Dr. Herb Silverman on Secular Activism, Jewish Identity, and Antisemitism

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/09/22

Dr. Herb Silverman is an American mathematician and secular activist. A Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at the College of Charleston, he founded the Secular Coalition for America and the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry. In 1990, he ran for governor of South Carolina to challenge the state’s ban on atheists in public office. His lawsuit, Silverman v. Campbell, led the South Carolina Supreme Court in 1997 to strike the religious test for office. Silverman is the author of Candidate Without a Prayer and An Atheist Stranger in a Strange Religious Land, and writes frequently for The Humanist and Free Inquiry magazines. 

In this interview contribution to an upcoming book entitled Conversations on Antisemitism from In-Sight Publishing with Scott Douglas Jacobsen, Silverman discussed how his Jewish upbringing, shaped by Holocaust trauma, led to early mistrust of Gentiles and resistance to his interfaith marriage, but also how personal relationships softened those prejudices. He reflected on reclaiming slurs like “Bagel Boys” through humour, and on how Jewish identity can persist without belief in God. He distinguished antisemitism from legitimate criticism of Israel, stressing that opposing specific leaders or policies is not the same as opposing Jews as a people. He emphasized the importance of humanistic ethics, clarity in rejecting vague “God-talk,” and secular coalition strategies to protect equality and reduce prejudice. His reflections bridge personal memory, legal activism, and cultural commentary—showing how secular identity can coexist with, and even strengthen, Jewish identity in confronting antisemitism.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What is the overview of background and thoughts on antisemitism for you?:

Dr. Herb Silverman: I grew up in a primarily Jewish neighbourhood, in part because my family wanted to avoid antisemites. I was raised never to trust Goyim (Gentiles) because some of my relatives died in the Holocaust. Many family members were upset when I married a Gentile, Sharon Fratepietro. One Orthodox aunt refused even to meet Sharon. This is common in Orthodox families, which causes lots of pain in those families.

As a child, I enjoyed playing baseball, and our team (mostly Jews) played in Little League. Some of our opponents started to call us the “Bagel Boys.” We knew they meant this to be a racial slur, so we changed our team name to “Bagel Boys”.

In high school, I enjoyed math, and a guidance counsellor told me I should major in accounting. I was planning to do so until another teacher (Jewish) said to me that Jews are rarely hired by accounting firms in Philadelphia, where I lived. I am glad I majored in math instead of accounting, for reasons that have nothing to do with religion.

In my interview for a teaching position at the College of Charleston, the department chair (Hugh Haynsworth) asked if I was Jewish. When I asked him why he wanted to know, he said they almost hired a Jew who told him about all the days he would not teach because of his religion. I told Hugh that I was not religious, and I was hired. We have a Jewish Studies program whose head was Ralph Melnick. Hugh saw me talking to Ralph and asked me what field Ralph was in. I said he is a “kike-ologist”. When Hugh asked what that was, I told him he should ask Ralph, which he did. It is easier to get away with racial slurs when you are a member of the tribe. 

The nice thing about being a Jew, unlike most religions, is that you do not have to believe in any gods. Moreover, it is easier to criticize antisemitism.

Jacobsen: In “Why I Like Being a Jew,” you emphasize Jewish identity without theism. How does non-creedal identity change thoughts on contemporary antisemitism? 

Silverman: When people see those of us without belief in gods, they might start questioning their own beliefs.  It might make them less hateful of Jews, especially if they were against Jews because of verses from the Christian Bible.

Jacobsen: You have been called a “self-hating Jew.” You affirm pride in Jewish identity. What criteria help you distinguish intra-Jewish critique from antisemitic rhetoric? 

Silverman: I have been called a self-hating Jew because of comments I have made about Israel. Some people think that Jews must love Israel. Not true. I support the state of Israel because of the antisemitism that existed before the state was founded. However, I dislike many of their leaders, especially Netanyahu. We should all have the right to criticize the behaviour of countries, without thinking they should not exist. As an American, there is much I criticize about America. 

Jacobsen: Your essay “Jewish Atheists and Koufax Jews.” It maps diverse Jewish self-definitions. How do such categories complicate stereotypes? 

Silverman: One of the best days for Jews was October 6, 1995, when the premier pitcher in baseball was Sandy Koufax. He refused to pitch in the World Series on that day because it was Yom Kippur, considered the holiest day of the year for Jews. Americans back then worshipped baseball, often considered the most quintessentially American sport. Many people stopped hating Jews when they learned that Koufax was a Jew. Did Kofax go to synagogue on Yom Kippur? No. He was an atheist who stayed in his room. I define a Koufax Jew as an atheist who refuses to work on Yom Kippur. I am not one, but I respect Jews who are.

Jacobsen: As a child, your Jewish team reclaimed “Bagel Boys.” What have you learned about reclaiming language?

Silverman: That it helps to have a sense of humour, and show it. 

Jacobsen: Family fears shaped by the Holocaust. It led to warnings about trusting Gentiles. Your interfaith marriage drew objections. How can communities address historical trauma without reinforcing reciprocal prejudice?

Silverman: Treat people as individuals, not stereotypes. Eventually, most of my family grew to like Sharon.

Jacobsen: You were asked about being Jewish. During an academic job interview, no less, your constitutional case ended South Carolina’s religious test. What policy and institutional reforms best prevent religion-based gatekeeping? 

Silverman: Follow the law and keep government out of religion. As individuals, we have the right to be religious or not to be. 

Jacobsen: In “God-Talk for Atheists,” you argue for explicit language. How does imprecise God-talk in public life enable antisemitism?

Silverman: We need to explain clearly to people why we do not believe in any gods. This should have nothing to do with antisemitism. We should ask antisemites why they hate Jews. 

Jacobsen: Your public stance evolved from “Why I No Longer Support Israel” to “What It Would Take for Me to Support Israel Again.” Where do you draw the boundary in these commentaries? 

Silverman: Israel is facing the same kind of struggle that many other countries have encountered — between democracy and theocracy. Unfortunately, Israel has recently been headed in the wrong direction. I will again become a supporter of Israel when it lives up to the ideals in its Declaration of Independence by putting human rights and social justice above sectarian concern and treating its minorities as truly equal citizens. Right now, Netanyahu is bombing innocent civilians in Gaza and starving many of its citizens. Israel needs to display more humanity, especially by helping the homeless and the suffering through no fault of their own.

Jacobsen: As founder of the Secular Coalition for America, what coalition strategies counter antisemitism? 

Silveman: The mission of the Secular Coalition is to increase the visibility of and respect for secular viewpoints and to protect and strengthen the secular character of our government. It says nothing specific about antisemitism. However, as far as I know, no supporters of the Secular Coalition are antisemites.

Jacobsen: In later reflections on “being a Jew,” you connect humanistic ethics with Jewish cultural continuity. What educational approaches reduce scripturally conspiratorial antisemitism? 

Silverman: Humanistic ethics is consistent with Jewish cultural identity, whether or not the Jew believes in a god. People should stop BELIEVING THE BIBLE IS TRUE. 

Jacobsen: You distinguish criticism of Israeli policy from antisemitism. What analytic test do you use in practice?

Silverman: If someone opposes all Jews, regardless of their beliefs, that is antisemitism.

Jacobsen: Which definitional framework helps most in public debate, e.g., the IHRA working definition, the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, or another?

Silverman: The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance focuses on combating antisemitism, and the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism focuses on antisemitic behaviour in Israel and Palestine, and supports Zionism. I think both organizations are worthwhile, but they sometimes have problems with interpretations. The governor of South Carolina (Mc Master) signed into law an anti-Semitic bill and pointed out that the oldest continuously operating synagogue in the country is in Charleston, where I live. Kahl Kadosh Beth Elohim celebrated its 275th anniversary this year. It was founded in 1749, before we were a country.

Jacobsen: What contemporary “dog whistles” or recurring tropes do you see?

Silverman: People try to say that the US is a Christian country. 

Jacobsen: You suggested that a visible, non-creedal Jewish identity can soften prejudice rooted in scripture. What evidence persuades you?

Silverman: Jews can ignore scripture. That’s what we Jewish atheists do. We still strongly oppose antisemitism. 

Jacobsen: When does in-group humour defuse a slur? When does it risk normalizing it? 

Silverman: humour is the best policy. People need to understand that I am using humour. 

Jacobsen: Your family’s Holocaust-shaped caution toward Gentiles eased through personal contact. What practices help honour intergenerational trauma?

Silverman: We need to convince others that we can’t blame people for what happened before they were born—like the Holocaust.

Jacobsen: What matters most for countering conspiratorial antisemitism?

Silverman: Trying to convince others not to blame Jews for what they view as evil in the world.  

Jacobsen: You favour clarity over vague “God-talk.” Where does imprecise religious language entrench majority-faith privilege? What concrete fixes might work?

Silverman: People often claim to be Christian when they haven’t read the Bible. Ask them precise questions about Christianity. 

Jacobsen: Regarding speech about the Gaza war, what standards keep debate fierce but non-dehumanizing?

Silverman: Don’t assume you know what opponents believe. Ask them specific questions. 

Jacobsen: Looking at Silverman v. Campbell experience and Torcaso v. Watkins, what remaining practices function as religious tests?

Silverman: We should always follow the US Constitution regarding religious tests. 

Jacobsen: Within secular coalitions, what processes prevent antisemitism without chilling legitimate disagreement?

Silverman: Ask questions about what their problem is with Jews. 

Jacobsen: Which trend indicators do you trust most to gauge the prevalence of antisemitism?

Silverman: What people say about why they have problems with Jews.          

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Herb. 

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