SAN FRANCISCO, DECEMBER 3-5, 2004

THE "BIBLE" OF SECULAR HUMANISTIC JUDAISM: A JOURNEY FROM ANCIENT THROUGH MODERN JEWISH LITERATURE

The International Federation of Secular Humanistic Jews presented the Tenth Biennial Conference

The conference explored how modern cultural, secular and Humanistic Jews identify with and embrace the Jewish literary heritage and include it in cultural Jewish education, celebration, and identity. Participants delved into the literary heritage developed throughout Jewish history, from ancient texts to modern poetry, as leading scholars and modern philosophers assembled to glean material for inclusion in a 'bible' or canon of Secular Humanistic Judaism.

Our featured speakers for the conference included:

Robert Alter, Distinguished literary critic and acclaimed author (The Art of Biblical Narrative, The Art of Biblical Poetry and most recently, The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary.)

Amos Oz, International and Israel Prize winning author (A Tale of Love and Darkness, My Michael)

Naomi Seidman, Graduate Theological Union, who spoke on Secular Midrash, Modern Yiddish Literature, and the Echoes of Tradition

Ruth Kartun-Blum,, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, in a presentation, Motherhood, Mourning and Politics in Israeli Women's Poetry

Sidra DeKoven Ezrahi, Hebrew University and Duke University visiting professor, with her address, With Both Feet on the Ground: The Comic Muse Follows the Jews to America

Azzan Yadin, Rutgers University, spoke on A Secular Approach to Rabbinic Literature: For Our Sake and for the Sake of the Texts

Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine, Founder of Humanistic Judaism, Co-dean of the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, spoke on How Do We Live the Literature?