IN THIS ISSUE:  Secular Humanistic Judaism occupies a unique position in both the Jewish community and the humanism / secular / atheist / freethinker movement. Many of SHJ's recent and upcoming activities straddle both worlds. See below for connections with American Humanist Association, Secular Coalition for America, American Atheists, and the Center for Inquiry.
Get Involved This June - Twice!
Opportunity 1: SHJ's executive director Paul Golin will serve on a panel about " Religious Humanism" at the 76th Annual Conference of the American Humanist Association (AHA), June 8-11 in Charleston, South Carolina. We encourage you to attend and if you do, please introduce yourself!
 
During the conference, AHA will also present a Lifetime Achievement Award to Herb Silverman, a visionary leader in the secular movement and a long-time SHJ member. Herb has written extensively - and humorously! - about being an atheist Jew, including in the SHJ journal  Humanistic Judaism. See for example: " Secularism, Atheism, Humor, and Jewish Identity"; there are many more articles linked to from his blog. Mazel tov, Herb, on this well-deserved honor!
 
Opportunity 2: On June 15 in Washington DC, the Secular Coalition for America (SCA) hosts Lobby Day and Secular Values Summit. SHJ is a member organization of SCA and executive director Paul Golin will attend. Lobby Day is an opportunity to hear from sitting members of Congress and gain lobbying skills to engage with lawmakers. You can learn more and register for Lobby Day here. SPECIAL DISCOUNT: As a member of SCA, SHJ's members can enter the code MemberLobby and register for Lobby Day for just $25, half off the $49 early-bird registration price!
Gathering the Future of Humanistic Judaism
The 2017 HuJews Conclave took place March 24-26 in Washington DC. Young people from across the U.S. and Canada came to celebrate their connection to Secular Humanistic Judaism and learn together around the theme of "Activism." One highlight was a training session on lobbying provided by Amanda Knief, National Legal and Public Policy Director for American Atheists. 


SAVE THE DATE: The 2018 HuJews Conclave will take place March 23-25, 2018, in Philadelphia, PA!
We Marched for Science
SHJ-affiliated congregations throughout North America participated in the April 22 March for Science. Falling on the same weekend as the twice-yearly SHJ board meeting in Michigan, Rabbi Miriam Jerris coordinated a joint contingent from SHJ and The Birmingham Temple to participate in the Detroit march. It was a powerful experience for all who attended, to stand together as a Jewish community and declare our support for reason, logic, and empirical scientific methods.
For more images from that march and contingents in other cities, view our photo albums on Facebook.
Separation of Church and State
On Saturday May 6, Kol Shalom Community for Humanistic Judaism in Portland, Oregon, hosted a panel discussion, "Defending Separation of Church and State," coordinated by Kol Shalom board member and SHJ vice president Mary Raskin. Serving as moderator was SHJ executive director Paul Golin, in town for a weekend visit that also included two other presentations, on the future of Judaism and interfaith/intercultural marriage.
 
The church-state panel included Eddie Tabash, a lawyer and expert on the issue who also serves as chair of the board of the Center for Inquiry. Two liberal religious leaders from the local community, Reverends Andrea Cano and Tara Wilkins, also served on the panel. Together, the presenters represented a spectrum from atheist to believer, all providing concerning examples of how the lives of real people are negatively impacted when government preferences one particular religious approach over all others. Click on the flyer to learn a bit more about what turned out to be an informative and enlightening event.
New Humanistic Judaism Journal Now Available 
Having arrived in mailboxes earlier this year for members of SHJ-affiliated communities, SHJ independent members, and direct subscribers, the new edition of Humanistic Judaism is now also available online as a PDF. It includes articles by Rabbi Adam Chalom, Rabbi Miriam Jerris, and Dr. Keren McGinity about Jewish identity in the modern world, particularly as it relates to trends of increasing diversity and intermarriage. Please download and enjoy!
 
Thank you for your ongoing interest in and support of the Society for Humanistic Judaism,

The Staff and Board of SHJ
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