About Us | Who We Are Who We Are
“My task is not to debate whether I’m a Jew or not but to figure out what kind of Jew I am. For me, finding a secular Jewish community with progressive politics fits my version of that identity.”
The Boston Workmen’s Circle Center for Jewish Culture and Social Justice is a vibrant secular Jewish community and cultural center in Greater Boston.
We have built, on the foundation of the more than century-old Workmen’s Circle
- A community gathering place for secular Jewish life.
- An arts and education center for Yiddish, Jewish, and progressive culture.
- A voice for social justice and social change.
Perhaps you’re looking for a Jewish community where you can feel at home – an alternative to conventional temple affiliation – a place where progressive values and Jewish culture find common ground.
Perhaps you’re looking to provide your children with a meaningful sense of Jewish identity – that fosters pride in their heritage -- a Jewish educational program that fits with your family’s faith, ethnic, and gender diversity, and with your family schedule.
Perhaps you’re looking for a way to make a difference as a progressive Jewish activist – or simply a community you can turn to when you need to re-energize – to remember what inspires you.
Perhaps you’re looking to be a part of the revival of Yiddish language and culture – to make Yiddish a living element of how you express your identity – to find inspiration and meaning in the history, art, and politics that is a part of Yiddishkayt.
There are many ways to explore, participate in, or become a part of our growing Center for Jewish Culture and Social Justice:
COMMUNITY
CULTURE AND EDUCATION
- Explore the meaning of Jewish history, ritual, and text for secular Jews.
- Sing for a better world.
- Examine and discuss a variety of Jewish and social justice topics.
- Relax and enjoy a coffeehouse concert.
- Read fiction and non-fiction titles on Jewish-related topics.
- Play klezmer music, whatever your level.
YIDDISHKAYT
- Take a Yiddish class .
- Stretch your mind and your Yiddish.
- Sample a taste of Yiddish.
- Drop in for an informal Yiddish conversation group or sing-along .
SOCIAL ACTION
- March for a better world .
- Speak out for peace and justice in the MidEast .
- Speak out for worker and immigrant rights .
- Create radical arts and culture .
YOUTH
- Grades 1-7 can enroll in our Shule (supplemental school).
- Teens run their own social action group.
- Families join us for many holiday and cultural programs.
Here's what some of our members have to say:
“I grew up in a traditional Jewish family, but I finally found my Jewish spiritual home in the secular Workmen’s Circle community.”
“The Workmen’s Circle community has been as important to my husband, who is not Jewish, as it is for me. We have both found a way to make the identity and the values relevant to our lives and a part of our family culture.”
“Personally, my Jewish identity is the result of a history, the history of parents who were refugees from the holocaust, and grandparents who grew up in Europe and I embrace the continued identity as Jewish identified, but not in the traditional ways.”
|
