BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Congregation for Humanistic Judaism - ECPv6.17.3//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Congregation for Humanistic Judaism X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Congregation for Humanistic Judaism REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20270314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20271107T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20280312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20281105T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260821T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260821T183000 DTSTAMP:20260801T144255Z CREATED:20260801T144233Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260801T144255Z UID:10000369-1787337000-1787337000@www.humanisticjews.org SUMMARY:Shabbat Candle Lighting DESCRIPTION:Zoom opens at 6:30pm just to kibbutz. \nAt 7pm we light candles with a  short service. We listen to music and short lectures. Watch for the Zoom link on the listserv Friday afternoon. URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org/event/shabbat-candle-lighting-88/ LOCATION:Zoom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.humanisticjews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/shabbat2-1.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260822T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260822T180000 DTSTAMP:20260218T000119Z CREATED:20260218T000038Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260218T000119Z UID:10000314-1787421600-1787421600@www.humanisticjews.org SUMMARY:Havdalah at the Beach-**RAIN DATE FOR AUG.15*** DESCRIPTION:Bid Shabbat farewell at the beach with fellow members\, friends and guests on Saturday\, August 22\, 6:00 p m at the Sherwood Island Park in Westport. \nDesserts\, drinks and parking compliments of CHJ\, bring your chairs and dinner. \nPlease RSVP programming@humanisticjews.org  in order to plan for desserts and drinks. \n Ask for CHJ parking at the gate. See you there. URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org/event/havdalah-at-the-beach-rain-date-for-aug-15/ LOCATION:Sherwood Island Park Westport ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.humanisticjews.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/havdalah-at-beach-2023-scaled-e1688312436141.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260823T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260823T100000 DTSTAMP:20260801T150608Z CREATED:20260801T150546Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260801T150608Z UID:10000377-1787479200-1787479200@www.humanisticjews.org SUMMARY:Forum on Anti-Semitism DESCRIPTION:These groups are organized by Loretta Jay\, Michelle Tomarkin and Jessica Wolf for CHJ members to have a safe place to talk about  anti-Semitism and other related topics and how we are affected. George Rockmore\nhas volunteered to serve as a back-up facilitator.\n\nSee listserv for venue.\n\n\n\n\nRSVP  forum@humanistcjews.org. URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org/event/forum-on-anti-semitism-2/ LOCATION:Member’s residence ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.humanisticjews.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/israel.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260828T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260828T183000 DTSTAMP:20260801T144431Z CREATED:20260801T144414Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260801T144431Z UID:10000370-1787941800-1787941800@www.humanisticjews.org SUMMARY:Shabbat Candle Lighting DESCRIPTION:Zoom opens at 6:30pm just to kibbutz. \nAt 7pm we light candles with a  short service. We listen to music and short lectures. Watch for the Zoom link on the listserv Friday afternoon. URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org/event/shabbat-candle-lighting-89/ LOCATION:Zoom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.humanisticjews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/shabbat2-1.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260906T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260906T123000 DTSTAMP:20260801T143604Z CREATED:20260801T143536Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260801T143604Z UID:10000366-1788690600-1788697800@www.humanisticjews.org SUMMARY:Women's Rap DESCRIPTION:  \nCome join other CHJ women to talk about a topic to be chosen at the meeting. It’s a great way to get to know one another. \nVenue to be advised. Please watch the listserv . \nRSVP:womensrap@humanisticjews.org \n  \n  URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org/event/womens-rap-15/ LOCATION:Member’s residence ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.humanisticjews.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/rap.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260911T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260911T193000 DTSTAMP:20260729T015935Z CREATED:20260729T015359Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260729T015935Z UID:10000362-1789155000-1789155000@www.humanisticjews.org SUMMARY:Rosh Hashanah Eve Services DESCRIPTION:High Holidays 2026 \nWe are pleased to present our 2026 Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services in person to our members\, their families and guests. New this year\, non-members may join us for our in-person services if they pre-register. (Registration instructions are set forth below.) We will also be live streaming the services to members and non-members who wish to join us virtually. Our services are free of charge\, but we kindly ask non-members joining us to please consider donating to help offset our production costs.  \nCHJ celebrates Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with contemplative services incorporating music\, readings\, and rituals that strike a balance between our connections to the broad stream of Judaism and our secular humanistic view of Jewish culture and customs. Our services invite us to reflect on our values and commitments\, both as individuals and as a community. \nMembers should refer to the CHJ website and email announcements for the locations of the various services and events. Doors open 30 minutes before services begin. The live stream services will commence at the times listed below. \nNon-Member Registration – In Person and/or Live Streaming \nUse CHJ’s website  High Holiday Registration page to begin the registration process.  \nNon-members who wish to attend our services in person should register on CHJ’s website in advance\, no later than 7 days prior to the service(s) they wish to attend. In-person registrants will receive a phone call from a congregant to complete the process. The location of the service and an admission ticket will be emailed to them after the phone call.     \nNon-members who wish to view our services virtually are asked to also please register in advance from the same High Holiday Registration page.  A link to the live-stream service(s) will be sent to those who register. The service booklet can also be found on this same web page and can be downloaded to your device. \nGuests interested in learning about CHJ membership or wishing to join CHJ should go to our website at humanisticjews.org. Kindly address inquiries to membership@humanisticjews.org. URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org/event/rosh-hashanah-eve-services/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.humanisticjews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/roshashanah.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T133000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T133000 DTSTAMP:20260729T020807Z CREATED:20260729T020735Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260729T020807Z UID:10000363-1789219800-1789219800@www.humanisticjews.org SUMMARY:Rosh Hashanah Services - Tashlikh DESCRIPTION:High Holidays 2026 \nWe are pleased to present our 2026 Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services in person to our members\, their families and guests. New this year\, non-members may join us for our in-person services if they pre-register. (Registration instructions are set forth below.) We will also be live streaming the services to members and non-members who wish to join us virtually. Our services are free of charge\, but we kindly ask non-members joining us to please consider donating to help offset our production costs.  \nCHJ celebrates Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with contemplative services incorporating music\, readings\, and rituals that strike a balance between our connections to the broad stream of Judaism and our secular humanistic view of Jewish culture and customs. Our services invite us to reflect on our values and commitments\, both as individuals and as a community. \nWe invite our members to join us on the first day of Rosh Hashanah for a Tashlikh ceremony\, in which we symbolically cast off our regrettable actions and thoughts. \nMembers should refer to the CHJ website and email announcements for the locations of the various services and events. Doors open 30 minutes before services begin. The live stream services will commence at the times listed below. \nNon-Member Registration – In Person and/or Live Streaming \nUse CHJ’s website  High Holiday Registration page to begin the registration process.  \nNon-members who wish to attend our services in person should register on CHJ’s website in advance\, no later than 7 days prior to the service(s) they wish to attend. In-person registrants will receive a phone call from a congregant to complete the process. The location of the service and an admission ticket will be emailed to them after the phone call.     \nNon-members who wish to view our services virtually are asked to also please register in advance from the same High Holiday Registration page.  A link to the live-stream service(s) will be sent to those who register. The service booklet can also be found on this same web page and can be downloaded to your device. \nGuests interested in learning about CHJ membership or wishing to join CHJ should go to our website at humanisticjews.org. Kindly address inquiries to membership@humanisticjews.org. URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org/event/rosh-hashanah-services-tashlikh/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.humanisticjews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/roshashanah.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260919T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260919T103000 DTSTAMP:20260823T202000Z CREATED:20260823T200929Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260823T202000Z UID:10000378-1789813800-1789813800@www.humanisticjews.org SUMMARY:Book Club - Whistler by Anne Patchett DESCRIPTION:When Daphne Fuller and her husband Jonathan visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art\, they notice an older\, white-haired gentleman following them. The man turns out to be Eddie Triplett\, her former stepfather\, who had been married to her mother for a little more than year when Daphne was nine. Now fifty-three\, Daphne hasn’t seen Eddie for many years\, not since the fateful event that changed the direction of both their lives. Meeting again\, time falls away; while their relationship was brief\, it had a profound impact on them both\, and now that they are reunited\, they have no intention of ever being separated again. \nWhistler is a story about two adults looking back over the choices they made\, and the choices that were made for them. It’s a story about bravery\, memory\, the often small yet consequential moments that define our lives\, and the endless stream of loss that in time comes for us all. Beautiful in its simplicity\, it is ultimately about how love endures\, and how the feeling of being known by one other person\, even for a short period of time\, can change everything. URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org/event/book-club-whistler-by-anne-patchett/ LOCATION:Member’s Residence Fairfield ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.humanisticjews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/whistler.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260920T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260920T193000 DTSTAMP:20260729T021905Z CREATED:20260729T021403Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260729T021905Z UID:10000364-1789932600-1789932600@www.humanisticjews.org SUMMARY:Yom Kippur Eve Services - Kol Nidre DESCRIPTION:High Holidays 2026 \nWe are pleased to present our 2026 Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services in person to our members\, their families and guests. New this year\, non-members may join us for our in-person services if they pre-register. (Registration instructions are set forth below.) We will also be live streaming the services to members and non-members who wish to join us virtually. Our services are free of charge\, but we kindly ask non-members joining us to please consider donating to help offset our production costs.  \nCHJ celebrates Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with contemplative services incorporating music\, readings\, and rituals that strike a balance between our connections to the broad stream of Judaism and our secular humanistic view of Jewish culture and customs. Our services invite us to reflect on our values and commitments\, both as individuals and as a community. \n  \nMembers should refer to the CHJ website and email announcements for the locations of the various services and events. Doors open 30 minutes before services begin. The live stream services will commence at the times listed below. \nNon-Member Registration – In Person and/or Live Streaming \nUse CHJ’s website  High Holiday Registration page to begin the registration process.  \nNon-members who wish to attend our services in person should register on CHJ’s website in advance\, no later than 7 days prior to the service(s) they wish to attend. In-person registrants will receive a phone call from a congregant to complete the process. The location of the service and an admission ticket will be emailed to them after the phone call.     \nNon-members who wish to view our services virtually are asked to also please register in advance from the same High Holiday Registration page.  A link to the live-stream service(s) will be sent to those who register. The service booklet can also be found on this same web page and can be downloaded to your device. \nGuests interested in learning about CHJ membership or wishing to join CHJ should go to our website at humanisticjews.org. Kindly address inquiries to membership@humanisticjews.org. URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org/event/yom-kippur-eve-services-kol-nidre/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.humanisticjews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/kolnidre.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260921T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260921T130000 DTSTAMP:20260729T023037Z CREATED:20260729T023009Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260729T023037Z UID:10000365-1789995600-1789995600@www.humanisticjews.org SUMMARY:Yom Kippur Services DESCRIPTION:High Holidays 2026 \nWe are pleased to present our 2026 Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services in person to our members\, their families and guests. New this year\, non-members may join us for our in-person services if they pre-register. (Registration instructions are set forth below.) We will also be live streaming the services to members and non-members who wish to join us virtually. Our services are free of charge\, but we kindly ask non-members joining us to please consider donating to help offset our production costs.  \nCHJ celebrates Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with contemplative services incorporating music\, readings\, and rituals that strike a balance between our connections to the broad stream of Judaism and our secular humanistic view of Jewish culture and customs. Our services invite us to reflect on our values and commitments\, both as individuals and as a community. \nOn Yom Kippur Day\, we offer a Members’ Workshop and a Members’ Meditation\, both to be held on Zoom.  \nMembers’ Workshop via Zoom @ 1pm:  \nTopic: “A Humanistic Perspective on Atonement/At-one-ment on Yom Kippur” \nMeditation via Zoom @ 2:30 pm  \nMemorial/Closing Service @ 5:00 pm \nMembers should refer to the CHJ website and email announcements for the locations of the various services and events. Doors open 30 minutes before services begin. The live stream services will commence at the times listed below. \nNon-Member Registration – In Person and/or Live Streaming \nUse CHJ’s website  High Holiday Registration page to begin the registration process.  \nNon-members who wish to attend our services in person should register on CHJ’s website in advance\, no later than 7 days prior to the service(s) they wish to attend. In-person registrants will receive a phone call from a congregant to complete the process. The location of the service and an admission ticket will be emailed to them after the phone call.     \nNon-members who wish to view our services virtually are asked to also please register in advance from the same High Holiday Registration page.  A link to the live-stream service(s) will be sent to those who register. The service booklet can also be found on this same web page and can be downloaded to your device. \nGuests interested in learning about CHJ membership or wishing to join CHJ should go to our website at humanisticjews.org. Kindly address inquiries to membership@humanisticjews.org. URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org/event/yom-kippur-services/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.humanisticjews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/atonement.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T170000 DTSTAMP:20260218T002523Z CREATED:20260218T002425Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260218T002523Z UID:10000317-1791100800-1791133200@www.humanisticjews.org SUMMARY:Sukot Celebration SAVE THE DATE DESCRIPTION:                   SAVE THE DATE  !! URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org/event/sukot-celebration-save-the-date/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261010T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261010T103000 DTSTAMP:20260823T201826Z CREATED:20260823T201700Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260823T201826Z UID:10000379-1791628200-1791628200@www.humanisticjews.org SUMMARY:Book Club - The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout DESCRIPTION:Artie Dam is living a double life. He spends his days teaching history to eleventh graders\, expanding their young minds\, correcting their casual cruelties\, and lending a kind word to those who need it most. He goes to holiday parties with his wife of three decades\, makes small talk with neighbors\, and\, on weekends\, takes his sailboat out on the beautiful Massachusetts Bay. He is\, by all appearances\, present and alive. But inside\, Artie is plagued by feelings of isolation. He looks out at a world gone mad—at himself and the people around him—and turns a question over and over in his mind: How is it that we know so little about one another\, even those closest to us? \nAnd then\, one day\, Artie learns that life has been keeping a secret from him\, one that threatens to upend his entire world. Once he learns it\, he is forced to chart a new course\, to reconsider the relationships he holds most dear—and to make peace with the mysteries at the heart of our existence. \nElizabeth Strout\, as we have come to expect\, delivers a moving exploration of the human condition—one that brims with compassion for each and every one of her indelible characters. With exquisite prose and profound insight\, The Things We Never Say takes one man’s fears and loneliness and makes them universal. And in the same breath\, captures the abiding love that sustains and holds us all. URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org/event/book-club-the-things-we-never-say-by-elizabeth-strout/ LOCATION:TBA ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.humanisticjews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/things-we-never-say.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261113T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261113T193000 DTSTAMP:20260218T003304Z CREATED:20260218T003020Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260218T003304Z UID:10000318-1794598200-1794598200@www.humanisticjews.org SUMMARY:Shabbat Service and Program - Jewish Hall of Fame and Shame SAVE THE DATE DESCRIPTION:                            SAVE THE DATE! URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org/event/shabbat-service-and-program-jewish-hall-of-fame-and-shame/ LOCATION:TBA ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.humanisticjews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/shabbat2-1.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261114T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261114T103000 DTSTAMP:20260823T202552Z CREATED:20260823T202533Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260823T202552Z UID:10000380-1794652200-1794652200@www.humanisticjews.org SUMMARY:Book Club - My Friends by Fredrik Backman DESCRIPTION:Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa\, an aspiring artist herself\, knows otherwise\, and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures. \nTwenty-five years earlier\, in a distant seaside town\, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier\, telling silly jokes\, sharing secrets\, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning\, a reason to dream\, a reason to love. \nOut of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art\, a painting that will unexpectedly be placed into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. She embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace\, the more nervous she becomes about what she’ll find. Louisa is proof that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this stunning testament to the transformative\, timeless power of friendship and art. URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org/event/book-club-my-friends-by-fredrik-backman/ LOCATION:TBA ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.humanisticjews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/friends.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261212T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261212T103000 DTSTAMP:20260823T203359Z CREATED:20260823T203342Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260823T203359Z UID:10000381-1797071400-1797071400@www.humanisticjews.org SUMMARY:Book Club - The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline DESCRIPTION:When Eng and Chang Bunker arrive in Wilkes County in 1839\, they’re not just a curiosity—they’re a sensation. Everyone is eager to learn whether the salacious rumors about them are true. Within months\, the twins have opened a general store\, bought land\, and begun building a plantation. Now\, word has it\, they’re looking for wives—and in a place that thrives on gossip and legacy\, their ambitions set the community on edge. \nSarah and Adelaide Yates\, daughters of a once-prominent local family brought low by scandal\, are drawn into their orbit. Bold\, beautiful Adelaide sees in the twins’ fame a chance to reclaim her future. Sarah\, quiet and observant\, isn’t so sure. When the twins’ lives become entangled with theirs\, they must navigate loyalty\, longing\, and identity in a world where everything—including race\, class\, and gender—is rigidly defined. \nSpanning five decades and unfolding against the backdrop of a fractured nation hurtling toward war\, The Foursome is both intimate and epic: a story of love and constraint\, identity and reinvention. With piercing insight and emotional precision\, Kline brings to life a forgotten chapter of American history and the complex\, boundary-defying marriages at its center. URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org/event/book-club-the-foursome-by-christina-baker-kline/ LOCATION:TBA ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.humanisticjews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/foursome.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270109T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270109T103000 DTSTAMP:20260823T204002Z CREATED:20260823T203932Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260823T204002Z UID:10000382-1799490600-1799490600@www.humanisticjews.org SUMMARY:Book Club - State of Wonder by Ann Patchett DESCRIPTION:In a narrative replete with poison arrows\, devouring snakes\, scientific miracles\, and spiritual transformations\, State of Wonder presents a world of stunning surprise and danger\, rich in emotional resonance and moral complexity. \nAs Dr. Marina Singh embarks upon an uncertain odyssey into the insect-infested Amazon\, she’s forced to surrender herself to the lush but forbidding world that awaits within the jungle. Charged with finding her former mentor Dr. Annick Swenson\, a researcher who has disappeared while working on a valuable new drug\, she will have to confront her own memories of tragedy and sacrifice as she journeys into the unforgiving heart of darkness. \nStirring and luminous\, State of Wonder is a world unto itself\, where unlikely beauty stands beside unimaginable loss beneath the rain forest’s jeweled canopy. Patchett delivers a gripping adventure story and a profound look at the difficult choices we make URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org/event/book-club-state-of-wonder-by-ann-patchett/ LOCATION:TBA ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.humanisticjews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/wonder.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270213T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270213T103000 DTSTAMP:20260823T204721Z CREATED:20260823T204702Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260823T204721Z UID:10000383-1802514600-1802514600@www.humanisticjews.org SUMMARY:Book Club - Lion Women of Teheran DESCRIPTION:In 1950s Tehran\, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father\, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother’s endless grievances\, Ellie dreams for a friend to alleviate her isolation. \nLuckily\, on the first day of school\, she meets Homa\, a kind girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together\, the two girls play games\, learn to cook in the stone kitchen of Homa’s warm home\, wander through the colorful stalls of the Grand Bazaar\, and share their ambitions of becoming “lion women.” \nBut their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life. Now a popular student at the best girls’ high school in Iran\, Ellie’s memories of Homa begin to fade. Years later\, however\, her sudden reappearance in Ellie’s privileged world alters the course of both of their lives. \nTogether\, the two young women come of age and pursue their own goals for meaningful futures. But as the political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point\, one earth-shattering betrayal will have enormous consequences. \n“Reminiscent of The Kite Runner and My Brilliant Friend\, The Lion Women of Tehran is a mesmerizing tale” (BookPage) of love and courage\, and a sweeping exploration of how profoundly we are shaped by those we meet when we are young. URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org/event/book-club-lion-women-of-teheran/ LOCATION:TBA ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.humanisticjews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/lion.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270313T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270313T103000 DTSTAMP:20260823T205316Z CREATED:20260823T205255Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260823T205316Z UID:10000384-1804933800-1804933800@www.humanisticjews.org SUMMARY:Book Club - Absolution by Alice McDermott DESCRIPTION:American women―American wives―have been mostly minor characters in the literature of the Vietnam War\, but in Absolution they take center stage. Tricia is a shy newlywed\, married to a rising attorney on loan to navy intelligence. Charlene is a practiced corporate spouse and mother of three\, a beauty and a bully. In Saigon in 1963\, the two women form a wary alliance as they balance the era’s mandate to be “helpmeets” to their ambitious husbands with their own inchoate impulse to “do good” for the people of Vietnam. \nSixty years later\, Charlene’s daughter\, spurred by an encounter with an aging Vietnam vet\, reaches out to Tricia. Together\, they look back at their time in Saigon\, taking wry account of that pivotal year and of Charlene’s altruistic machinations\, and discovering how their own lives as women on the periphery―of politics\, of history\, of war\, of their husbands’ convictions―have been shaped and burdened by the same sort of unintended consequences that followed America’s tragic interference in Southeast Asia. \nA URL:https://www.humanisticjews.org/event/book-club-absolution-by-alice-mcdermott/ LOCATION:TBA ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.humanisticjews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/absolution.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR