Lifecycle Events

Despite being non-theistic, secular Jews can still choose to celebrate traditional Jewish lifecycle events, such as B'nei Mitzvot and weddings. Rather than being required rites of passage, they are voluntary celebrations that are designed from the ground up to be unique and meaningful, while honoring Jewish culture and values.

While humanistic celebrations are not required to be officiated to be valid, humanistic officiants exist, and are trained and ordained at the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism. As a chapter of the Society for Humanistic Judaism, Secular Jewish Circle of Puget Sound has access to their full network of officiants and can connect you with one, should you choose to request one to coordinate your event.

One final thing to note about lifecycle ceremonies is that they do not need to be exclusively Jewish lifecycle events. As humanistic Jews, we respect that we all come from different walks of life and hold different things meaningful, and we understand that, in those moments of meaning that are not exclusively Jewish, we do not shed our Jewishness. You are more than welcome to request an officiant to help you imbue your unique experience of Judaism into any life event.