Book: Secular Judaism
Author: Yaakov Malkin
Price: (Vallentine Mitchell, ?17.50)
“Secular Jewry knows what it wants,” proclaims Yaakov Malkin of Tel Aviv University, “but it has no clear vision of how to get there. Replacing that confusion with clearly defined principles, objectives and methods is its major task.” For Malkin, secular Judaism is something more serious than a pick-and-mix lifestyle choice. He sees it as a separate denomination alongside orthodox, reform or conservative Judaism, a way of life which has, or ought to have, serious philosophical underpinnings.
There are many non-religious Jews who accept the Bible as the central source of “Jewish collective memory” but reject any rabbinic monopoly on its interpretation. (This is common in Israel, where the educational system and Hebrew language have always given the Bible a prominent presence in everyone’s life.) They want to celebrate the festivals and main life cycle events, but in forms adapted to their values. They want to provide their children with an education which is Jewish without being drenched in religious propaganda. They may want to forge new forms of spirituality. Some would even like to attend secular synagogues.
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