Secular Judaism

Question

Dear Rabbi,

I am Jewish through my mother, but I’ve grown up mostly secular (I had a bat mitzvah and celebrate Shabbat most weeks) and identify as agnostic. I want to become “more Jewish” but I don’t know if I can ever believe in God as outlined in the Torah.

Can I ever be truly Jewish in a religious, not ethnic, sense? How can I learn to believe in God?

Thank you

0

Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    Please allow me to suggest that despite the title that you gave to your question – Secular Judaism – there is nothing secular about your Judaism. Trying to keep Shabbat and wanting to get to know the more spiritual side of you does not sound secular to me at all.

    In any event: Can you be Jewish in a truly religious sense? Yes, absolutely. Judaism is not, and has never been, an “all-or-nothing” religion. I tell my students over and over again that Judaism is the most realistic religion in the world. Judaism does not demand perfection from anyone. That means that you can keep whatever you are currently keeping and add things on the way when you feel ready to do so. If you do so, at some point I have no doubts that your relationship with God will begin to blossom and you will begin to recognize and feel that God is involved in your life.

    In the meantime, perhaps you might enjoy reading about belief and Judaism.
    For example:
    Permission to Believe by Lawrence Keleman
    and
    Anatomy of Search by Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team