JULY 21 • 2022 | 21

“They’re shorter, they’re in English, but 
we do sing Hebrew songs. Sometimes we 
adjust the words to famous songs,
” he said. 
CHJ consists of 180 membership units/
households and offers a voluntary, pay-
what-you-can dues structure. 
CHJ’s youth education — the Spinoza 
Program — is named for a famous 
Jewish philosopher and skeptic, Baruch 
(Benedict) Spinoza. While providing an 
array of Jewish music, customs, holidays, 
stories, Hebrew and history, the Spinoza 
Program encourages its children to engage 
in independent thinking and decide for 
themselves what being Jewish means to 
them. The program is tuition-free, fully 
included with membership. 

“To name something after 
Spinoza is to communicate to our 
parents and children that nothing 
is beyond questioning,” Falick said. 
“We want them to embrace their 
Jewish tradition, but we don’t want 
them to walk away with the idea that these 
rituals are more important than the lessons 
behind them.”
 CHJ’s B’Mitzvah program is unique. 
Rather than learning a passage of Torah by 
heart, students choose their own topic and 
incorporate a relevant Hebrew passage all 
in the context of a modern Shabbat celebra-
tion. Students work closely with the rabbi 
to develop a presentation about their topic 
while simultaneously highlighting their own 
personal interests and beliefs. 
 CHJ’s adult programming and education 
includes social and leisure time activities, 
discussion groups about film and television, 
classes that explore Judaism and other top-

ics with the rabbi and other scholars, and 
cultural offerings throughout the year.
Prioritizing inclusion and social justice 
work is fundamental to the congregation. 
Over the years, CHJ has been active-
ly involved in working on anti-racism, 
environmental justice, gender equity, gun 
reform, immigrant rights, LGBTQ+ equal-
ity, reproductive rights, voting access, sepa-
ration of church and state, and more. 
“I think we have a place for people who 
want to say what they mean and mean what 
they say, and we provide a Jewish experi-
ence that does that,
” said CHJ board presi-
dent Ned Greenberg. 
“We have a message that’s very compel-
ling in today’s world for people who really 
want to promote the dignity and freedom of 
every human being.
” 

 
To learn more about the Congregation for Humanistic 

Judaism of Metro Detroit, visit www.chj-detroit.org.

Congregants make lunches for the NOAH Project, 
a nonprofit to help the unhoused.

Rabbi Jeffrey Falick

Having a good time together during Purim.

Congregants gather for Chanukah.

Young people enjoy a model seder.

