Humanistic Judaism UK comes of age as it celebrates first bar mitzvah

Di Maggio describes the movement as “God-optional Judaism”, explaining: “It doesn’t matter if someone believes in God or not, as the focus is on the humanistic elements of Judaism as a Jewish culture or as Jewish spirituality. It is human-centred, rather than God-centred.”

He says that members tended to range from people who were “strictly atheistic to those who are agnostic” and still questioning God’s existence.

Martin Di Maggio at Chanukah[Missing Credit]

While the movement is in the process of writing its own siddur, for the time being, members use a range of siddurim but recite the prayers with a rewording of both the Hebrew and the English to omit the mention of God. “We say blessings with words which are meaningful to people as Humanistic Jews, but the humanistic interpretation can have meaning for everyone.”

One example is the Shema, in which the words have been changed to: Shem'á Yisra'él Kulánu Eḥád Veyi’udénu Eḥád”, which translates as: “Hear O Yisra’el: We are all One, and our Purpose is One.”

Di Maggio, 44, who now lives in Golders Green, grew up near Worcester in an Anglo-Italian Jewish family, who were members of Birmingham Progressive Synagogue.

The idea for a UK Humanistic Jewish movement came about after he read a book by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of the Reconstructionist Judaism. “This really resonated with me, as did the book Judaism Beyond God, by Sherwin Wine, who started Humanistic Judaism.”

A rabbinic student, Di Maggio has already completed four years of a leadership programme at the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism and now leads Humanistic services and teaches the bar and bat mitzvah course.

He said that the programme comprised 13 steps, including learning to read the parashah, researching one’s family history, carrying out a mitzvah project connected to the theme of that week’s portion and learning about the diversity of the Jewish people.

“Our bar mitzvah programme is unique. The participant doesn’t come out of the process having been told what to believe but has actively gone through 13 steps where they have learnt about different points of view.” He added that another child from the community was in the process of studying for their bar mitzvah, which is taking place at a later date.

A Seder table at Humanistic Judaism UK (Photo: Humanistic Judaism UK)[Missing Credit]

The mother of this Shabbat’s bar mitzvah boy, who asked not to be named, said that she had sought out Humanistic Judaism UK after attending a Humanistic online bar mitzvah which had taken place in Canada. “The tone of the Humanistic Jewish service really aligned with who we are as a family. We are an interfaith family, and when my son said he wanted to have a bar mitzvah, my husband, who is atheist, was very encouraging.”

She said that while they had always kept Jewish customs at home, the 13-step bar mitzvah programme had increased her son’s curiosity about his Jewish background, and “because he made the decision himself, he has taken a very mature approach”.

Having been brought up by parents who both came from Orthodox homes, she said that what she liked about Humanistic Judaism was that it was “very inclusive”, as “the idea of women being separated from men while they were praying doesn’t sit comfortably with me. It’s about being one community.

She added: “Humanistic Judaism fosters the core tenets of Judaism, without an all-knowing being at its centre. It’s really about leaving this world for your descendants in a better state than when you found it, rather than having to follow rules because they are decreed.”

When it comes to Israel, where, says Di Maggio, there are some 50 Humanistic Jewish organisations, “we don’t tell people what political position they should hold, and we are neither Zionist nor diasporist. People come from a whole spectrum of beliefs.

We don’t believe that Israel is God given. This wouldn’t be logical as we’re not sure that God exists in the first place

“During the bar/bat mitzvah programme, we encourage people to hear a lot of different perspectives so they can take an informed view. We are living in sensitive times and educate that the rights of Jews go hand in hand with the rights of all other people.”

The movement stands in solidarity with the hostages and the hostage families, says Di Maggio and calls for their release. “They are part of the Jewish people, and we want them to be safe.”

As for the land of Israel itself, Humanistic Judaism considers it of cultural and historical significance, “but as a movement, we don’t believe that it is God given. This wouldn’t be logical as we’re not sure that God exists in the first place.”

Martin Di Maggio will be presenting and running Humanistic Jewish prayer services at Limmud.To book your place on the cross-communal educational and cultural programme, which runs from December 26 to 31, go to: events.limmud.org/limmud-festival-2025/apply/ or click here