Jordan Kalms
Jordan Kalms, born in England and raised in Los Angeles, is a full-time student at Milken Community High School in Southern California. Jordan has worked with a local Jewish youth group, been employed as a counselor at a Jewish day camp, and hopes to attend college on the east coast in the coming year. His academic strengths lie in the humanities, and his interests are debate, politics, philosophy, martial arts, and piano.
Being a Secular Jew and Loving It: Why the Burden of Proof Is on You
- Sunday 1:00 PM–2:15 PM Newport Beach 1
Identity and Responsibility, Teen Approved
Our presentation will address the idea of modern faith and how such a concept is not necessary in order to deem oneself as Jewish. We will model ourselves as a personal example of how a personal connection to the Jewish tradition and the Holocaust need not be facilitated by faith in God. An anti-theistic approach is not antithetical to Judaism, and can be in fact complementary, as we will demonstrate. We will discuss how faith is an antiquated concept, but how Judaism is not. Thus, we will promote the secular humanist approach of Judaism, one that incorporates the ideas of free inquiry, open-mindedness, and individualism while still maintaining a connection to one’s cultural heritage.