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Welcome to the Congregation Serving
the communities of Fairfield County and beyond since 1967
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Humanistic Jewish Values
The practice of Humanistic Judaism is a way to personal growth, meaning, and fulfillment. The following Credo was adopted at the June 2002 Annual Meeting.
As a Humanistic Jew I seek:
- To increase the well-being of others (Tzedakah).
- To perform acts of loving kindness (Gemilut Chassadim).
- To pursue justice, counter oppression, and make the world a better place (Tikkun Olam).
- To use my reasoning power to understand the world about me, applying this knowledge to advance ethical and moral goals.
- To treat adversity, not as divine punishment for wrongdoing, but as a challenge to be overcome with all the personal strength and community support I can muster.
- To build a community of Humanistic Jews and like-minded people.
- To reflect personally on my own behavior, its motivations, expression and consequences, and to commit to improving myself, throughout the year, with renewed emphasis at High Holidays.
- To recognize and celebrate the role of the Jewish people and culture in living these values.
- To support Israel in its search for peace.
- To foster understanding of Humanistic Judaism in the broader community so that beliefs such as ours can be expressed without fear of prejudice.
- To live my life, so that at my death, I may live on through my positive impact on others’ lives.
The CHJ Statement of Purpose Includes:
- A humanist believes that each person, whether or not he or she believes in
God, is responsible for leading
a moral, ethical life that will add to the greater good of humanity, without reliance on supernatural
forces or theological authority. Belief in God is a matter of personal definition, personal conviction, and
personal practice. - Humanistic Judaism combines the Jewish values of lovingkindness (Gemuilut
Chassadim), charity
(Tzedakah), and making the world a better place (Tikkun Olam) with the recognition that the responsibility
for putting them in practice lies in one’s own hands.
