History
Many varieties of secular Jewish identity and community emerged in the late 19th century, from Socialist Yiddishistm to Zionism. Humanistic Judaism as a cultural Jewish identity celebrated through Humanistic philosophy in a congregational setting first appeared in 1964 at The Birmingham Temple in suburban Detroit led by Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine, a Reform Rabbi with advanced graduate study in philosophy. The uproar (and expressions of support) from across the Jewish world in response to their liturgical, philosophical and educational changes eventually led to a worldwide movement called Secular Humanistic Judaism. Today there are Secular and Humanistic Jewish communities, as well as trained and certified officiants, leaders and rabbis, in most major metropolitan areas in North America. There are also thousands of people who have been raised in these communities, baby-named or bar/bat mitzvahed or married by these officiants, leaders and rabbis, and influenced by the celebrations, educational programs and public presence of this movement.
The History of Humanistic Judaism
History of the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism
The International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism (IISHJ) was established in Jerusalem in 1985. Rabbi Sherwin Wine and Professor Yehuda Bauer of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem were the founding co-chairs of the IISHJ. The legal entity of IISHJ – North America was incorporated in 1987.
IISHJ – North America began offering its Leadership Program in 1986 as a joint program serving the communities of the Cultural and Secular Jewish Organization and the Society for Humanistic Judaism. Its first professional training program was the Leadership Program, initiated in 1987. It began a rabbinic program in 1992, and its first rabbinic ordination in North America took place in 1999; subsequent ordinations have happened biennially as students complete their programs. Its Colloquium program began in 1997, drawing together scholars and activists to explore the pressing issues of the secular Jewish world. And its Life Cycle Officiant program started in 2017 to train professionals to meet needs for meaningful ceremonies in the wider Jewish and Humanist worlds. The current IISHJ Dean for North America is Rabbi Adam Chalom.
Tmura-IISHJ, the Israeli sister organization to IISHJ-North America, began in 2004 and held its first ordination in 2006; they have likewise continued biennially. Tmura-IISHJ has also sponsored a rabbinic association for its graduates and has recently initiated Secular Humanistic Jewish communities in several locations in Israel. The current Dean of Tmura-IISHJ is Rabbi Sivan Malkin Maas.
Current Partner Organizations
Association of Humanistic Rabbis
Society for Humanistic Judaism (SHJ)
Tmura-IISHJ Israel
Historical Partner Organizations
Cultural and Secular Jewish Organization (CSJO)
The Cultural and Secular Jewish Organization (CSJO) was founded in the early 1970s as the Congress of Secular Jewish Education, a network of schools and communities that largely emerged from the Yiddish Socialist Left in the United States and Canada. For many years it operated as the Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations, and as such helped start IISHJ – North America in 1987. CSJO’s emphasis on progressive social action, secular Yiddishkeit (Jewishness) and Jewish history and culture were core elements of its activities. In addition to its publications and community development work, CSJO held an annual conference for adults and teens each Memorial Day Weekend in various cities in North America. CSJO ceased operations in 2025.
International Federation for Secular and Humanistic Judaism
The International Federation for Secular and Humanistic Judaism (IFSHJ) was the successor organization to the International Federation of Secular Humanistic Jews (founded 1986). Leading figures in the IFSHJ have included Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine, founder of Humanistic Judaism in North America; Yair Tsaban, former Minister of Immigration and Absorption in Israel; Albert Memmi, well-known French writer and professor of sociology at the University of Paris; and Yehuda Bauer, noted historian and Holocaust scholar at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. The International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism was an affiliate of the IFSHJ. IFSHJ ceased active operations in 2014, though IISHJ maintains a legacy website at www.ifshj.net that includes summaries of IFSHJ conferences and important IFSHJ statements on key issues.
Leadership Conference of Secular and Humanistic Jews
In 1982, the Leadership Conference of Secular and Humanistic Jews was established to facilitate communication and cooperation among leaders in Secular and Humanistic Jewish organizations, as well as to certify and establish ethical standards and professional guidelines for leaders in the movement. New leaders/madrikhim-ot/vegvayzers and educators are trained in the Leadership Program of the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism and now certified by IISHJ. Leaders are ordained Secular Humanistic Jewish clergy, able to officiate Jewish, Humanistic or intercultural weddings or other significant lifecycle observances, create and conduct Secular and Humanistic Jewish festival services and observances, teach adults and children, and speak about Jewish topics or about Secular Humanistic Judaism at public events. LCSHJ ceased operations as a separate organization in 2012, transferring its certification work to the IISHJ and creating a scholarship fund for future Leader training.