Secular rabbis to be ordained in J'lem

In a first in Israel, seven secular rabbis who view Judaism as a culture will be ordained Friday in Jerusalem.

The secular ceremony, which will be held at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, comes after the seven Israelis' completion of three years of study at the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism in Jerusalem.

The organization, which promotes, as the name suggests, a "secular humanistic Judaism," is closest to the Reconstructionist Judaism movement in the United States, said Oren Yehi-Shalom, 35, one of the secular rabbis who will be ordained in the ceremony.

Yehi-Shalom said that the participants do not pray to God, but rather believe in man's humanity.

The group's Web site lists the belief in God "as a literary character," citing the Dutch philosopher Spinoza, who is recognized as the founder of modern Biblical criticism.

Yehi-Shalom, who was born to a secular family in the Tel Aviv suburb of Petah Tikva, said that he was approached by the organization while working in the field of education and completing his master's at Bar-Ilan University.
The seven secular rabbis who will be ordained on Friday will work in the field of education, and will carry out religious ceremonies that will not necessarily include God in them.

People use the word rabbi very loosely these days.

Even some jews for jesus call themselves rabbis.

CMike said:

People use the word rabbi very loosely these days.

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Hi CMike, I have 3 questions:

1) What does Rabbi mean ?

2) Which institutions do you accept Rabbinical Ordination from ? 2a) Are you the official judge of this ?

3) How do you know a duck is a duck ?

Unforuntately, it seems it can mean what anyone wants it to mean.

However, I don't take seriously so called "secular" rabbis for "jews for jesus" rabbis.

so to you, Mike, what do you consider secular?

jewscout said:

The organization, which promotes, as the name suggests, a "secular humanistic Judaism," is closest to the Reconstructionist Judaism movement in the United States, said Oren Yehi-Shalom, 35, one of the secular rabbis who will be ordained in the ceremony. ... The seven secular rabbis who will be ordained on Friday will work in the field of education, and will carry out religious ceremonies that will not necessarily include God in them.

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I find it interesting that they choose to reference the Reconstructionist movement rather than the SHJ. I would also be interested in some elaboration on "religious ceremonies that will not necessarily include God in them".

Rakhel said:

so to you, Mike, what do you consider secular?

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Having no divinity involved in the study.

Jayhawker Soule said:

I find it interesting that they choose to reference the Reconstructionist movement rather than the SHJ. I would also be interested in some elaboration on "religious ceremonies that will not necessarily include God in them".

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What I find interesting is that the IISHJ is, in fact, the seminary and education arm of the SHJ. Furthermore, there is, and has been since 2004, and Israeli affiliate set up to serve that same function in Israel. It may be that in 2006, the year of the original post, the affiliate was too new to have had a graduating class.

I presume that the student's comment was an attempt to draw a comparison to a movement more people were familiar with. Even today I know a whole of people who totally unaware of the SHJ and Sherwin Wine.

Peter

What's shj?

CMike said:

What's shj?

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The Society for Humanistic Judaism which is located in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

RabbiO said:

I presume that the student's comment was an attempt to draw a comparison to a movement more people were familiar with. Even today I know a whole of people who totally unaware of the SHJ and Sherwin Wine.

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Unfortunately true. Though I differed with Rabbi Wine I found him to be both personable and insightful.

CMike said:

Having no divinity involved in the study.

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So to you divinity is a necessary component of religiosity?

LuisDantas said:

So to you divinity is a necessary component of religiosity?

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In Judaism.

I find this disagreeable because if someone doens't believe in God that is one thing, but why try to adopt Judaism as a system of unbelief? Judaism is largely about God. If someone doesnt beleive in God, why not just not practice Judaism and do something else? be a secular Jew . . .

LuisDantas said:

So to you divinity is a necessary component of religiosity?

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Judaism.