As an atheist with Jewish background who is thinking more about Jewish traditions these days, some thoughts are: The act of figuring out as a community the details of the rules (or 'exceptions' of they seem so) in the face of changing social conditions can itself be meaningful. It can produce meaning related to bringing people into a community of discussion and debate in which decisions are made, or of authoritarian following the orders of a designated leader who decides how you are to interpret the rules, or some combination thereof.
It's all full of meaning, very meaning-producing. It may be intentional or unintentional, the kind of meaning we'd want or not want. Once you are an atheist -- or otherwise don't believe that there is a God who speaks to us in human language giving commands -- it actually frees you (singular or plural) up to alter the practices to produce the meaning you want.