Learn more about the AHA’s summer Legal Fellow and the Center for Freethought Equality’s summer intern!
What drew you to humanism?
Adelle Goldenberg, AHA Summer Legal Fellow: I see it as answering the positive question of, “if you identify as secular, what do you believe in, especially with respect to what makes for a good person and society?”
I think it’s extremely important for secular people to be able to articulate coherent and compelling answers to this question. I view the AHA as seeking to live out some of the answers.
Eve Kaplan: Center for Freethought Equality Summer Intern: If there is one thing I strive to accomplish throughout my life, it is to make the world a better place. I believe that every human being has a profound impact on the world, and I want to use this power for good. This belief has influenced every aspect of my life for as long as I can remember. From running a small business in middle school to raise money for the Union of Concerned Scientists to leading the GirlTalk Magazine and, eventually, working on political campaigns and with the College Democrats of America, I have always been driven by the desire to create a more equitable world. I believe that every single person across the globe deserves the same universal rights grounded in human dignity, reason and compassion. And it is these beliefs that drew me to humanism. The tenets of humanism align with the values that guide me: human agency, reason, science, empathy and the action towards bettering the world.
Did you grow up in a traditional religious faith? How did it impact you?
Adelle Goldenberg
Goldenberg: Yes, I grew up in an insular Hasidic community. It had a tremendous impact on me. For one, materially speaking, my parents’ faith meant that I would not be allowed to pursue higher education instead of an arranged marriage. I essentially had to run away from home for my freedom.
It also impacted me in the sense that I had to confront these large theological-philosophical questions at a very young age (e.g., “What’s the relationship between the Abrahamic, monotheistic hypothesis and how I ought to live my life on a day-to-day basis?”), which may not have come up had I been raised in an agnostic family, where Biblical precepts did not directly shape my opportunities in life.
Kaplan: I am ethnically Jewish and have never been religious. While my family owns a menorah, lights candles on hanukkah, and our house is almost always stocked with Trader Joes gelt, I didn’t grow up occupying traditionally religious spaces. For me, I have always been driven by tangible realities. Rather than a set of religious values, my experiences watching injustices occur on the personal, local and federal levels have impacted my belief system and passion for advocacy more than anything else.
What are you studying?
Goldenberg: I’m pursuing a JD/PhD at Harvard Law School and Cornell’s Sage School of Philosophy, respectively. I’m especially interested in the First Amendment, children’s rights and gender justice.
Kaplan: Political science with a concentration in American politics!
What book has influenced you the most?
Goldenberg: “The Second Sex” by Simone de Beauvoir. She’s still right about so much!
Eve Kaplan
Kaplan: While I love fiction, memoir has always been my favorite genre to read because there is something incredibly meaningful about reading a piece of literature that transports you into someone else’s lived experiences and brain. I strongly believe that the genre of memoir can open up our eyes to different perspectives influencing the way we see the world. While “How to Say Babylon” by Safiya Sinclair, “Things in Nature Merely Grow” by Yiyun Li or “Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah all come to mind, I would have to say “Kissing Girls on Shabbat: A Memoir” by Sara Glass is the book that has influenced me the most.
“Kissing Girls on Shabbat” is a coming-of-age memoir in which psychotherapist Dr. Sara Glass chronicles her journey of escaping a highly restrictive, ultra-Orthodox Hasidic community in Brooklyn. She navigates an arranged marriage, online dating and, ultimately, embracing her queer identity all while fighting for her children. This story highlights how access to education is life changing. It explores queerness and what it means to come to terms with one’s sexuality through a feminist lens. Furthermore, it centers topics that are often seen as taboo like generational mental illness, sexual assault and social stigma within some religious communities. Sara Glass tells a story of resistance, and why fighting for what, and who you believe in matters.
If you could have dinner with any three people in the world (living or dead), who would they be and why?
Goldenberg: 1. Susan Moller Okin. She was a feminist political philosopher who unfortunately passed away in her 50s, in 2004. There is much I admire about her work on political philosophy and justice in the family, but I’d also like to thank her for speaking up for people like me when I was a voiceless child. She consistently emphasized that group rights can come at the cost of individual rights; that when a liberal state grants autonomy rights to a community leader or familial patriarch, it can end up worsening the situation for marginalized people within that community or family.
2. Ruth Bader Ginsburg. One of my favorite aspects of law school is getting to converse with people who hold deeply divergent opinions. However, it’s not lost on me that were it not for people like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, I would not have been able to even have a “seat at the table,” so to speak. This informs how I think about the debates on academic freedom and freedom of expression on campus (and I’d love to hear her perspective on current events!).
3. Baruch/Benedictus Spinoza. He’s the ultimate freethinking hero for people who grew up in Orthodox Jewish communities (though I think we may have overlooked some other top contenders, like Ernestine Rose). I’m curious about the “abominable heresies” he allegedly expressed, which got him expelled from the community (the reasons remain somewhat mysterious, and one thing about me is, I like to know the tea).
Kaplan: The first name that comes to mind is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Ocasio-Cortez made political history in 2019 by becoming the youngest woman and Latina ever elected to the U.S. Congress. Throughout her time in office, she has worked tirelessly to deliver for her constituents, from co-authoring the Green New Deal to increasing funding for education, just to name a few of her major accomplishments. What inspires me most about Ocasio-Cortez is the way she has connected with voters from all walks of life. At a time where so many Americans feel disenfranchised and apathetic, I believe politicians whose messaging resonates with voters are more important than ever. To attend a dinner with her would be a dream come true.
The second name that comes to my mind is Jon Lovett, one of the Founders of Crooked Media, and a former speechwriter for Barack Obama. While I’d also love to meet Crooked Media’s other two founders, Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor, I am trying to stay true to this assignment and limit myself to a dinner table of three. I am biased towards Lovett because he is an alum of Williams College, where I am a current student and volleyball player. Furthermore, speech writing is fascinating to me, and can have such an impact on political rhetoric and how presidents reach and connect with their constituents. Additionally, Crooked Media is a multi-platform network with a strong focus on political activism and community engagement. I believe this company and Jon Lovett’s work meets the current moment.
Finally, on a slightly less overtly political note, I feel I have to include Simone Biles at this dinner. Biles is widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, holding an unprecedented 41 World and Olympic medals. Her historic career includes 11 Olympic medals (seven gold) and 30 World Championship medals (23 gold). But what inspires me most about Biles are not simply her tangible accomplishments, but her authenticity. She has stood up for what she believed in time and time again. She has consistently upheld her convictions, no matter what she risked losing.