About IISHJ
Secular Humanistic Judaism IISHJ In the News Board of Governors
WHAT IS SECULAR HUMANISTIC JUDAISM?
Secular Humanistic Judaism is a human-centered philosophy of life combining rational thinking and Jewish culture with the best ethical insights of the Jewish and human tradition. It is a non-theistic celebration of Jewish identity that affirms the power and responsibility of individuals to shape their own lives.
Judaism is the culture, the continuing creation of the Jewish people. Therefore, we freely adapt our celebrations, whether holidays or life cycle events, to the needs of those celebrating. Secular Humanistic Jewish ceremonies take place in both community organizations and in family settings all over the world. Secular Humanistic Jewish communities offer communal celebration, adult and youth education, ethical action, and emotional support.
In North America, the Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations and the Society for Humanistic Judaism are the two community organizations that support the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism and are served by its graduates.
WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SECULAR HUMANISTIC JUDAISM?
Established in 1985 in Jerusalem to serve the needs of the growing Secular Humanistic movement, the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism (IISHJ) was envisioned as the intellectual and educational arm of the International Federation of Secular Humanistic Jews. Its two primary purposes are to commission and publish materials for the movement and to train rabbis, leaders, teachers, educators and spokespersons. The Institute administrative office is in Lincolnshire, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. Most seminars and the Colloquium program take place at the Michigan campus of the IISHJ, located at the Ben and Lorraine Pivnick Center for Humanistic Judaism in Farmington Hills, a suburb of Detroit, Michigan.
The Institute offers seminars and training programs in North America and Israel. The Institute includes faculty members of major universities throughout the world who serve as part-time lecturers and instructors. Distinguished writers, intellectuals, and ordained Secular Humanistic Rabbis also serve as faculty.
The professional programs offered in North America are the Rabbinic Program, the Leadership Program, the Educators Program, the Musicians Program, and the Spokespersons Program. Seminars for these programs are taught at a variety of locations throughout North America. Click here for a current schedule of seminar dates and locations. Most seminars are also open to the general public for continuing and adult Jewish education. Click here to learn about some of our alumni.
The Israeli branch of the International Institute is Tmura: the Institute for Training Secular Humanistic Rabbis and Jewish Leadership in Israel. You can read more about their programs and activities here.
READ ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SECULAR HUMANISTIC JUDAISM IN THE NEWS!
Rabbi Adam Chalom, IISHJ Dean for North America, contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s online religion blog “The Seeker”. You can find a list of all of his contributions here.
Read about IISHJ graduate Rabbi Greg Epstein’s work on creating Humanist congregations – click here.
A recent article in Haaretz (Israel) about the work of Rabbi Sivan Maas and Tmura (IISHJ – Israel) on secular conversions – click here.
Hear an interview on NPR's Tell Me More with IISHJ Dean for North America Rabbi Adam Chalom - click here.
A recent article in the Chicago Tribune about IISHJ Dean for North America Rabbi Adam Chalom - click here.
Hear an interview with Rabbi Adam Chalom, IISHJ Dean for North America, on Michigan Public Radio - click here.
Read about an IISHJ Rabbinic Ordination from October 2001 covered by The New York Times - click here.
Read about the first ordination of secular rabbis in Israel in 2006 in Haaretz - click here.
Read a recent review of Colloquium 2009 in Outlook: Canada’s Progressive Jewish Magazine here.
THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SECULAR HUMANISTIC JUDAISM
LYNNE MASTER - President
BRUCE LURIA - Vice-President
ELYSE PIVNICK - Secretary
ROBERT SANDLER - Treasurer
MICHAEL EGREN - Past President
LOU ALTMAN
YOSSI BEN-GAL
BONNIE COUSENS
ROBERTA FEINSTEIN
ELAINE FIELDMAN
RABBI EVA GOLDFINGER
HERSHL HARTMAN
JULIUS HARWOOD
ERAN KALI
TERRY HORWITZ KASS
EDWARD J. KLEIN
KAREN KNECHT
YAIR LIFSHITZ
YIFTACH MAAS
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E. RONALD MILAN
AMBASSADOR DANIEL NEVO
BEN PIVNICK
BILLIE PIVNICK
MICHAEL PRIVAL
DEBBIE REMEZ
JEFF REMEZ
MARILYN ROWENS
DR. YEDIDYA YITZHAKI
DR. EFRAIM ZADOFF
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We still miss
Rabbi Sherwin Wine, provost of the
International Institute for Secular
Humanistic Judaism, who died tragically
on July 21, 2007. As the founder of
Humanistic Judaism, Rabbi Wine laid out
our intellectual foundations, creating
many of its celebrations, rituals, and
educational materials. He also served as
primary faculty for the IISHJ in North
America, teaching a generation of
educators, Leaders and Rabbis. His loss
is a blow, and we will continue.
Rabbi Adam Chalom, Dean - North
America, IISHJ
