Center for Cultural Judaism
The establishment of The Center for Cultural Judaism in New York in 2003 is the first major organizational change on the American Jewish scene in reaction to emerging new insights into American Jewish demography, as cited in the American Jewish Identity Survey (AJIS 2001). Salient among those insights is the emergence of a very large population of Jews – and for many their non-Jewish spouses as well – who do not find meaning in Judaism as a religion, but for whom Judaism as a culture is meaningful. The Center for Cultural Judaism focuses its work on implementing educational and outreach programs designed to reach this large, underserved population.
Posen Project
The Center for Cultural Judaism invites grant applications for the Posen Project for the Study of secular Jewish history and cultures. These grants are intended to cultivate and support the interdisciplinary study of secular Jewish history and cultures within already well-established university programs and departments of Jewish Studies, History, Philosophy, Sociology, Anthropology or other related disciplines. Grants will be awarded to support the teaching of two to four courses per year in the origin, history, development, texts, philosophy, writings and practices of Jewish secularism.
Over thirty institutions in North America and Europe are associated with the Posen Project for the study of secular Jewish history and cultures. New institutions joining the project recently include Brandeis University, Goucher College, Harvard University, Lehigh University, Rice University, Sorbonne - School of Graduate Studies, University College London, University of Kansas, and University of Wroclaw.
Similar programs are underway in Israel at the University of Haifa, Tel Aviv University, Ofakim Teachers' Program at Tel Aviv University, the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya and the Open University, among others.
Secular Culture & Ideas
This innovative journal explores the many ways secular Jews connect to their heritage — through Jewish art, history, languages, literature, philosophy, foodways, folklore, and politics. Regularly updated, Secular Culture & Ideas offers a range of articles on subjects including Roots of Jewish Secularism, Secular Thinkers, Holidays and Life-Cycle, as well as past issues and a blog, Secular News & Notes.
Contemplate
Since its debut in 2001, Contemplate: The International Journal of Cultural Jewish Thought has published three volumes of essays, articles, and poetry about secular Jewish culture and progressive Jewish politics. A hybrid of literary and scholarly writing, its contributors have included Amos Oz, Ilan Stavans, and A.B. Yehoshua; the former U.S. Poet Laureate, Robert Pinsky; and a host of well-known writers and thinkers.
Contemplate is published annually by the Center for Cultural Judaism.
Activities
The Center for Cultural Judaism is creating a central library of books, articles and videos on secular, Humanistic and cultural Judaism, with many books available for purchase at the center. An extensive bibliography of books on secular Judaism is available on the website.
The Internet site also connects those in search of like-minded people with a Jewish community that supports their beliefs as well as providing cultural Jewish celebrations, services, and rites of passage to help engage non-religious, secular, cultural, and Humanistic Jews in Jewish life.