“Do Jews Need God?” That’s the provocative question we set out to explore in our latest issue of 614: the HBI ezine, which is generating quite a bit of buzz among our readership. The issue is based on the 2013 Pew Research study that says 2/3 of Jews believe it is not necessary to believe in God to be Jewish, a number that many of us found surprisingly high when we heard it. We wanted to explore the issue further, and find out how Jewish atheists feel about their connections to their religious identity and ties to the community so we handpicked well-known authors, a rabbi and an artist to open up about their complex feelings on this topic. Below is a list of the articles that open this hot-topic discussion:
The Last Great Taboo: Highly acclaimed author and poet Marcia Falk wears the label “post-theist” to widen the definition of Jewishness.
Jewish Genes Are Not Enough: In our modern society, many who have been born with Jewish DNA seek farther and deeper when it comes to identifying as Jewish, writes Author Talia Carner.
Unapologetic Atheist: Artist Fran Forman sees the patriarchal language in prayers as symbols of an ancient culture.
Bringing Bigness to the Table: Why one atheist, Rabbi Lev Baesh, RN, JD, says there is great comfort in questioning, storytelling, and acting “as if.”
The Atheism Spectrum: Whether we believe in God is not a yes or no question; there is a whole scale of answers to explore, writes Naomi Myrvaagnes
God is Beside The Point: Parenting expert Ruth Nemzoff loves how Judaism makes room for disagreement on so many topics, including the belief in God.
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