Recent Programs

  • Colloquy on Listening
    Colloquy was developed by Ethical Culture Leader Arthur Dobrin as a group practice for leading "thoughtful and compassionate lives of responsibility."
  • Helping Kids in Haiti
    Nittai Malchin, a junior at Palo Alto High School and founder of One Love Advocates, spoke about his efforts to help children in Haiti including his most recent trip there.
  • Ethical Culture's Place in the Humanist Movement
    Kate Lovelady, leader of the Ethical Culture Society of St. Louis shared her views of Humanism and Ethical Culture
  • Annual General Meeting of the Membership
    We celebrated our first year, welcoming new members and looking forward to the coming year
  • Outing to Nikkei Matsuri in Japantown
    This neighborhood celebration in Japantown was our first outing to explore other cultures in Silicon Valley
  • Out of the Cage
    Burt Liebert shared his ideas about cooling a warming planet from his book "Out of the Cage"
  • The Healing Psychology of Ritual
    Using storytelling, music, art and passion for life, Rebecca presented the case for including ritual in the lives of individuals and communities
  • Ethics For Everyone
    This interactive Platform explored some of the ethical issues we face in our daily lives
  • Rebuilding Lives Touched By Domestic Violence
    Melody McGruder of Next Door Solutions spoke on Domestic Violence and the prevention and intervention services Next Door Solutions provides
  • Building Community, Making A Difference
    A visioning workshop for our society led by Frank Friedlander, Mai Dao-Horton and Paula Rochelle
  • Ethics and Bertrand Russell
    Peter Stone, a longtime member of the Bertrand Russell Society, discussed Russell's views on the nature of ethics
  • Latin America: Past, Present and Future - Where Do We Fit In?
    Barby and Vic Ulmer shared their own experiences in Latin America and the point of view of the various people they met there
  • A New Role for the Courts? Solve Problems, Help Change Lives
    Judge Stephen V. Manley spoke about the first mental health courts he founded and shared his unique perspective on how the role of the courts are changing
  • Winter and Summer Festivals
    Music, skits, original stories, poetry, artwork, and good cheer to celebrate the solstice season together
  • Movie Nights with the Brights
    Videos and movies included Consensus as a Decision Model, The Curious Inability to Decide, Creativity and Brainstorming, Climbing Mount Everest, Taking Responsibility For Change, It's Not What Happens To You - It's What You Do About It, Letting Go Of God, My Dinner With Andre, Critical Thinking - Socratic Questioning, Darwin's Secret Notebooks and Genius - Charles Darwin, The Corporation
  • Ethics Discussions
    Using Arthur Dobrin's book Ethics for Everyone     we discussed topics including "What Do I Do with the Money I Find?", "How Do I Know What is Fair?", "What Does Personal Loyalty Require of Me?", "Should I Always Keep a Confidence?", "What Do I Owe An Elderly Parent?", "Do I Confront People About Their Habits and What They Wear?",  "Is It Moral of Me to Help Someone Commit Suicide?", "Should I be Free To Choose All My Associations?", "Is Life Always Worth Living?", "Is It Right For Me to Use Another Person to Make My Point?" and "Does It Matter What I Buy?"

Past Programs


  • The Case Against Torture
  • Parent Decision Making & Ethical Issues caring for an Ill Child
  • The New Abolitionists
  • Summer Festival
  • Forgiving Others—An Ethical Imperative
  • Points of View—Current Events
  • History of Ethical Culture
  • Ethical Culture: A Religion of Human Worth
  • Darwin Day Celebration
  • Horizontal Religion
  • Colloquy on “Thankfulness”
  • Challenging Corporate Power
  • Compassionate Communication
  • Can Ethical Culture Help in a Time of Personal Crisis
  • Getting to Know the American Ethical Union
  • Ethical Eating
  • Solar Power Primer
  • Darwin Day Celebration
  • Organic Religion
  • Religious Roots of Ethical Culture
  • Pete Seeger - The Power of Song
  • Supporting Moral Development in Children
  • Developing Critical Thinkers
  • The Refugee Impact - Global and Domestic Perspectives of the Refugee Experience
  • Founder's Day
  • Ethical Culture Is A Cause