Here are posts related to the basic principles of Humanistic Judaism 
including those of the Machar Congregation in Washington, D.C., and SHJ 
affiliate, as well as statements from Susan Averbach and Judith Seid in 
response to a request from a writer from Israel.

....................................

From: MPrival@aol.com
Date: Mon, 27 May 1996 01:44:55 -0400
Subject: HJ/ Basic principles of Humanistic Judaism

In a message dated 96-05-26 12:06:20 EDT, Gary Rothschild writes::

>  Without a firmly defined set of guiding principles 
>(the movements contribution to society if you will) there is no 
>movement.
>
>
     When Machar/The Washington D.C. Congregation for Humanistic Judaism was
founded, we included into our by-laws a set of principles for our
Congregation.  I'm not sure that this is what you are looking for, but here
they are anyway:

     (a) We take pride in our identity as Jews and in the history
          and achievements of the Jewish people.  We see Jewish
          history, like all history, as a purely human and
          natural phenomenon.

     (b) We find spiritual satisfaction in secular celebrations
          of Jewish holidays, study and discussion of Jewish and
          broader human issues, and action for social justice.

     (c) We believe that people determine the conduct of their
          own lives, and must take full responsibility for their
          behavior.

     (d) We believe that only people can solve human problems. 
          We do not use worshipful or prayer-like language or
          invoke the name of any deity or supernatural force in
          our rituals or services.

     (e) In resolving ethical dilemmas, whether personal or
          social, we seek solutions that respect the dignity and
          self-esteem of every human being.

Mike Prival

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 01 Feb 96 08:50:04 WST
From: "Averbach, Susan" <saverbach@ortho1.ucsf.edu>
To: hj@teleport.com
Subject: HJ/ Rachel Epstein-Still don't know what HJ is


     First, in general I would suggest that you read our material on our 
     Web page. Many of your questions will be answered if you read our 
     material. The web address is: http://www.teleport.com/~hellman/
     
     1.  Briefly, in answer to your first question: How are we different 
     from the Reform movement? I find it difficult to understand the Reform 
     or Conservative movements in Judaism. Their beliefs are fundamentally 
     the same as the Orthodox view, but their practice is different. We 
     truly do not believe in that we are commanded by a higher power to 
     follow Jewish law. We believe that people created laws. We are proud 
     of our Jewish, and we choose to focus on humanity, not any higher 
     power. Some of us are atheists, some are agnostics, some are ignostics 
     (think that whether or not God exists is irrelevent), some believe in 
     God (not too many). What is important is that we focus on what we can 
     do, not on prayer.
     
     
     2. Question regarding Israelis not standing by Jews in other parts of 
     the world because without traditional law they will feel no 
     obligation: We feel a strong obligation to Jews all over the world 
     (and to other people as well), unlike the ultra-orthodox who cheer at 
     the death of Yitzchak Rabin! These Jews truly do not care about other 
     Jews, only Jews who agree with them!
     
     3.  Are we all atheists? I answered this question in 1.
     
     4. Is being Jewish just a matter of being born so? For us being a Jew 
     is a choice! We welcome people who were not born into Jewish families. 
     We consider a Jew anyone who identifies with the history and culture 
     of the Jewish people and cares about the fate of the Jewish people.
     
     5. What message would you pass on to the next generation? Our message 
     to the next generation is that they should know the history and 
     culture of the Jewish people. They should know our values (freely 
     chosen values that benefit all of humanity and nature) and act on them 
     to make the world a better place. They should feel proud that they are 
     Jews and their heritage will give them strength to carry on. 
     
     Personally, I believe that our Judaism will keep Judaism alive into 
     the future more than any other branch.
     
     I hope I've begun to answer your questions. Please read our literature 
     if you want to know more about us. We have groups in Israel as well.
-----------------------------------------


Date: Thu, 1 Feb 1996 23:12:57 -0500
From: JudithSeid@aol.com
To: hj@teleport.com
Subject: HJ/ Re: what is hj

Thank you, Rachel, for your thoughtful interaction with us.  What you are
asking in your questions boils down to "who is a Jew" and "what is Judaism?".
 It is easy to say what Judaism is not.  Clearly it is not a religion; there
are so many different views of religious truth, the nature of a god,
salvation, afterlife, the source of ethics, etc. that it is more true to say
that religion is what divides Jews, not what unites us.  Clearly Judaism is
not a race.  Simple observation indicates that fact.  We might say that
Judaism is a shared history, but that is not quite true either.  None of my
relatives, as far as I know, were ever in Spain or Yemen, yet the Spanish
Inquisition and the transport of the Yemenites to Israel are my history.  I
think it is most correct to say that Judaism is a shared historical
consciousness.  We share our history.  We define ourselves as Jews by our
acceptance of Jewish history, cultures, peoplehood of future, and, I hope, by
our commitment to build our culture and our people, not just to learn about
and transmit it.  This is why I believe that Israeli Jews will always welcome
us if we need you - because Jews share a sense of kinship.  That is what
makes us Jews.
I hope you will continue to post here and to share your perceptions with us.
Judith Seid