1986
Suburban Detroit, Michigan, USA. Hosted by the Birmingham Temple. “The Jewish Future: Confronting the Issues.”Speakers included Holocaust scholar Yehuda Bauer, Hebrew University professor Zev Katz, Tel Aviv University professor Yehuda Nini, Israeli scholar Aviva Aviv, Humanist Institute Dean Howard Radest, French Jewish author Albert Memmi, journalist Yosef Goell, Tel Aviv University professor Uri Rapp, President of the American Israeli Civil Liberties Coalition Philippa Strum, and Rabbi Sherwin Wine.
1988
Brussels, Belgium. Hosted by the Centre Communautaire Laïc Juif (CCLJ).”Who is a Jew?” Featured speakers included Holocaust scholar Yehuda Bauer, Philosopher Alain Finkielkraut, French Jewish author Albert Memmi, Chairman of the International Humanist and Ethical Union Rob Tielman, Israeli scholar Aviva Aviv, Professor Amos Funkenstein, and members of the North American Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations and Society for Humanistic Judaism and several European secular Jewish organizations.
1990
Chicago, Illinois, USA. Hosted by Congregation Beth Or at the McCormick Center Hotel. “The Future of the Jewish People: A Secular Humanistic Jewish Response.” Featured speakers included Holocaust scholar Yehuda Bauer, Jewish historian Zev Katz, Israeli politician Shulamit Aloni, French Jewish author Albert Memmi, and representatives of Secular and Humanistic Jewish communities from North America, France, Israel, Belgium, Australia and Russian Jewry.
1992
Jerusalem, Israel. Hosted by the Israel Association for Humanistic Judaism. Featured speakers included Israeli public figures Meron Benvenisti, Naomi Chazan, Yehoshafat Harkabi, Yeshayahu Leibowitz, and S. Yizhar; Israeli scholars Menachem Brinker, Ruth Firer, Michael Harsegor, Meir Pa’il, Uri Rapp, Uriel Simon and R.J. Zwi Werblowsky; and activists in secular and Humanistic Judaism including Yehoshua Yarden, Secretary-General of the United Kibbutz Movement Muki Tsur, Shneur Einam, Semyon Augestevich and Rabbi Sherwin Wine.
1994
Moscow, Russia. Held at the University of Moscow. “What Does it Mean to be Jewish?” Featured speakers included Holocaust scholar Yehuda Bauer, Uruguayan Jewish journalist Egon Friedlner, Russian Jewish activist Semyon Augustevich, French Jewish author Albert Memmi, Jewish Agency representative Yehiel Leket, World Jewish Congress member David Susskind, and IISHJ co-deans Rabbi Sherwin Wine and Yaakov Malkin.1996Paris, France. Statement issued on “Jews Among the Nations.”
1998
Tel Aviv, Israel. “In Celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel and 100 Years of Zionism – A Congress of Free-Thinking Jews.” Featured participants in the conference and the follow-up seminar “Jerusalem in Myth and Reality” offered by the College of Pluralistic Judaism included Israeli novelist Yoram Kaniuk, Dead Sea Scrolls scholar Adolfo Roitman, Jewish literature scholar Yedidya Yitzhaki, and IISHJ co-deans Sherwin Wine and Yaakov Malkin.
2000
New York City, New York, USA. Hosted by the Center for Cultural Judaism at the Historic Great Hall of Cooper Union. “Choosing to Live as a Secular Humanistic Jew: A Bold Option for Modern Jewish Identity.” Featured speakers included US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, Film Director Lawrence Kasdan, French sociologist Lucette Valensi, Israeli educator Ruth Calderon, Holocaust scholar Yehuda Bauer, and IISHJ co-deans Sherwin Wine and Yaakov Malkin.
2002
Brussels, Belgium. Hosted by the Centre Communautaire Laïc Juif (CCLJ). “The Challenge of the Diaspora: The Secular Alternative.” Featured speakers included: Yossi Beilin, former Israeli Minister of Justice; Amercan Jewish sociologist Egon Mayer; past president of the Congress of European Jews Theo Klein, German Jewish historian Michael Brenner; Director of the Fondation du Judaisme Francais Nelly Hansson; French sociologist Dominique Schnapper; Israeli education expert Aliza Shenhar; and IISHJ co-deans Rabbi Sherwin Wine and Yaakov Malkin.
2004
San Francisco, California, USA. “The ‘Bible’ of Secular Humanistic Judaism: A Journey from Ancient Through Modern Jewish Literature.” Featured speakers included: Israeli author Amos Oz, Bible scholar Robert Alter, Modern Yiddish Literature scholar Naomi Seidman, Hebrew University Jewish Literature scholars Ruth Kartun-Blum and Sidra DeKoven Ezrahi, Rabbinic literature expert Azzan Yadin, and Rabbi Sherwin Wine, then co-dean of the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism.
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION CONFERENCES
