What did Martin Buber mean by being Jewish in a humane way?

For Martin Buber, the concept of being "Jewish in a humane way" emerged as a vital moral response to the rise of Nazism and its racist, völkisch nationalism. While Buber consistently advocated for maintaining an authentic Jewish existence, he rejected any form of racism in education or identity, insisting that Jewishness must be practiced in a manner that upholds universal humanity.1

This stance was deeply rooted in his philosophy of encounter, which emphasized the "I–Thou" relationship—a mutual, responsive connection between individuals that recognizes the full reality of the other. By advocating for a "humane" expression of Judaism, Buber sought to counter the alienation of his time by fostering genuine dialogue and cooperation, most notably through his unpopular but principled support for Jewish-Arab cooperation in Palestine. Ultimately, for Buber, being Jewish in a humane way meant embodying one's heritage without succumbing to exclusionary ideologies, instead choosing to meet others with the fullness of one's being.231