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Home > Who We Are > Leadership

Ordained Leaders

Secular Humanistic Jewish Leadership

The International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism is the ONLY accredited institute for training and ordaining Secular Humanistic Jewish leadership:

  • Officiant Program - Secular Humanistic Jewish Officiants create and lead meaningful lifecycle event celebrations.
  • Leadership (Madrikh(a)/Vegvayzer) Program - Secular Humanistic Madrichim (Hebrew) / Vegvayzers (Yiddish), translated as "Guides," act as officiants, community guides, movement spokespeople, and educators.
  • Rabbinic Program - Secular Humanistic Rabbis act as Madrichim / Vegvayzers, counselors / mentors, and experts in Judaism.

Wait, can a rabbi even BE secular?

The short answer is: Yes!

The primary roles of a rabbi are to lead services, officiate lifecycle events, and provide philosophical / spiritual guidance with their vast knowledge of Jewish history, mythology and traditions. None of which require one to believe in a higher power!

By that same token, nothing about the philosophy of Secular Humanistic Judaism mandates the existence of formal Jewish clergy / leadership in our movement. We choose to train and ordain these leaders for our denomination to ensure that we can all participate in Jewish life more fully and authentically.

Request a SHJ Officiant for your lifecycle event!

Meet SJC's Madrikh: Jeff Treistman (he/him)

Jeff graduated from the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism and was ordained a Madrikh (Hebrew) / Vegvayzer (Yiddish) (translates to "Guide") in 2024 after two years of intensive study. Madrichim / Vegvayzers can officiate most lifecycle events, including naming ceremonies, weddings and funerals.

Being a retired public school librarian, Jeff brings a commitment to education and a passion for self-discovery to his work in the SJC community. Naturally, this inclination led him to double as a teacher at our Sunday School, and a mentor in our Youth B Mitzvah Program.


In 2022, Jeff followed his passion for storytelling to found the Jewish Comics Library of Seattle (JCLS), a nonprofit charity dedicated to creating a low-stakes entrypoint into the diverse, modern Jewish experience by amplifying Jewish graphic narratives. Visit JCLS's pop-up library on every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month at the Couth Buzzard Bookstore!

Ask a Madrikh!

Your October Ask: Why do I sometimes see Secular Humanistic Jews wearing kippot, when they explicitly symbolize the wearer’s acknowledgment of God?


Great observation! In the early days of Secular Humanistic Judaism, there was a strong impulse to toss anything that smacked of “because God said so.” Kippot included! But over time, some folks began to feel like wearing one wasn’t about honoring G-d for them — it was about honoring Grandma, or honoring the memory of their dad at Passover, or just keeping a connection to a Jewish tradition, in spite of its baggage.

In other words, the early leaders of our movement did their job well: They inspired us to separate "G-d" from our practices. What remains is culture; a culture of our choosing. After all, each one of us is a beautiful patchwork quilt of unique Jewish experiences... No two quilts have all the same patches, but they are all Jewish quilts. Who are we to say a given patch doesn't belong on yours?

Bottom line? We don’t restrict how anyone displays their Jewishness. Most Secular Humanistic Jews will go bare-headed, but if someone feels a sentimental pull toward putting on a kippah, we don’t treat it like a theological crime. Whether you wear a kippah, a fedora, or that baseball cap you’ve had since college, it’s all acceptable and all Jewish — as long as it is meaningful to you and your unique Jewish experience.

— Jeff Treistman, Madrikh/Vegvayzer (Guide)

Read Past Asks!

Got a question for your friendly neighborhood Madrikh? Need spiritual or philosophic guidance? Ask away!

YOUR question may get featured on our upcoming YouTube Shorts series!

Wed, 15 October 2025