Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/107047
Sarasota News Leader February 1, 2013 trast between the decreasing proportions of those who follow orthodox laws or keep kosher and the relatively large proportion of those who continue to celebrate Hannukkah as a family holiday. Page 78 details about Jewish people maintaining their cultural identities as well as other significant aspects of the SHJ and Humanistic Judaism overall in the modern world. "What we've done," Chalom said of Humanistic Judaism, "is take what people choose to do as connecting to being Jewish in a more secular way and make that the center of what they do, make that dignified and appropriate and meaningful and relevant." This trend, Chalom explained, could be viewed as signaling an opportunity for Humanistic Judaism, rather than as a loss for Judaism overall, because involvement in the community allows people of Jewish background an opportunity to hold onto their history, culture and traditions, even if they no longer believe The idea, Chalom continued, is "to relate to how people actually already are Jewish rather in a supernatural power. than tell them to do things they're not inter"When you look at Jewish history from a secu- ested in doing anyways." lar perspective, Jewish politics and economics can actually be more interesting than theolo- This approach, he explained, has helped Jewgy," Chalom said. "It turns out religion is an ish people who may have lost interest in Juimportant aspect, but it is just one aspect of daism as a religion find positive reasons to a wide-ranging Jewish cultural experience." actively pursue or associate with their cultural heritage, something he said he has seen happen on many occasions. THE SHJ TODAY On the afternoon of Jan. 18, Chalom sat down Another aspect of the SHJ that attracts many with The Sarasota News Leader for an exten- people, Chalom said, is the community's opensive interview in which he provided further ness. The SHJ does not concern itself with Rabbi Adam Chalom answers questions from the audience after completing his lecture at the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee on Jan. 17. Among the questions were those focused on statistics about how many Americans believe in a supernatural power, differing definitions of the word 'secular' and how members of the Society for Humanistic Judaism celebrate or observe traditional Jewish holidays.