For members of the Baltimore Jewish Cultural Chavurah, Judaism is just as important as it is to members of any synagogue.
The difference, however, is how they adhere to it.
The Chavurah is partial to secular humanistic Judaism, which means they don’t have traditional prayer sessions or liturgy, or institutions like a Hebrew school. Instead, they focus on other aspects of the tradition, said BJCC President Art Starr.
“We’re strictly focused on the history and culture of Judaism. Several of our members belong to synagogues,” Starr said. “Part of our mission is to do outreach — we do a couple of programs a year at Atrium Village [in Owings Mills]. The last one we did, we hosted Norman Lear, who is the secular Jewish humanist of the year. And we’ve done a program there on the Jewish Catskills. So that’s part of our mission; to present alternate ways of observing being Jewish, but also to emphasize the history and culture of Judaism.”
The BJCC was founded about 25 years ago. Around that time, Starr saw an advertisement in Baltimore Jewish Times that spoke of a new, secular Jewish community forming in the city. He was intrigued, and reached out to join.
The BJCC meets twice a month, and while it don’t necessarily celebrate holidays like Shabbat the same as synagogues, it still makes sure to celebrate.
“On Friday nights, we have a brief Shabbat ritual with challah and wine, and do some secular readings,” Starr said. “Our other programs are usually on Sunday morning — we celebrate Shabbat in the sense that we have a Friday night program. We do some rituals and we sing, usually Hinei Ma Tov.”
The appeal for the BJCC largely comes from its unique outlook on Jewish tradition and culture, which is why it is an appealing place even for those who also belong to traditional synagogues.
“In some ways, we offer non-traditional Jewish adult education. If you look at most synagogues, their adult education is focused on maybe Torah study or things like that.
[Some synagogues’] adult education is much more varied. We don’t contradict their belonging to a synagogue, because we emphasize the culture and history of Judaism,” Starr said.
The BJCC had a program in February that focused on the differences of liberal Zionism and anti-Zionism. It had a program on reenvisioning youth justice and the justice system in Maryland. The BJCC had a historical conversation about the plight of North African Jews during World War II.
When it comes to traditional Jewish events, like b’nai mitzvah, the BJCC adheres to a unique set of guidelines for observing tradition.
“Young people prepare by finding what interests them and has meaning for them in Jewish tradition. They research these things and present what they’ve learned to their community. They also engage in any form of community service that has value to them as Jews. In addition, they reflect on the obligations that being Jewish imposes and share those reflections with the community,” according to the BJCC.
While it might not be Torah-centric, it is certainly still culturally and spiritually Jewish.
However, the Chavurah hasn’t celebrated too many b’nai mitzvot recently. Starr said that the member population is an older one that is only getting older.
“It is a concern. We don’t have a Sunday school, and so we’re not going to attract young families who are interested in a school for their kids. Our target audience is really people whose kids are either teenagers or adults or they’re empty nesters,” Starr said. “So I’m not sure what our future is going to be like; I don’t have a good answer.”
However, Starr said that he thinks the BJCC has an important role in the community and the potential to stick around because of its unique offerings for Baltimore Jews.
“We’re very proud of our history and our culture, and it’s important for people to appreciate and know it, not just the Torah,” Starr said. “I hope that we’ll continue showing people in the Jewish community that there are many ways to express their Judaism.”
