Machar – The Washington Congregation for Secular Humanistic Judaism

Machar is a welcoming and diverse community founded on Humanistic ideals and dedicated to enhancing Jewish cultural identity. Our congregation believes that Judaism encompasses far more than an ancient religion. It is a complete and vibrant culture with a rich history, an evolving ethical outlook, languages, music, literature, and folk traditions. We see the Jewish people as an international family with a diverse and continually changing culture. We see reason rather than faith as a guide to understanding, and human will and intelligence as the forces that guide human destiny.
“Machar” is the Hebrew word for “tomorrow.” Our congregation, founded in 1977, develops and conducts services for Jewish holidays and life-cycle milestones that clearly express our secular and humanistic outlook, teaches our children in our Jewish Cultural School to value their Jewish heritage and to have respect for all peoples, and participates in a variety of social action and community service activities that transform our philosophy into reality. In addition, we publish a monthly newsletter and have a variety of social, cultural, and educational activities for members of all ages and interests. We are part of the national and international Secular Humanistic Judaism movement through our affiliation with the Society for Humanistic Judaism.