Faculty
All Mitavah Secular Sunday School faculty hold a minimum of a Teacher Certificate from the State of Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Additionally, all faculty pass an independent background check before working with our students.
Dr. Jerid Morisco (he/him) Director of Education
Serving as the Education Director for the Secular Jewish Circle (SJC) Mitavah Secular Sunday School (MSSS) is an honor. After serving 30 years as a classroom teacher, I retired from the State of Georgia and now work as an elementary principal in Seattle. During my teaching career, I taught in all areas of music but primarily focused on chorus and guitar, in addition to coaching coed cross country and girls’ soccer. Working for SSS is exciting because it combines my passion for education with a desire to serve the Jewish community. I’m a fifth-year rabbinical student and look forward to becoming a Secular Humanistic Rabbi soon. I hold the Humanist Society Celebrant endorsement and can perform weddings and life cycle events. I am honored to serve on the Board of Directors of the Society for Humanistic Judaism. Please feel free to contact me anytime, and I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have about our programs.
Certification: State of Washington Education Certificate – Residency Administrator (First Issue) with Program Administrator and Principal Endorsements; Georgia Educator Certificate – Educational Leadership, Music, and ESOL
Education: D.M.A. (Choral Music Education) - Shenandoah University, Ed.S.(Educational Administration and Supervision) – Lincoln Memorial University, M.Mus. (Conducting) – Sam Houston State University, B.Mus. (Voice) – Shorter College, M.A. (Jewish Studies) [In Process] – Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership, Rabbinical Candidate – International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, Interreligious Studies Certificate – Graduate Theological Union, Diversity and Inclusion Micro-Credential – American College of Education
Jeff Treistman (he/him) Kitah Gimel Class (Grades 6-7) & B-Mitzvah
I grew up in a secular Jewish family in the Philadelphia metropolitan area and moved to Seattle in 1976 when I was 22 years old. That was the year I graduated from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio with a BA in Music. I studied philosophy and comparative literature at the University of Washington for a couple of years but never finished a degree. Instead, I embarked on a 23-year career in the food and wine business here in Seattle. I went back to grad school in 2003 and received my MA in Education the following year when I started my career as a teacher with Seattle public schools. A few years later I received my endorsement as a Library Media Specialist and worked as a school librarian for 13 years until I retired this year.
I've been teaching at Shalom Sunday for 12 years and am currently in the leadership training program at the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism to become a madrikh in the movement. Although I had no formal Jewish training as a child, both my parents were atheists as was my father’s mother, I have always been interested in Judaism, especially its history. I like to say my temple was the Overbrook Delicatessen to convey that we were cultural Jews with the ritual of eating smoked fish on Sunday morning, dabbling in Yiddish repartee with the counter guys, and dropping some Shekels in the Tzedakah box for Jewish defense.
Certification: State of Washington Education Certificate – Residency Teacher (First Issue) with K-8 Education, Library Media Specialist, and Math Endorsements
Education: M.A. (Education) – Antioch University Seattle, Graduate coursework in Philosophy and Comparative Literature – University of Washington, B.A. (Music) – Antioch College
Matthew Hartmann (he/him) Kita Bet Class (Grades 3-5)
Matthew Hartmann is proud to teach our Kita Bet class. Matt most recently attended Western Governors University and earned his MS in Special Education. When not teaching at SJS, Matt teaches special education students at the Northwest School of Innovative Learning in Tacoma, WA.
Certification: State of Washington Education Certificate – Residency Teacher (First Issue) with Social Studies, English Language Arts, and Special Education Endorsements
Education: M.S. (Special Education) - Western Governors University, M.Ed. (Secondary Education – Social Studies Concentration) – Hawaii Pacific University, M.A. (Communication) – Hawaii Pacific University, B.A. (Journalism) – Central Washington University
Tracy Oklander (she/her) Kita Aleph Class (Grades Kinder-2)
It is a joy to teach our bright, inquisitive littles in the Kita Aleph class. I was born in Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in Elementary and Special Education. After teaching English as a Second Language for two years, I pursued my Master's degree in Library and Information Science. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to teach a diverse population of children, working adults, and returning students. When not teaching at SJC, I can be found teaching 1st grade in the Seattle Public Schools, raising two teens, cooking, doing yoga, and traveling.
Certification: State of Washington Education Certificate – Residency Teacher (First Issue) with K-8 Education, English Language Learners, and Library Media Specialist Endorsements
Education: M.S. (Library and Information Science) – University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign, B.A. (Elementary and Special Education) – Northern Arizona University, Teaching English as a Second Language Certificate – Seattle University