My Path to Humanistic Judaism
Cathy Lynn Moore
Past President, Triangle Congregation for Humanistic Judaism
My path began on Saturday morning walks to Synagogue
with my father. With a strong sense of purpose, I deposited my coins
in the "Plant a Tree for Israel" box. I can still smell the combination
of copper and sweat that remained on my hands.
There were happy celebrations with family, food, fancy tablecloths,
china and silver at Passover seders at the Nanas' or my aunt's homes.
We lit the Chanukah candles at our house and received token presents.
Dreidels couldn't compete with Barbie dolls. None of us had good
voices, so there were no songs. The other holidays were deemed irrelevant
by my young, modern parents. But on our part of Long Island, where
everyone I knew was Jewish, I had a strong sense of identity and
entitlement to all things Jewish.
The bumps in the road occurred early. The Tower of Babel story
I read in my beautifully illustrated Children's Old Testament made
no sense to me. If God was all knowing, then why did he come up
with such an overreaction to the people trying to reach him? Making
them unable to communicate to build the Tower also made them unable
to communicate to prevent wars and to live well. Why not simply
make the bricks not stick? Then I was made to stand out in the hall
at Religious School for asking, "If Adam and Eve were the first
people; they had two sons, and Cain killed Abel and was banished:
How'd the rest of us get here?" That punishment caused a voluntary
gap in my formal religious training and an end to my contributions
to Israeli forests.
I persevered, trying religious schools and services at other temples,
but was too shy to even consider a Bat Mitzvah. Like other baby
boomers, I tried Eastern meditations and religions, but they are
not Jewish. I really wanted to be Jewish. I tried Jewish mysticism
and the Kabbalah, but it was too much. After I moved to North Carolina,
I really wanted to find other Jewish people, especially after my
son was born.
For me, being Jewish is about identity, family and community ;
sharing a certain kind of off-beat humor, a warmth between people,
a sense of responsibility for others (tikkum olum), a certain moxie.
It's also about history and tradition and observing the passage
of time through common rituals. While I believe in a creative, unifying
force in the Universe, that is irrelevant to my Jewishness and incompatible
with the God of the Torah.
I first heard of Humanistic Judaism from my parents after they
moved to Connecticut and I wished that it were available to me.
Six months ago, I read an ad in the Jewish Federation newsletter,
which said, "Do you identify with Jewish history and culture, but
feel left out at traditional services?" I went to an informational
meeting. I liked what I heard. I went to an organizational meeting,
and another and another. I spoke my mind. Now I am the first President
of the new chapter of Humanistic Judaism. I feel like Goldilocks:
Humanistic Judaism is just right!
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