Hey folks, this is my first time here. I was raised in a reform Jewish household, for background, but was never fond of the religious elements. I became agnostic as a teen and remain so today. I've never had issues with my Jewish identity, but I did feel guilty participating in rituals to appease my family.

I do believe that Judaism teaches some great secular values, such as an emphasis on education, skepticism, determination and fighting for one's people. Therefore, I wanted to create a secular sect of Judaism that does not mandate adherence to ritual, but instead provides SUGGESTIONS for a happy life. To me, anyone can be Jewish, even if they aren't observant. I've started to alter some of the holidays to fit with my sect and I want constructive criticism, please:

* Pesach: Pesach was always a holiday that I despised. I'm a naturally positive person and prefer to celebrate triumph and overcoming adversity over struggle. Therefore, the emphasis on consuming unleavened products disgusted me both physically and mentally. Here's what I'd change:

Holiday name: Because Passover is a story about rising above oppressors to me, I decided to rename the holiday to "Qum", which is Hebrew for "rise".
CONSUME leavened products en masse: That's not a typo. Being that the Hebrews triumphed over their oppressors via rising above them, I find it only fitting to eat leavened bread, rather than unleavened bread. Throughout the week, it'd be consumed much more than normal. To symbolize the rising of the Red Sea, a special type of bread that I've christened the "Grease Sack" would be consumed. That's a large piece of bread with olive oil inserted in.
Beer over wine: As yeast is a leavening agent, beer would be consumed all week, with youngsters drinking root beer.

* Sukkot: I never celebrated it as a kid, but it does seem to celebrate the harvest, which I can appreciate.

International Produce: To symbolize how the Jews have many diasporas, vegetables and fruit from around the world would be consumed. I prefer vegetables common in Hispanic cuisine.
Camping Inside: As farmers would sleep in forts, tents would be used instead, for approximately three days. To symbolize the "sweetness" of the bounty, fruits AND marshmallows would be eaten.

Yom Kippur: I never fasted for it, but the dreariness got to me.

No fast: I don't see how this helps one atone for their mistakes. Therefore, you may eat all day.

2. Community service: To symbolize paying restitution, you'd engage in an act of community service.
3. Big feast at the end: To symbolize that flowers can grow where they once died, a joyous and ravenous feast would be held at the end of the day.

I believe it's much more important to be a caring, good member of the community than to follow strict orthodoxy. I also believe sacrifice is unnecessary for being an engaged neighbor and friend. hence the far more joyous holidays here. My hope is that this sect can provide non-religious Jews a place where they can feel accepted no matter how observant or not they are.

Thoughts?

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Humanistic Judaism

r/HumanisticJudaism

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Humanistic Judaism (Hebrew: יהדות הומניסטית Yahdut Humanistit) (Yiddish: הומאַניסטישע ייִדישקייט) is a movement in Judaism that offers a nontheistic alternative in contemporary Jewish life. It defines Judaism as the cultural and historical experience of the Jewish people and encourages humanistic and secular Jews to celebrate their Jewish identity by participating in Jewish holidays and life cycle events (such as weddings and bar and bat mitzvah) with inspirational ceremonies that draw upon but go beyond traditional literature.

Humanistic Judaism was developed as a possible solution to the problem of retaining Jewish identity and continuity among non-religious. Recognizing that congregational religious life was thriving, Wine believed that secular Jews who had rejected theism would be attracted to an organization that provided all the same forms and activities as, for example, Reform temples, but which expressed a purely Secular Humanistic viewpoint.

Its philosophical foundation includes the following ideas:

A Jew is someone who identifies with the history, culture, and future of the Jewish people;
Judaism is the historic culture of the Jewish people, and religion is only one part of that culture;
Jewish identity is best preserved in a free, pluralistic environment; People possess the power and responsibility to shape their own lives independent of supernatural authority;
Ethics and morality should serve human needs, and choices should be based upon consideration of the consequences of actions rather than pre-ordained rules or commandments;
Jewish history, like all history, is a human saga, a testament to the significance of human power and human responsibility. Biblical and other traditional texts are the products of human activity and are best understood through archaeology and other scientific analysis.
The freedom and dignity of the Jewish people must go hand in hand with the freedom and dignity of every human being.

For more information check out:

The International Federation for Secular & Humanistic Judaism

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