Kol Haverim is a community of Secular Humanistic Jews in Ithaca, New York. Together we are exploring the niche of Humanistic Judaism and discovering what resonates for us within this unique philosophical and cultural framework.
HOW WE BEGAN
Kol Haverim was launched in the spring of 1999 (as the Finger Lakes Community for Humanistic Judaism) when a local resident invited a leader in the HJ movement to come to Ithaca to give a talk on celebrating Jewish cultural identity. The event attracted a mix of secular Jews, unaffiliated Jews, and those who previously felt on the fringes of Jewish life. About 40 people came to our introductory talk and over 25 people showed up at our first organizational meeting. The weekend was filled will enthusiasm, creativity and energy – the same characteristics that continue to push us forward as we continue to build a vibrant community with innovative and exciting programs. We are an interesting mix of people. Some of us were raised in devout homes, some in secular homes, still others with little, if any, knowledge of Judaism. Some of us are not even Jewish, but have partners who are. Time and time again we have heard ourselves described in each other’s stories – familiar accounts of being unaffiliated and nonreligious but possessing an indisputable Jewish identity and a desire to connect with other like-minded Jews.
DISSOLUTION
NOTE: KOL HAVERIM IS IN THE PROCESS OF FORMAL DISSOLUTION. WE THANK EVERYONE WHO WAS PART OF THIS COMMUNITY OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES.
AFFILIATION
Kol Haverim was last affiliated as havura of the Society for Humanistic Judaism, a humanstic, non-theistic Jewish denomination established in 1969 by Rabbi Sherwin Wine. SHJ comprises more than 30 humanistic communities, congregations, and havurot in the United States and Canada.