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July 6, 2006News
Congregation for Humanistic Judaism flourishes in Westport
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In the 40 years since its inception, CHJ has attracted members from all over the county and beyond, and has grown to a congregation of some 95 family units, or more than 300 people.
CHJ has no rabbi, nor does it have a permanent building. What it does have is a group of committed and enthusiastic congregants.
"We are a full-service congregation, providing our members with a full range of Jewish life-cycle events," said Cary Shaw, community relations chair for CHJ and a Norwalk resident. "We function as a cooperative. We rent schools and halls for major holiday services, and members often host Friday evening and other programs in their homes. We are democratically run, which results in refreshing programs and vital community life."
Saul Haffner, a member of the congregation for 30 years, serves as its ritual director, performing many of the congregation's rabbinic services "with solid support from other congregants," Shaw explained.
Music, the Sunday school, in which 45 children are currently enrolled, and various programs all create a "rich offering," Shaw noted, adding that the congregation is "strong on vibrant interactive learning and low on rote recitation."
'Emphasizing human responsibility'
The Society for Humanistic Judaism began in 1963 with a small group led by Sherwin Wine, an ordained rabbi who left the Reform movement to create an alternative organization. Now recognized as one of the five branches of Judaism by the United Jewish Communities of North America, adherents of Humanistic Judaism celebrate Shabbat, holidays and bar/bat mitzvah ceremonies, emphasizing Jewish identity through the lens of Jewish cultural and historical traditions.
Rather than worship the divine, Humanistic Jews emphasize human responsibility for loving kindness, social justice and good deeds. The humanistic view proclaims that people have free will and should use it to the fullest, and that moral and ethical choices are ours alone to make.
While the Birmingham Temple in Michigan was the first humanistic congregation, the society of Humanistic Judaism has since grown to nearly 40 local branches in North America serving some 10,000 members
Currently, there are 11 ordained humanistic rabbis in North America. In Jerusalem, in the Israeli branch of the rabbinical institute, nine rabbis will be ordained this year and an additional 34 Israeli students are currently enrolled.
A 'community model'
While CHJ has had rabbis in the past -- before there were ordained rabbis in the movement -- the membership is "very comfortable with the community model," said Shaw, noting Haffner's extensive knowledge of scripture.
Haffner, who is Professor Emeritus of Management at Sacred Heart University, taught in the Business College for some 15 years until his retirement in 1996. He joined CHJ in 1976 shortly after he moved to Westport.
"At the time, I was immediately impressed with CHJ's rational approach to celebrating Judaism," said Haffner, who served as president for two terms and has been ritual director for about six years.
A yeshiva student from the age of 6 to 13, Haffner today teaches courses related to the bible as literature at senior centers in Fairfield, Stamford, and Westport and at Life Time Learners in Norwalk.
"I've always been interested in the bible and its study became an avocation when I retired," he said.
For members like Haffner, community involvement is an integral part of the CHJ agenda. Community service, such as helping in local soup kitchens, is expected of bar and bat mitzvah students. CHJ is part of the UJA/Federation of Westport, Weston, Wilton and Norwalk and provides programming for both the annual Taste of Torah event and the Israel Fair and co-sponsored the Save Darfur rally held at Congregation Rodeph Sholom.
The congregation supports the Carver Center's after school program for disadvantaged children and participates in "Norwalk Reads."
Its members are dedicated to tikkun olam. Fred Ury, a recent president of the Connecticut Bar Association and longtime member, is active in generating funds for AIDS research. Member Relly Coleman started "Books for Zim" through which books are donated to the Jewish Lemba tribe of Zimbabwe.
"In many ways, our congregation faces the same ritual and rite dilemma that the Jews faced in the first century," Haffner said. "After the Temple was destroyed, the priesthood abandoned, and the Jewish population dispersed, the early rabbis faced the monumental task of redefining Judaism relative to their time and place. CHJ tries to do the same thing," said Haffner. "We ask, 'How shall Judaism be expressed in 2006, in America, in Fairfield County?"
