SHJ president Larry Lawrence, past president Lou Altman, and executive director Bonnie Cousens joined top leaders from national nontheistic organizations at this year's Secular Leaders Summit in Houston in January.  Thirty organizations, from innovative start-ups like the Ex-Muslims of North America to the few groups now with multi-million dollar budgets, were represented at this eleventh anniversary meeting.

While SHJ has been represented at these gatherings for ten years, this was the first time we were invited to join the presenters. Addressing the question, "How can I be Jewish and not believe in God?" Bonnie Cousens said simply, "I am and I don't," a phrase oft repeated back to her - with agreement and approval - throughout the meeting. Drawing on the recent Pew study on Jewish identity in America, Cousens went on to explain that Humanistic Jews are not alone. The Pew researchers found that 3 out of 10 American Jews don't believe in God or a universal spirit and 6 in 10 Jews say being Jewish is mainly a matter of culture or ancestry.

She then enumerated six concepts inherent in Humanistic Judaism:  

• Judaism, defined as the culture, traditions, and historical experience of the Jewish people: As Humanistic Jews we value our Jewish identity; celebrate the human, natural, and historical aspects of Jewish holidays; mark the passages of life with culturally Jewish events; and teach Jewish culture and history.
• Responsibility: We believe that responsibility for our world lies within ourselves and not an external supernatural power. Each of us accepts responsibility for our own actions and decisions.
• Power: We accept that each of us possesses the power to accomplish what we want and to change those things we believe must be changed.
• Reason: We make evidence-based decisions.
• Conscience and Morality: We recognize our ability to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil. We apply sensitivity and compassion, especially when assisting others in need.
• Courage: Each of us has the strength of character to live our convictions. Our words match our behavior. We say what we believe and believe what we say.

These secular leaders' meetings are an opportunity to overcome differences, to forge alliances, and to bring together decision-makers who are able to commit to collaborations. Following Cousens' presentation, perhaps the most frequent comment was that people finally understood how Humanistic Judaism fits into the secular community. Other presenters discussed the diverse programs we could come together on, including mobilizing around Darwin Day in February, endorsing Openly Secular Day on April 23, 2015, and planning for Reason Rally 2 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in 2016. (photo credit: Joseph McDaniel Stewart)