Lifecycle Events

All of them!

Despite being non-theistic, secular Jews can still choose to celebrate traditional Jewish lifecycle events, such as B 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 to the individual, while honoring Jewish culture and values.

While humanistic celebrations are not required to be officiated to be valid, Secular Humanistic Jewish officiants exist, and are trained and ordained by the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism. As a chapter of the Society for Humanistic Judaism, SJC has a direct connection to their full network of ordained officiants and can connect you with someone.

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 come from all different walks of life, and therefore 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 Jewish experience into any life event.