Kol Hadash, the only Humanistic Jewish group in the Bay Area, is embarking upon a nationwide hunt for its first rabbi.
The Albany-based community, which has been lay led for the past 15 years, received a $3,500 grant from the Jewish Federation of the Greater East Bay to aid it in filling the part-time position.
The first $1,000 from the grant will go toward advertising and the rest toward additional training for the rabbi at the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism in suburban Detroit.
The community, formerly known as the Society for Humanistic Judaism of Northern California, changed its name to Kol Hadash or “New Voices”; leaders consider the grant a major breakthrough.
“It’s the first real acknowledgment we’ve had from the wider Jewish community here that we are a part of the whole,” said Marcia Grossman, president of Kol Hadash.
Humanistic Judaism, founded in the Detroit area 38 years ago, was originally snubbed by other Jewish movements because of its nontheistic approach. It is now better appreciated as it draws in Jews who might otherwise be unaffiliated.
The Humanistic Jewish movement has in the neighborhood of 40,000 affiliated members worldwide, with national headquarters in suburban Detroit and international offices in Israel.
Kol Hadash itself has more than 150 members.
The pool of Humanistic rabbis, however, is not large, making Kol Hadash’s search a bit challenging. The sole rabbinical student to graduate from the Detroit-area training institute this past year, for instance, was quickly snatched up by another Humanistic community.
One of Kol Hadash’s own members entered the rabbinical training this year, through a correspondence course. But it’s a five-year program and “we can’t wait that long,” said Grossman.
For that reason, Kol Hadash will accept a rabbi of any movement who is willing to embrace humanism.
“There are several rabbis within Humanistic congregations who have come out of other movements,” said Grossman. “Many times it’s not until after they’re ordained that they realize that the Humanistic approach is more in line with their personal philosophy.”
Even the movement’s founder, Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine, was originally a congregational rabbi in the Reform movement. But he “always knew” his views were different and said he felt trapped in a movement “that didn’t allow me to be free.”
“It just wasn’t a comfortable fit,” Wine said from his home in suburban Detroit. “I actually felt liberated when finally I left the Reform rabbinate.”
The same goes for Kol Hadash founder Ray Calder, who was also a founding member and past president of Reform Congregation Rodef Sholom in San Rafael.
“The Reform movement never was my cup of tea,” said Calder, a Holocaust survivor. “I was never happy in that environment.”
Calder first read about the Humanistic movement in the Jerusalem Post and in 1986 went to Detroit on his own to meet with Wine and others from the movement. He was so impressed that when he returned he started a chapter locally. Within a year the East Bay-based organization grew from a couple of families to more than 100.
“It was wonderful,” he said. “All of a sudden I could talk about being a Jew without having to get involved in religious activities.” In 1998 the group began subletting office and meeting-room space from Jewish Community Services in Oakland.
The teachings of Kol Hadash are centered around Jewish history and culture rather than God and prayer. In this vein, members celebrate Shabbat, Jewish holidays and lifecycle events, and have a Sunday school, adult groups, social activities and study groups. Despite this nontheistic approach, Humanistic Jews do not necessarily classify themselves as atheists.
“It takes a certain amount of chutzpah to do that,” said Calder, noting that most prefer the term agnostic.
“I just don’t believe in any sort of entity that affects my life or being,” he explained. “Whether one exists or not makes no difference to me.”
Kol Hadash hopes to find a rabbi in time for next year’s High Holy Days. In the meantime, it will continue as usual.