and a library of books and scholarly articles that will continue to inform discussions of morality, ethics, reason, and religion for generations to come.

We at the Center for Inquiry and our affiliate organizations the Council for Secular Humanism and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry express our sincere condolences to the family of Paul Kurtz, as we recommit ourselves to carrying on with determination the causes Kurtz helped bring to global prominence.

To learn more about the life and legacy of Paul Kurtz, please see this obituary.

Secular Coalition of America's Presidential Candidate Scorecard

Unsurprisingly, Romney is at the bottom.  He does need Rick Santorum's supporters to vote for him.

http://secular.org/content/2012-general-election-presidential-candidate-scorecard

Surprisingly, a guy named Johnson has the best score.  Turns out he is the Libertarian Party's candidate.

Online Seminar "Critical Inquiry: The Appeal to Reason"

For general information about online classes,
visit the CFI Institute Online.

~••~

SCI 201-1112: "Critical Inquiry: The Appeal to Reason"November 1 – November 30, 2012

Instructor: David Koepsell, JD, PhD

Arguments demand more than arguing, and reasoning requires more than just reasons. Fortunately, philosophers have long known and applied the "laws of thought" that are at the heart of good reasoning and that form the core of logic. This course on Critical Inquiry will explore all of the various tools necessary not just to persuade, but to make logically valid and sound arguments. We will explore formal validity, which helps make arguments incontrovertible, and the tools of inductive reasoning that help to demonstrate the truth of premises. We will also delve a bit into the proper use of rhetoric, combined with logic, to make persuasive arguments. Finally, we will examine some common formal and informal fallacies which you should avoid making and should point out when others make.
This four-module, four week course includes video lectures and a free digital handbook which includes examples, definitions of common terms, methods of proof and testing validity, and problems for you to try on your own. We will also conduct discussion of the lectures and texts in our forum. Once completed, you will have a better mastery of logic and induction, and be more confident in your arguments. You will also be more able to confront common fallacies made by others. As well, Critical Inquiry makes clear the role of logic in science, and shows its vital, ongoing role in all areas of inquiry.

~••~

Your instructor for SCI 201-1112:

David Koepsell, JD, PhD, was executive director of the Council for Secular Humanism from 2003-2008. Since then, he has been an assistant professor of philosophy at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, where he teaches ethics and engineering as well as research ethics to masters and PhD students. He holds a law degree (1995) and PhD in Philosophy (1997) from the University at Buffalo, and has authored and edited numerous books, as well as popular and scholarly articles, and has spoken to audiences worldwide on issues relating to civil rights, secularism, science and technology, ethics, humanism, and ontology. He has provided commentary on these topics in a variety of media outlets including: MSNBC, Fox News Channel, The Guardian, NPR, and the Associated Press, among others. His complete CV can be found at davidkoepsell.com.

About CFI Institute Online courses:

CFI 200-level courses are taught at an intellectual level equivalent to an introductory college course. We expect students to participate in the class discussion at their own chosen pace, and there are no other writing requirements and no grading. These classes are entirely online — everything for the course except the book is provided on a CFI website. You will read the course lectures, follow links to other webpages, ask your questions, and participate in class discussion with the instructors and other students on our website.
There is no specific time that you must be online. There is no "live" part to these courses, and you cannot miss anything even if you can only get online at 6am or 11pm — you can log in and participate anytime, day or night, 24/7. A certificate of course completion is available to students who do participate online (as opposed to only lurking and reading, which is also an unobjectionable option for some students). Completion of eight courses at the Expertise 200-level is rewarded with the Institute's Certificate of Expertise.
Online courses are now jointly advertised by the Center for Inquiry and the American Humanist Association, and both organizations encourage their members and affiliates to consider taking them. Online courses are the most visible sign that CFI and the AHA have entered a cooperative relationship on some educational programming. That cooperation is facilitated by Dr. John Shook, who now serves as education coordinator for both CFI and AHA.

This is a one-month course, running from November 1st, 2012 through November 30st, 2012.
Course Fees: $70 for general registration; $60 for Friends of the Center; and $30 for college students.

 Ready to sign up? Register online here.

New Online Seminar: "Humanism, Atheism and Social Justice" w/ Jennifer Hancock & John Shook in December

"Humanism, Atheism and Social Justice"
(SEC 235-1212)December 1 – December 31, 2012

Instructor: Jennifer Hancock, humanist activist, author, speaker, and journalist
Instructor: John Shook, PhD, CFI director of education and AHA education coordinator

This one-month, four-module course will discuss how humanists, atheists and freethinkers have historically been at the forefront of social justice movements. What is it about freethought, humanism and atheism that leads people to take progressive stances on social justice issues? With gains in social justice being threatened and with the recent conflicts within our movement about whether to engage in social justice work and if so, how much, and more importantly, how we can be inclusive as a movement, it is important that we take the time to consider where we have been so that we can better understand what we might be able to accomplish if we embrace our social justice heritage.

 Click here to register now!

Westchester Jewish Council Presents A Night of Music and Joy

Enjoy the talented Cantors of Kol Hazzanim as they share their rhythm and soul in a community concert.  Enjoy a unique selection of music ranging from traditional to contemporary, Jewish to secular, rock to rap.  Enjoy an evening celebrating the richness of our Jewish community.  Enjoy a delicious dairy dessert buffet.  Tickets $20 per person before November 9th, then $25/person.  Saturday, November 17th, 7:30 p.m., Temple Israel Center of White Plains

To register, click https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?llr=gxnnvccab&oeidk=a07e6de446y73923b92.

A program of Kol Hazzanim/The Cantors of Westchester and the Westchester Jewish Council, with grant support from UJA-Federation of New York's Westchester Program Services cabinet.

Roundabout Underground Presents: Bad Jews

Kicking off the sixth season of Roundabout Underground®, Bad Jews is a world premiere comedy by Joshua Harmon about the holy and the holier-than-thou. Daphna Feygenbaum is a Real Jew—just ask the Israeli boyfriend she met on Birthright. So when her cousin Liam brings home his shiksa girlfriend Melody and declares ownership of their grandfather’s Chai necklace, it sparks a viciously hilarious brawl over family, faith and legacy.

 

Bad Jews is directed by Daniel Aukin. Previews performances begin on October 5, 2012 and the show will open officially on Tuesday, October 30, 2012. This is a limited engagement through December 16, 2012. All tickets for Roundabout Underground productions are $20.

 

Due to strong language, Bad Jews may not be suitable for younger audience members. We recommend this show for ages 14 and up.

 

Performances: Tuesday through Sunday evenings at 7:00pm
Saturday and Sunday matinees at 1:30pm

 

Major support for this production provided by Jodi and Dan Glucksman.

 

New plays are supported by Roundabout Leaders for New Works: Alec Baldwin, Linda L. D’Onofrio, Jodi Glucksman, Sylvia Golden, Caryn and James Magid, Laura Pels International Foundation for Theatre, Laura S. Rodgers, Mary and David Solomon / GS Gives, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Yolanda R. Turocy, Lori Uddenberg, Deborah and Thomas Wallace, and Xerox Foundation.

The Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre

The Black Box Theatre, 111 West 46th Street, New York, NY, 10036  |  Ticket Services: (212) 719-1300

Liquor Vs. God

Wall Street Journal reported today that a New York state law passed back in 1933, which denies liquor licenses to establishments within 200 feet of a house of worship or a school, is hampering the development of Harlem: people cannot open restaurants, etc.  Only businesses already licensed before 12/5/1933 (i.e, before the law was passed) are exempted.

I guess purveyors of opium for the people are afraid of competition with purveyors of liquor for the people. :)

Turkish Pianist on Tiral for Blasphemy

As reported by Associated Press, a top Turkish pianist and composer appeared in court on Thursday to defend himself against charges of offending Muslims and insulting Islam in comments he made on Twitter.
Fazil Say, who has played with the New York Philharmonic, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra and others, is on trial for sending tweets that included one in April that joked about a call to prayer that lasted only 22 seconds.

Say tweeted: "Why such haste? Have you got a mistress waiting or a raki on the table?" Raki is a traditional alcoholic drink made with aniseed. Islam forbids alcohol and many Islamists consider the remarks unacceptable.

Prosecutors in June charged Say with inciting hatred and public enmity, and with insulting "religious values." He faces a maximum 18 months prison term, although any sentence is likely to be suspended.

Say, who has served as a cultural ambassador for the European Union, rejected the charges and demanded his acquittal, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/10/18/turkish-pianist-fazil-say-goes-on-trial-accused-insulting-islam-on-twitter/#ixzz29hp26Cbr

"Unmasked Judeophobia" Screening at Mid-Westchester JCC

A meticulous examination of rising anti-Jewish ideology

UNMASKED JUDEOPHOBIA

The Threat to Civilization

Thursday, November 8, 2012  *  7:30 pm

Screening and discussion

Order Your Tickets Today

The Jewish Heart of Hollywood

In honor of the important role Temple Israel of Hollywood and its members have played in the social action oriented Hollywood community, this documentary was created and shown at the 2012 Heart of Hollywood Gala.

Moment Magazine Presents: Test Your Jewish Presidential IQ!

In honor of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, take Moment's election quiz to test your Jewish presidential IQ!

1.     Which president said, "I would rather commit suicide than hurt Israel?"
2.     Who was the first president to have his name appear on the charter of a synagogue?
3.     Who was the first president to offer a Jew a position on the Supreme Court?
4.     Which president appointed the first Jew to the Supreme Court?
5.     Which president appointed the first Jewish secretary of state?
6.     The house of which president was posthumously sold to a Jewish naval officer?
7.     Who was the first president to allow rabbis to serve as military chaplains?
8.     Who was the first sitting president to attend synagogue services?
9.     Which president was the first to designate a Jewish ambassador to fight anti-Semitism?
10.  Who was the first president to appoint a Jew to his cabinet?
11.  Who was the first sitting president to attend a Seder?
12.  Which president was the first to hold a Seder in the White House?
13.  Which president signed a Joint Congressional Resolution endorsing the Balfour Declaration and the Palestinian Mandate?
14.  Which president received a Torah that had been saved from a burning synagogue in Czechoslovakia as a gift?
15.  Which president visited Israel the most times during his presidency?

To see the answers, click here.

Poll: Should Humanists Oppose Male Circumcision?

The American Humanist Association is conducting a poll aiming to find out humanists' opinion as to whether they should oppose male circumcision.  As a humanist who had his son circumcised, I have made my decision.  Make yours known here: http://www.americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2012-09-poll-should-humanists-oppose-male-circumcision.

Use Facebook to Help Worthy Non-Profits

The Chase Community Giving program awards funding to charities based on votes from Facebook users and Chase customers, and Foundation Beyond Belief, Secular Student Alliance and Camp Quest are in the running! The Society for Humanistic Judaism has relationships with each of these organizations.

Grant awards can reach as high as $1,000,000. On Facebook, you can vote for up to two charities:

Please consider supporting the Foundaiton Beyond Belief in theirwork to foster humanistic philanthropy and service across the globe, giving grants to 16 secular charities and 4 non-prothelytizing religious charities each year. SHJ works with them on the LLS/Light The NIght Fundraising walk. http://on.fb.me/Rn54Xd.

Please also consider supporting the Secular Student Alliance in its mission to organize, unite, educate, and serve students and student communities: http://goo.gl/YuSMX

Happy Belated Birthday to "The Great Agnostic"

Back before blogs, opinion-based news programs, talk radio, and even amplified sound, the American public gathered by the thousands to listen to professional orators calling out their opinions from train platforms, outdoor stages, and the steps of city hall. Oratory was wildly popular in the 1800s, and there was no lecturer more popular than Robert Green Ingersoll, a.k.a., "The Great Agnostic."

Ingersoll continually championed science, reason, and secular values in the public square. He was an early popularizer of Charles Darwin and a tireless advocate for women's rights, racial equality, and birth control decades before others would pick up the cause. He often poked fun at religious belief, and he defied the religious conservatives of his day by championing secular humanist values.

Ingersoll's work and his words are highly relevant to our day, too, so the Center for Inquiry and its sister organization, the Council for Secular Humanism, work to bring his wisdom and insights to a broader audience.

Olympian Commemorates Holocaust Victims

 INCREDIBLE & HEROIC:

 French swimmer at Olympic shocks world with tattoo in HEBREW commemorating Holocaust victims (his grandma is Auschwitz survivor)

The ultimate silent protest - LIKE and SHARE this....translation of tattoo: "I Am Nothing Without Them"

SHJ Condemns Bigotry toward American Muslims

The Society for Humanistic Judaism joined the Interfaith Alliance in a broad coalition of 42 secular and religious organizations that sent a letter to Reps. Michele Bachmann, Trent Franks, Louie Gohmert, Thomas Rooney, and Lynn Westmoreland protesting the representatives' recent letters regarding prominent American Muslim individuals and organizations.

The organizations told the representatives that their "letters question the loyalty of faithful Americans based on nothing more than their religious affiliations and what is at best tenuous evidence of their associations. As such, your actions have serious implications for religious freedom and the health of our democracy." Among the organizations co-signing the letter along with the SHJ are National Council of Jewish Women, the Secular Coalition for America, NAACP, Rabbis for Human Rights - North America, People for the American Way, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, and the ACLU. The letter and list of organizations signing may be found here.

"Our Humanistic Jewish values teach us to stand up for the dignity of all people," said Society for Humanistic Judaism executive director Bonnie Cousens. "An attack on any individual simply because of their religious beliefs or associations threatens the religious freedom guaranteed to all Americans by the First Amendment."

Nazi's Son Converts to Judaism

Bernd Wollschlaeger, MD, FAAFP was born, raised, and educated in Germany, emigrated to Israel, served in the Israel Defense Forces, and now lives in Miami, Florida and is a practicing family physician and author.

His book describes his lives journey, were he started as the son of a Nazi:
http://www.amazon.com/German-Life-Against-possible-Biography/dp/0979183103/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344650282&sr=8-1&keywords=a+german+life

You can watch a YouTube video about this book: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ6ECvyYHyQ.

Center for Inquiry Mourns Gore Vidal

Gore Vidal, a prolific and provocative author and longtime laureate of the International Academy of Humanism, has died at the age of eighty-six. Over his long career, Vidal produced twenty-five novels, two memoirs, several volumes of essays, plays, screenplays, and television dramas. He also acted and ran for Congress twice. He expressed hostility to religion, especially Christianity, almost from the beginning; some of his most noteworthy works in this regard were published in 1992—the essay “Monotheism and Its Discontents” and the novel Live From Golgotha: The Gospel According to Gore Vidal, a spoof of the New Testament. 

“Gore Vidal has been an inspirational figure to a great many people, myself included. Of course he will be remembered for being urbane, fiendishly talented, and terrifyingly witty. But, more than this, he was principled, honest, and courageous,” said Stephen Law, secretary of the Academy, which was established by the Council for Secular Humanism in 1980 to honor distinguished humanists.

Open Mind Open Mic

Starts

Wednesday, August 1^st 2012 at 7:00 pm

Ends

Wednesday, August 1^st 2012 at 9:00 pm

Location

National Underground, 159 E Houston St, Manhattan

The Open Mind Open Mic is an open mic for people to share performance art inspired by science, the natural world, and the power of secular humanism. Bring a song, poem, comedy act, or story, whether original work or a cover of an existing piece that inspires you. Experienced and beginner artists encouraged to perform. All encouraged to listen.

The Open Mind Open Mic takes place at the The National Underground, 159 E Houston street. Please contact nyc@centerforinquiry.net with any questions.

Atheist Study

Atheist Alliance of America has been asked to help pubicize an academic study now being launched by Prof. Jerome Baggett and to give our members and friends an opportunity to participate.  We are not otherwise involved in the study, beyond alerting you to this invitation.  You can learn more about Dr. Baggett here.

 

Nick Lee
President
 

Invitation to Participate:

 

My name is Jerome Baggett.  I’m a sociologist and professor at Santa Clara University (working in the graduate school in Theology and Religious Studies) who is in the early stages of a study of atheists (and other non-religious people) in the United States.  Essentially, I’m investigating how atheists think about the world around them and go about the business of living their everyday lives. 

 

As you likely know, there are a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions about atheists, whereas I want to get beyond those and listen to what atheists themselves say about their lives.  That’s why I’m looking for people to interview about this. 

 

These interviews only take about an hour; they can be done by phone or in person (even online in some cases); and people tend to enjoy the experience of being interviewed very much.  I also ask people to take about five minutes to fill out a survey (comprised of questions also appearing in national surveys), and both the interview and survey are strictly confidential. 

 

Ultimately, I’m planning to write what I hope (and expect) will be a thoughtful, unbiased book on how people live their lives as atheists in the U.S. that will be published by a reputable press.  My hope is this will find a broad readership and begin a more nuanced national conversation about people who identify in more secular terms within contemporary society. 

 

If you’re interested in being interviewed for this project or simply want to find out more about it, please feel free to contact me by e-mail (jbaggett@jstb.edu).  Thanks for your consideration. 

 

Jerome P. Baggett

Professor of Religion and Society

Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University

1735 LeRoy Avenue

Berkeley, CA  94709

(510) 549-5060

jbaggett@jstb.edu

Reasonable New York Picnic

Reasonable New York Picnic.
At the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, Sunday, July 29, noon - 4PM.

New Online Seminar: "What is Atheism?"

August 1 – August 31, 2012

Instructor: John Loftus, ThM, MDiv, author and former preacher
Instructor: John Shook, PhD, CFI director of education

This one-month, four-module course introduces the worldview of atheism by explaining its core definitions and stances, examining what it is good for, and illustrating why it is a useful position to take against religious faith in general and supernaturalism is particular.

~••~

Course Topics:

• The correct definitions of who is an "atheist" and what is the stance of "atheism"
• The reasons why people leave religion and become agnostics and atheists
• Why atheism is a necessary and vital stance to take in today's world
• How educated atheism can make a difference against religious belief and religion's politics

Readings: Students will purchase their own copies of John Loftus' Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity (2008). Additional readings will be available online at no cost to students.

Instructors:

John Loftus, ThM, MDiv, is a former Christian minister and apologist with MA, MDiv, and ThM degrees in philosophy, theology, and the philosophy of religion, respectively, from Lincoln Christian Seminary and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. While in school, Loftus was mentored by both Dr. James D. Strauss and Dr. William Lane Craig. Loftus also studied in a PhD program at Marquette University for a year and a half in the area of theology and aesthetics, and is the founder of the popular blog Debunking Christianity. He is also author of Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity and editor of The Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails, and The End of Christianity, all by Prometheus Books.

John Shook, PhD, is Director of Education and Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Inquiry and Education Coordinator for the American Humanist Association. He also serves as Visiting Assistant Professor of Science Education at the University at Buffalo, teaching for the joint CFI-UB Science and the Public online masters program. From 2000 to 2006 John was professor of philosophy at Oklahoma State University. Shook publishes on philosophical topics regarding science, the mind, humanist ethics, democracy, secularism, and religion. His most recent books are The God Debates, and as editor, The Essential William James. John blogs at It's Only Natural.

About CFI Institute Online courses:

CFI 100-level courses are taught at an intellectual level equivalent to an introductory college course. We expect students to participate in the class discussion at their own chosen pace, and there are no other writing requirements and no grading. These classes are entirely online — everything for the course except the book is provided on a CFI website. You will read the course lectures, follow links to other webpages, ask your questions, and participate in class discussion with the instructors and other students on our website.

There is no specific time that you must be online. There is no "live" part to these courses, and you cannot miss anything even if you can only get online at 6am or 11pm — you can log in and participate anytime, day or night, 24/7. A certificate of course completion is available to students who do participate online (as opposed to only lurking and reading, which is also an unobjectionable option for some students). Completion of eight courses at the Expertise 200-level is rewarded with the Institute's Certificate of Expertise.

Online courses are now jointly advertised by the Center for Inquiry and the American Humanist Association, and both organizations encourage their members and affiliates to consider taking them. Online courses are the most visible sign that CFI and the AHA have entered a cooperative relationship on some educational programming. That cooperation is facilitated by Dr. John Shook, who now serves as education coordinator for both CFI and AHA.

Course Fees: $70 for general registration; $60 for Friends of the Center; and $30 for college students.

To register: http://action.centerforinquiry.net/site/Calendar?id=102961&view=Detail

A Yiddish-Japanese Dictionary

Here is a link to an interesting article about a Japanese linguist who has compiled a Yiddish-Japanese dictionary: http://www.npr.org/2012/04/16/150723840/for-japanese-linguist-a-long-and-lonely-schlep?sc=emaf

The Neuroscience and Psychology of Nostalgia: How Memories of Our Past Affect Our Present

Wednesday, July 18, 7 pm, at Tishman Auditorium at The New School

Nostalgia is a mysteriously bittersweet emotion. It can keep you warm even as it brings a pang of loss. Is nostalgia healthy or harmful? What makes some people more nostalgic than others? Can neuroscience tell us anything about the phenomenon? How can nostalgia be used to influence our emotions and behavior? And what role do sentimental memories play in defining who we are? 

Join the Center for Inquiry-New York City on July 18 as we explore these and related issues. Sandra Upson, Managing Editor at Scientific American Mind, will moderate a discussion between Professor Krystine Batcho, a psychologist and nostalgia expert at Le Moyne College; Professor Joseph LeDoux, an eminent neuroscientist studying memory and emotion at New York University; and of course you, the inquiring audience.

This event is $5 for the general public, free for members. Click here to purchase tickets. Tickets must be purchased in advance. No tickets will be sold at the door. Members can email nyc@centerforinquiry.net to RSVP.

Click here for more information.

 

Jewish Heritage Festival of Westchester

Sunday, August 19, 5pm-8pm
Free
featuring the David Glukh Klezmer Ensemble
David is the Hebrew School teacher of the Westchester Community for Humanistic Judaism.
Kensico Dam Plaza, Valhalla, NY

Skeptics on the Mic Karaoke

Starts

Monday, July 9^th 2012 at 10:00 pm

Ends

Monday, July 9^th 2012 at 1:00 am

Location

Googie's Lounge (Upstairs at The Living Room) - 154 Ludlow St, Manhattan

Here's your chance to serenade your fellow freethinkers. Don't sing? Doesn't matter! It's karaoke! So grab a drink and join us. Bonus points if the song you pick somehow relates to science, skepticism, or secular humanism.

Must be 21+

Skeptics on the Mic Karaoke is a Center for Inquiry - New York City event that takes place on the second Monday of every month, thanks to the kind folks of My Sweet Karaoke. 

 

As reported by http://www.centerforinquiry.net/nyc/events/skeptics_on_the_mic_karaoke_july12/

Legislative and Regulatory Update from the Secular Coalition

• Federal -
  
  • The House will consider a repeal of the Affordable Care Act on July 11.
  • We are working with CARD to offer language to the Senate-passed Violence Against Women act that will strengthen the anti-discrimination provisions.
  • We had a good meeting with Rep. Eshoo’s staff. We discussed education-related issues such as school vouchers and the existence of student-atheist/freethought groups. We also left a list of local groups in the Congresswoman’s District that could be used to help with future policy discussions at the local level.
  • We talked with Rep. Stark’s staff about reserving a room for a Hill briefing in September. They agreed and we are working on several options for the presentation and the best date for a briefing.
  • Our meeting with Senate Armed Services Committee staff confirmed that they would like to see the full Senate consider the Defense Authorization bill in July. This would set up a conference between the House and Senate in August with final passage in September. This has been the goal for the past few years but has not been successful. The Committee hasn’t heard any talk of floor amendments similar to the Akin and Palazzo amendments in the House-passed version. The Akin amendment would allow servicemembers to discriminate against other soldiers without recrimination if they did so because of religious belief. The Palazzo amendment would prohibit the use of DoD facilities from being used for gay marriage ceremonies even if those ceremonies were legal in the state where the DoD facility is located.
• Judicial -
  • Moss v. Spartanburg County School District – On June 28, 2012 the 4th Circuit federal appeals court upheld a South Carolina program that allows high school students to earn elective credit toward graduation through off-campus religious courses. Previous cases held that students may be released for religious education during the day as long as the instruction is not on school grounds and the school does not encourage participation. The suit was brought by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, with amicus briefs filed by the American Humanist Association and the Secular Student Alliance, who argued the policy is unconstitutional because students are rewarded for religious participation by receiving school credit. The court ruled the school’s policy had the secular purpose of accommodating students’ desire to receive religious instruction.
    http://secular.org/

Protest in Support of Jailed Indonesian Atheist

On June 14th an Indonesian court sentenced 30-year-old atheist Alexander Aan to two years and six months in prison for allegedly “spreading information inciting religious hatred and animosity.” Aan was also reportedly fined 100 million rupiah (equivalent to US $10,600).
Aan did nothing more than exercise the most basic of human rights — the liberty to express his beliefs — yet he is now in great danger. Not only has he lost his freedom, but many people in Indonesia are calling for his death.
In support of Aan — and the rights to freedom of belief and expression —the Center for Inquiry is organizing a protest outside the Office of the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in New York City on Friday, July 6th, at 12:30 p.m. The office is located at 5 East 68th St, between 5th Ave and Madison Ave, near the 68th St/Hunter College stop on the 6 train.
There has been hardly any US media coverage of this story and we want the Indonesian government to know that we are concerned. We must come together and fight for the rights of Alexander Aan.

CFI Office of Public Policy Director Michael De Dora will be joining us from Washington D.C.
If you can attend, please email nyc@centerforinquiry.net. If you can sacrifice part of your lunch hour to show support at the protest, we will gladly reimburse you for cab fare. Some signs and snacks will be provided. If you bring your own sign, please be aware that it cannot be attached to a pole or stick. Handles must be made of cardboard.

Links:

Center for Inquiry Condemns Jailing of Indonesian Atheist for “Inciting Religious Hatred”
Center for Inquiry Calls for Alexander Aan’s Freedom in Letter to Indonesian Ambassador

Anti-Jewish Crime Wave

Hatemongers have targeted Brooklyn’s Orthodox community with a vicious assault, a string of synagogue thefts and anti-Semitic vandalism targeting synagogues and Jewish neighborhoods.  In the most disturbing incident, a mob of six black teenagers shouting, “Dirty Jew!” and “Dirty kike!” repeatedly bashed Marc Heinberg, 61, as he walked home from temple in Sheepshead Bay on June 15 at 9:15 p.m.

A thief or thieves also swiped seven silver ataras — decorative neckbands worth up to $600 each that are part of Orthodox prayer shawls — from five synagogues in Midwood last week.

And on June 19, vandals armed with a BB gun shot out windows of a dozen cars on Lee Avenue in Williamsburg, while a punk wrote “F--k Jews” in 3-by-3-foot letters at the Kererster synagogue on Berry Street.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/anti_jewish_crime_wave_GNiQRau6jWlqBeqM7ugEBO#ixzz1z2ti02Ux

Hasidic Extortion

Four Hasidic men were busted yesterday for trying to make a sensational sex-abuse case against a prominent Brooklyn rabbi vanish by intimidating potential witnesses in his upcoming trial.
“No one can engage in this kind of conduct and feel free that, based on prior experience, nothing is going to happen,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes, who’s come under heavy criticism for his handling of cases involving alleged perverts from the ultra-Orthodox community.

“Intimidation of victims and witnesses in sex-abuse cases in the Orthodox community is what has made prosecuting these cases so difficult,” Hynes said.

Abraham Rubin, 48, was charged with offering a $500,000 bribe to a young woman and her boyfriend so they could “basically disappear” and leave the country, after they had accused Rabbi Nechemya Weberman of molesting her during spiritual- counseling sessions when she was 12.

“He has no regard for the system,” Assistant District Attorney Josh Hanshaft said of Rubin. “He thumbed his nose at the system.”

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/the_kosher_nostra_sOZdeIGS63evUA7SqmwMiP#ixzz1yaCIZGsy

Atheist Alliance International Condemns Jail Sentence for Alexander Aan

Atheist Alliance International condemns the verdict against Alexander Aan, the Indonesian atheist who was attacked and arrested after posting 'God does not exist' on Facebook.  Alexander Aan was today jailed for two years and six months for blasphemy under Indonesia's criminal code.  He was also fined Rp 100 million (c. US$10,600).

Carlos A. Diaz, President of Atheist Alliance International, said "Alex simply stated his personal view on the topic of religion, yet he now faces years in jail.  This judgement is an affront to the principles of freedom of speech and freedom of conscience. Indonesia's blasphemy laws are archaic, an embarrassment to a country that appears to be striving to join the developed world and should be repealed immediately."

Atheist Alliance International has been running an appeal to assist with Alexander Aan's legal expenses and support his family since he was arrested in January this year.  Donate at www.atheistalliance.org/support-aai/donate (Legal/Support Fund for Alex Aan).

TAKE ACTION: Please contact the Indonesian authorities to condemn Alex Aan's jail sentence and to call for the immediate repeal of Indonesia's blasphemy laws.

Sinagogue's Account Used To Launder Money

By JOSH MARGOLIN, The New York Post

Last Updated: 6:04 AM, June 18, 2012

Posted: 1:15 AM, June 18, 2012

In an unholy conspiracy, the bank accounts of the main temple in Borough Park’s Bobov Hasidic community were used as a secret conduit for big-time money-laundering, newly released FBI documents allege.

Convicted con man and religious rat Solomon Dwek told the feds in 2006 that Congregation Shaarei Zion was “used to launder a lot of cash,” FBI records show.

Dwek said the cash was passed through businessman Chaskie Rosenberg, who made headlines in 2003 when he sued MetLife after the company fired him.

“An internal review disclosed Mr. Rosenberg appeared to have violated company policies and procedures involving speculative insurance sales and possible accessory to money-laundering violations,” Dwek told agents.

Dwek was the key player in New Jersey’s biggest political-corruption case ever — a case that helped launch the political career of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the state’s top federal lawman at the time.

Dwek rolled over to save himself from a possible 30-year prison sentence after he was arrested on a $50 million bank fraud.

Dwek, a real-estate swindler, ratted out 15 Orthodox Jews — five rabbis among them.

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Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/klyn_hasid_temple_in_agogue_fbi_xHY0GoPETnVjiRAb6LKHxK#ixzz1yAACT1nZ

The Truth About Psychic Detectives

Psychic detectives seem to be everywhere: on TV, in the news, on cable shows. TV hosts such as Larry King and Montel Williams regularly promote psychic detectives, and many of them claim to find missing persons and solve cases for police and the FBI. It all sounds impressive, but how good is the scientific evidence for their claims? On May 21st, drawing on a decade of personal investigations and case studies, Benjamin Radford, in conversation with Massimo Pigliucci, revealed a side to psychic detectives that you won't see on Medium or Larry King Live.

Click here to watch the video on Center for Inquiry's YouTube page: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmaftYRIIGs&feature=youtu.be.

Society for Humanistic Judaism Speaks Out Against School Vouchers

Farmington Hills, MI — The Society for Humanistic Judaism condemns the attempts in this country to fund private schools, especially religious schools, with public funds.  As Humanistic Jews, we recognize that a free and public education is a cornerstone of democracy. Using public funds in the guise of school vouchers, tax credits, and scholarships diverts much needed resources from public schools, decreasing the quality of public education and widening the educational inequality between rich and poor students.

School vouchers, tax credits, and scholarship programs disproportionately provide public funding for religious education, breaching our constitutional guarantee that government will not support the establishment of religion. Nearly 70 percent of private schools, which enroll 80 percent of private school students, provide religious education, often compelling students to attend religious services, regardless of their beliefs, and teaching religious doctrine in place of accepted scientific facts. Providing public tax dollars through vouchers, tax credits and scholarships is providing selective support for religious ideologies and practice.

While publicly-funded school vouchers, tax credits, and scholarship programs are promoted as offering parents and students a choice, in reality the choice is made by the private schools. Unlike public schools, private schools are able to discriminate on the basis of income, religion, disabilities, and other characteristics. Voucher schools are not required to accept special needs students.

The Society for Humanistic Judaism has issued a statement opposing public funding of private schools that reads in part:

As Humanistic Jews, we believe that publicly-funded vouchers, or scholarships, or tax credits – while purporting to be about choice – in reality result in the direct government funding of religious education in violation of Establishment Clause principles as embodied by the First Amendment.

The statement concludes:

Accordingly, we, the Society for Humanistic Judaism, oppose all vouchers, scholarships, and tax credits that divert resources from public schools to the benefit of private schools, especially schools that are religious in nature.  Religious education must always remain privately funded so as to protect both religion and our democracy.

The full text of the statement can be found online at http://www.shj.org/SchoolVouchers.html.

The Society for Humanistic Judaism is the central body for Humanistic Jewish congregations in North America. Embracing a human-centered philosophy of life that combines the celebration of Jewish culture and identity with an adherence to humanistic values and ideas, the Society creates an inclusive, nurturing environment for families with children and empty nesters, pre-schoolers and teens, university students, young adults and seniors, single parents, intermarried families, and the GLBT community. Humanistic Jews believe in the human capacity to create a better world rather than in reliance on a supernatural power or an omniscient deity, seeking solutions to human conflicts that respect the dignity, freedom, and self-esteem of every person. the human capacity to create a better world rather than in reliance on a supernatural power or an omniscient deity, seeking solutions to human conflicts that respect the dignity, freedom, and self-esteem of every person.

This growing movement provides a community for many unaffiliated Jews who identify as cultural, secular, “just Jewish,” “not very religious” or Jewish atheists. Forty-nine percent of the United States' 5.5 million Jews say that their outlook is secular and forty-eight percent do not belong to a synagogue or other Jewish organization, according to the American Jewish Identification Survey undertaken by professional statisticians under the auspices of the Center for Jewish Studies at the City University of New York. The Society helps to organize local congregations and communities, creates and disseminates celebrational and educational materials, provides national programs, including programs for teens and young adults, and serves the needs of individual members who do not live near an existing Humanistic congregation.

For more information, contact the Society for Humanistic Judaism at 248-478-7610, www.shj.org.