Machar: the Washington Congregation for Secular Humanistic Judaism

A 2002 article, written by Donna Bassin for Machar's 25th anniversary, presents a history of Machar. 

Rabbi Sherwin Wine had created quite a stir in the Detroit area in 1963. He openly declared that he would lead a non-theistic Jewish congregation, leaving the mainstream Reform movement through which he had been ordained to found the Birmingham Temple as the first Jewish humanist congregation. However, it wasn't only his philosophy or his convictions that drew so many to his services. Then married and living in Detroit, Jules Abrams and Mary Perica had learned that Rabbi Wine's services were also just plain fun.

Both of them actors, Jules and Mary formed an acting company within the congregation. They had found a home at the Birmingham Temple. In late 1976, Jules accepted a job in Washington. Rabbi Wine challenged the couple to start a secular humanist congregation for the DC metropolitan area. And Jules and Mary agreed to take on that challenge.

In early 1977 they rented a hall at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington. Advertisements were placed in the local press. And Washingtonians who thought Rabbi Wine just might be on to something came to hear him articulate his highly unorthodox message that one can find fulfillment in being a Jew without compromising one's rational, naturalistic understanding of the universe.

In the hall that day were Ann and Harold Black. They had also moved here from Detroit, and were well aware of Rabbi Wine's message, having enjoyed several visits to the Birmingham Temple. Henrietta Wexler was there that day, too. She had learned about the movement from Mary Perica. Soon thereafter, Joe and Millie Goodman, hearing about the group from Jules, rounded out the founding group of seven by starting what they called "The Society for Humanistic Judaism." This was the first step in putting secular humanistic Judaism on the congregational map of the nation's capital.

The same humanist values that governed their religious choices would, from the start, join these social activists in the fight against injustice. They picketed, protested, and wrote; they brought food to the poor; they educated themselves on the issues; and they took courageous stands. Their model has ensured that social action will always remain an integral part of our congregational life.

All of the children of the founders were already grown. However, they quickly instituted family-oriented programming, including the gamut of life cycle events, interpreted from a secular humanistic perspective. They knew it would be important to make the movement relevant to area families, and the decision was made to launch a Sunday school.

The new Jewish Cultural School was a critical step. Henrietta Wexler took on the task of becoming the first teacher, with just a few young children in the one-room school. Among the first students were the two children of Michael and Joan Prival. Uncomfortable with mainstream Jewish education for their children, Joan and Michael stepped forward to embrace this secular humanistic alternative. It certainly would have been easier for them and those that followed to simply do nothing, or to just "go along" and send their children to the local shul. Rather than sending a mixed message to their children of all that they didn't believe in, they chose instead to send them to the new school that would teach the positive values in which they did believe.

Thus, the Jewish Cultural School helped to bring to the new congregation those families who shared the desire to practice a secular Judaism, and to pass on to their children their Jewish culture and heritage in a non-theistic setting.

After eight years, the congregation had grown substantially. Many of the newer members had been attracted to the group by its relatively small size compared to other Jewish congregations, the resulting intimacy, and the nontraditional approach to Judaism.

However, conflicts began to arise because some of the newer members did not understand or share the fundamental values of the founders. For example, the Humanistic Judaism movement is based on the principal that what we say in our rituals and ceremonies must reflect our shared belief in human dignity and responsibility, and not include prayers or other references to the supernatural that have no meaning to most of us.

In addition, our congregation, from its inception, was committed to the idea that our humanistic philosophy is not just an abstraction to discuss, but is, rather, a set of ideals that must be acted upon through active participation in community service and social action activities.

Our congregation was also founded on the principle that we are part of a national and international Secular Humanistic Judaism movement and that we have an obligation to help spread the word about ourselves not only locally but also through the national Society for Humanistic Judaism and other affiliated organizations.

Conflicts over these ideas finally resulted in a schism. The seven original founding members and all the past presidents and others committed to the principles of nontheism, social action, and support for the larger movement reorganized themselves into the congregation that then became known as "Machar, the Washington Congregation for Secular Humanistic Judaism".

Machar, which means "tomorrow," is a name that embodied the belief of its founders that offering a truly secular and humanistic practice of Judaism is, and will more fully in the future be, a vital alternative for Jewish continuity in the modern world. Back they went to a hall at the JCC. Back to growing a Sunday school.

And back to a flourishing community that has gathered to celebrate 25 years of secular humanistic Judaism in Washington.

- Donna Bassin, from interviews with the founders,
and major assistance from Michael Prival.
November 1, 2002

Editor's note: Machar has now been in existence for over 30 years.