All Humanistic

The City Congregation was founded in 1991 as the New York City affiliate of the Society for Humanistic Judaism. Our members come from many different backgrounds. We hold many different opinions and beliefs. We joined the congregation in search of something cultural, spiritual, intellectual, or social. What we have in common is a commitment to our shared secular values and future. Read more...

  Our school is open to everyone without the requirement of membership in Beth Chaverim up to fifth grade. This new and unprecedented model is meant to address families’ desire to educate their children but who are not ready for the commitment of membership. Once a student enters middle school, membership is required. Families can enroll their children for Session Read more...

Beth Chaverim is a Humanistic Jewish community. Humanistic Judaism defines Judaism as the collective historic experience of the Jewish people and promotes a community of shared Jewish values, especially for those Jews who cannot intellectually or emotionally embrace a supernatural being, or who are unsure about the existence of such a being and want to express their Judaism in an Read more...

Adat Chaverim’s Steinberg Cultural Sunday School reflects the values of Humanistic Judaism, and is built on mutual trust and respect through open and honest communication between teachers, parents, and students. Our innovative program is designed to instill our students with a meaningful Jewish identity grounded in Humanistic philosophy and Jewish culture, history and customs. Lessons are structured to encourage students to think Read more...

Adat Chaverim was founded in 2000 as a non-theistic community that promotes humanism, pluralism, inclusion, and cultural vitality. ​We seek to strengthen connections to the best of our heritage, celebrating Jewish holidays and events with contemporary meaning and modern relevance.   Our members are diverse, coming from many different backgrounds, and include agnostics, atheists, secularists, intercultural and LGBT families and individuals. We welcome Read more...

Our youth education is called the Spinoza* Program and it provides our young people with a positive and enriching Jewish cultural educational experience that will empower them to make choices about how to incorporate Jewish culture and heritage into their own lives, supplying them with the tools to make informed decisions about their Jewish identities. We also place an important emphasis on Read more...

As the leader of Beth Chaverim, Rabbi Jodi Kornfeld is committed to leading by ethical and moral example, listening to the voice of the community and displaying compassion and sensitivity to the community’s needs. As an effective communicator, Rabbi Jodi has a wonderful capacity for instilling a deep knowledge of Judaism, making the knowledge relevant for the community, and fostering Read more...

Denise Handlarski is the rabbi of SecularSynagogue.com, an online community for Jews and those who wish to hang out with Jews. She serves people who are Jewish, Jew-ish, secular, agnotic, atheist, spiritual but not religious, or culturally Jewish. She is an ordained rabbi through the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism and a member of the Association of Humanistic Rabbis. Read more...

I am a native of Evanston, Illinois, and an eighth generation rabbi. I grew up in Israel, where I served as a tank gunner in the IDF Armored Corps, attended Yeshivat Sha’alvim, one of the most prominent institutions of higher Jewish learning in Israel, for seven years, and received my rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbis of Israel. I hold Read more...