Secular Jews Open International Conference In New York
Robert Pinsky, Lawrence Kasdan, Yossi Sarid, Yehuda Bauer Headline List of Illustrious Speakers
September 8, 2000
NEW YORK - United States Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, controversial former Israel Minister of Education
Yossi Sarid, Holocaust Scholar Yehuda Bauer, and film director/writer Lawrence Kasdan are among the featured speakers this
weekend as secular Jews from throughout the world gather in New York City- at the historic Great Hall of Cooper Union - for
the Eighth Biennial Conference of the International Federation of Secular Humanistic Jews.
Entitled "Choosing to Live as a Secular Humanistic Jew: A Bold Option for Modern Jewish Identity,"
the conference, September 8-10, 2000, will explore the many voices of Secular Humanistic Judaism as renowned and provocative
speakers share how their secular Jewish commitments fit into the picture of their life's work. Other speakers this weekend
include Ruth Calderon, academic director of Alma Hebrew College in Tel Aviv; Professor Lucette Valensi, historian, author,
and director of the Institut d'Etudes des Sociétés du Monde Musulman in Paris; Yaakov Malkin, director of Meitar:
College of Judaism as Culture in Jerusalem; and Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine, founder of the branch of Judaism known as Humanistic
Judaism.
Conference registration information
is available at 212-581-6760 x303 or www.ifshj.org/nyc2000
According to Rabbi Wine, co-chair of the International
Federation of Secular Humanistic Jews, "For the last 100 years, Secular Judaism has captured the imagination and attention
of Jews worldwide. Its message is even more compelling today. It speaks to thousands of Jews who are searching for an authentic
way to affirm, maintain, and perpetuate their cultural Jewish identity in the modern age. New York City, the largest Jewish
metropolis in the world, and Cooper Union, which has provided a forum for social and political reformers since the 1800s,
are the ideal locations to underline our commitment to progressive Judaism based on historical accuracy and rational inquiry."
Secular Humanistic Jews understand Judaism as the human-centered
history, culture, civilization, ethical values, and shared fate of the Jewish people. Encompassing many languages and a vast
body of literature, art, dance, music, and food, Secular Humanistic Jews see Judaism as much more than a set of religious
beliefs and practices. Secular Humanistic Jews have a strong connection to Jewish history and culture and are committed to
the future of the Jewish people. Secular Humanistic Jews rely on reason, rather than faith, to understand the world and believe
that human intelligence and experience are capable of guiding their lives. For Secular Jews, the message of Jewish history
is that humans have the power and the responsibility to take control of their own fate.
The International Federation of Secular Humanistic Jews is a coalition of 50,000 Jews in 12 countries
who are organized into communities and schools. The Federation links national organizations in Israel, the United States,
Canada, France, Belgium, Australia, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, and the countries of the former Soviet Union.
In 1990, the National Jewish Population Study conducted
by United Jewish Communities indicated the 1.5 million Americans identify themselves as cultural, non-religious Jews. Yair
Tzaban, co-chair of the International Federation of Secular Humanistic Jews, former member of the Knesset, former Minister
of Immigrant Absorption and a member of the Security Cabinet under Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, explains, "Millions
of Jews worldwide embrace the philosophy of Secular Humanistic Judaism. However, they remain unaffiliated. The goals of the
Federation and its constituent organizations are to reach out to these Jews and offer them a community where they can affirm
their Judaism, celebrate their Jewish identity in a secular way, participate in Jewish life, and educate their children about
their rich and vibrant heritage."
Honorary chairs of the International Federation are Albert Memmi, the well-known French writer and
professor of sociology at the University of Paris, and Yehuda Bauer, the noted historian, Holocaust scholar, and Chair of
the Yad Vashem International Institute for Holocaust Research.
The International Federation is affiliated with the International Institute for Secular Humanistic
Judaism, the educational arm of the Secular Humanistic Jewish movement, training rabbis, leaders, and educators for Secular
Humanistic congregations and communities. The first humanistic rabbi was ordained by the Institute in October, 1999. In North
America, the Federation is also affiliated with the Society for Humanistic Judaism and the Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations.
