Question 1

What makes you Jewish if you have no faith in God?

Accepted Answer

A common misconception is that Jews universally share a single understanding of God. However, a brief examination of Jewish history as recorded in the Bible reveals that we have had multiple conceptions of deity. For instance, mystics and rationalists like Rambam have interpreted the term "God" in contradictory ways. This diversity has led to the possibility that even secular individuals can consider the concept of God without necessarily adhering to traditional religious beliefs.

Secular Jews have incorporated the notion of God into their worldview through various means. For example, God as a literary figure is often featured in Hebrew poetry and literature. The philosophical underpinnings of Jewish 'Haskalah' also contributed to the development of secularism. Moreover, some secular individuals may view God as a personal, watchful entity that influences their daily lives.

On the other hand, secularists reject certain conceptions of God due to their perceived limitations. They argue that a God who communicates through intermediaries (rabbis) undermines human intellect and freedom. Similarly, a God who disrupts natural order through miracles contradicts his own philosophical validity, such as his unity and immateriality. Furthermore, a God who demands public worship, rigid agendas, and rejection of foreign peoples does not align with the modesty required of an abstract, universal concept of values.

In the ongoing tension between orthodoxy and secularism, the concept of God is often seen as a binary opposition. However, the reality is more nuanced, and some might argue that a view that does not directly rely on the concept of God but instead prioritizes truth, education, freedom, and equality - in its own way - respects one of the pure possibilities of the content of this concept.

Question 2

Should liberals allow gender segregation in public space?

Accepted Answer

Gender separation, for the purpose of physiological differences, is an acceptable and reasonable matter because it does not impair the belief in the common human essence. But a separation that is not necessary for a physiological reason may imply an undermining of faith in man! The "free" world or the "open" society are misleading concepts. These are companies that believe in human reason, and hence also in his responsibility to his creatures. or her creations.

Click here for an extended answer.(https://www.hagut.org.il/post/%D7%94%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%93%D7%94-%D7%9E%D7%92%D7%93%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%AA-%D7%91%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%97%D7%91-%D7%94%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%99-%D7%A2%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%97%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%99-%D7%94%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%A1%D7%98%D7%99)

Question 3

What distinguishes Secular - Humanist Jews as Jewish, given that they do not adhere to religious commandments or beliefs?

Accepted Answer

For us "Judaism" is culture. Within it are many possible affinities such as language, country, shared past, shared stories, and also religious affinities in general.

This "committed" is in the religious field. Secularists consider what is appropriate. "Mitzvot" may be a name for any moral or ethical action that any member of a culture observes. If you mean an external set of mitzvot as a ladder to "Judaism" - most Jews in the world are not in this narrow field.

Question 4

What is the difference between a secular Jew and a Gentile?

Accepted Answer

A secular Jew is inherently Jewish, rooted in the culture; 'gentile' refers to someone who doesn't share this cultural heritage (originally meaning 'people', now implying membership in another group). The question's phrasing is as misguided as asking what sets an Orthodox person apart from a fascist...

Question 5

Does secularism = emptiness?

Accepted Answer

Secularism is not an "empty" tool and secularism is not instrumental. It is a rich culture, full of faith, and a leader in its works, which inherits the best foundations of thought of the past cultures and elevates them to the best topical and open expression for the transformations of the present.

Click here for an extended answer.(https://www.hagut.org.il/post/%D7%91%D7%9C%D7%99-%D7%9C%D7%94%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%9C%D7%91%D7%9C-%D7%95%D7%91%D7%9C%D7%99-%D7%9C%D7%94%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%98%D7%9C-%D7%A8%D7%A7-%D7%94%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%94%D7%97%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%99-%D7%99%D7%A2%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%90%D7%AA-%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%A1-%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%A9%D7%AA)

Question 6

Do the secularists necessarily turn their backs on Jewish tradition?

Accepted Answer

In reality, the secular Zionist movement did not abandon Jewish heritage, but rather sought to liberate it from its Orthodox shackles and infuse it with reason, freedom, and equality - values that have long been synonymous with God in Jewish thought.

This autonomy was rooted in the innovative spirit of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, Rambam's intellectual boldness, and the Enlightenment thinkers who transformed Jewish consciousness in the Diaspora and the Land of Israel.

Question 7

What does the term 'Hiloni' (secular) mean? Does it imply that secular individuals are solely concerned with worldly affairs, neglecting spiritual or transcendent aspects of life?

Accepted Answer

On the contrary, according to Onkelus' translation, the term 'Hiloni' equates "foreigner" and refers specifically to an individual who is not a 'Cohen' - priest (Leviticus 22:10), meaning someone outside the lineage of Aaron and his priestly descendants. This interpretation suggests that this term could apply to those within the larger Jewish community who are not part of the priestly family.

Perhaps this understanding influenced thinkers like Bialik, who may have seen secular individuals as successors to Moses' legacy.In this sense, seculars can be viewed as the dominant current within the Jewish people - a continuation of the original spiritual and philosophical currents inspired by Moses.

Question 8

What is your attitude towards the bible?

Accepted Answer

The term 'Bible' emerged with secular education, acknowledging the collective efforts of human writers who crafted timeless texts

The Haskalah movement renewed Bible studies alongside Hebrew language study (as opposed to the memorization of the Gemara in the diasporic rabbinic culture). Israeli Seculars' 11-year study of the Bible underscores its significance, as secular Hebrew culture is richly influenced by biblical themes and motifs.

Question 9

What is your attitude to sages (Hazal) literature?

Accepted Answer

This vast corpus of Jewish literature, a treasured cultural heritage, predominantly stems from the Hellenistic era; in contrast to Orthodox tradition, Zionist education prioritized a national and cultural approach to Israel's entire canon - limiting Talmud instruction in schools. However, an open, secular approach can uncover a wealth of content, values, and literary beauty within the books of Sages.

Question 10

With a denial of your past culture, how will you build a future?

Accepted Answer

Secular Jews are at the forefront of research about the Jewish past, the history of the Land of Israel, the Bible, literature, etc. With the spread of the orthodox narrative, which appropriates "Judaism" for itself, a cycle of self-sustaining alienation has grown - as secularists mistakenly identify their heritage as a deviation from the values of the Enlightenment. This is exactly why we must illuminate the values of education and democracy as they are - as a natural development of Israeli culture.

WE are the Judaism of the declaration of independence

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