By Jessica Davis, JTNews Correspondent
“We’re a home for cultural Jews,” says Judi Gladstone, one of the founders of the Secular Jewish Circle of Puget Sound. It is “a community that celebrates the cultural richness of our heritage and we focus on education, cultural activities and social activism.”
For Rosh Hashanah, the Secular Jewish Circle will hold a performance featuring guest cellist Paige Stockley, song leader Sayla Schwartz, and soprano soloist Malya Muth Resnik. Service madricha — the ceremonial leader — Susan Levine will conduct the service. Levine is trained to create and lead secular life cycle ceremonies, from baby namings to memorial observances, including secular b’nai mitzvot. All are invited to the Sept. 26 service, which normally attracts about 100 participants.
The group welcomes anyone who identifies with the history, culture and future of the Jewish people. Members have an opportunity to experience the holidays, make connections and, as Gladstone says, “celebrate the good parts of being Jewish.”
The SJC’s mission is “to bring people together to celebrate Jewish culture and heritage in a non-religious setting.”
Started in 1995 with 15 members, the group has grown to a membership of 46 households. The group began out of a need for Jews to have an alternative to temples and synagogues to connect to their roots. It is unique to most Jewish secular groups in America because of its average youthful membership of ages 35–55.
Currently, about two-thirds of the Seattle Jewish community consider themselves secular and are unaffiliated, said Gladstone. She said it has heightened her curiosity to see people join who were raised with very little or no Jewish home life, but who still want a connection to those roots.
The membership of SJC includes Jewish individuals and couples with and without children, mixed-cultural families, and gay men and lesbians. Members express their pride in the values and culture developed by Jews throughout the ages. They seek to preserve and strengthen their connection with this heritage, while further developing their Jewish historical and cultural traditions in the modern world.
SJC members also celebrate the Jewish holidays — Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Tu B’Shevat and Passover — emphasizing the values of justice, courage and personal dignity. SJC meets monthly for a Shabbat or Havdalah program followed by a cultural program. Cultural programs have included speakers, children’s activities, singing or folk dancing events, recipe exchanges and humor exchanges. The group also meets for regional meetings with similar groups in Portland, Victoria and Vancouver.
In addition, SJC offers Jewish education programs for adults, youth education classes, family programs and Hebrew classes for youth and adults. Its Sunday school, Shalom Sunday, meets twice a month at the Kapka Cooperative School near the Woodland Park Zoo and has an enrollment of 25 children.
The class begins with a community gathering at 9:30 a.m. with parents and siblings. Classes begin around 10 a.m. and generally end at noon.
Coming up, the Secular Jewish Circle will host a home discussion on “Preparing Our Hearts for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur,” from 6:45–9 p.m. on Sept. 21. Its Rosh Hashanah ceremony will take place from 7–9 p.m. on Sept. 26 at University Friends Center, 4001 9th Ave. NE, Seattle. Cost is $15 for adult members, $25 for adult non-members. For children and low-income members/non-members, the cost is $8/$12. RSVP for childcare by Sept. 24 at 206-528-1944. No one will be turned away for lack of funds, Gladstone says.
Other upcoming SJC events include a tashlich ceremony from on Sept. 27 11 a.m.–1 p.m., and SJC’s next study group will be held on Sept. 29. SJC is planning a fundraiser at the end of February that will celebrate Eastern European literature and music from pre-World War II. The event will include storytelling and klezmer music, as well as a performance by Malya Muth Resnik of a soprano and saxophone song cycle written by Lori Laitman, from poems created by children of Terezin.
“While Secular Jewish Circle provides opportunities for a variety of secular Jewish expression, its community is based on the following shared principles,” says SJC’s Web site. “Judaism is the evolving culture and civilization of the Jewish people. It draws its strength from a wide variety of cultural roots and social movements. We have the power and the responsibility to shape our lives according to our evolving individual beliefs and values independent of divine authority. Community is integral to Judaism. Jewish culture and education are essential to the continuity of our community. Social action is an important and necessary expression of our Jewish values and traditions.”
For more information on the Secular Jewish Circle, e-mail [email protected], visit www.secularjewishcircle.org, or call 206-528-1944.