Mordecai Kaplan and the Jewish Community: A Centennial Glimpse

Rabbi Herb Tobin Director Community Relations, Jewish Federation of South Broward, Hollywood, Florida

Kaplan's contirbutions to the field of Jewish communal service remain legion. He created the first center, was a strong supporter of Federations and organic communities, and an advocate for fusing social work and together as an academic discipline. He wished to break down what he saw as the artificial division between secular and religious aspects of Jewish life.

As the American Jewish community affdiation with the Jewish community was observes the centennial of the birth of because it could be potentially edifying and Mordecai M. Kaplan, it is a most instruc­ fulfilling. The promise of enhancing the tive and profitable exercise to look back at individual's life, both as a Jew and an his writings. Kaplan, one of the most American, would be the only inducement, important American and Jewish to affiliate. In order to hold out this thinkers of the twentieth century influ­ promise, Kaplan argued that the American enced three generations of reform and Jewish community had to be radically conservative rabbis. He also influenced reconstructed. This reconstruction must be scores of Jewish communal workers and based around the notion that "Judaism is a the way in which they viewed Jewish com­ religious civilization, the civilization of the munal service. Jewish people."1 Judaism could attain Writing about the Jewish community status of a civilization only if it built a and the need for it to be reconstructed as healthy, orderly organizational structure. early as 1915, Kaplan's works still defy the Kaplan outlined very definite principles passage of time. Much of his analysis of the as to what a reconstructed, organic Jewish American Jewish community is still rele­ community should strive to attain: vant, and some of his prognoses accurate. In a word, Jewish communal life should be Judaism as a Civilization, (1934), Kaplan's organized on the following principles: first major work, and his best known, 1. The inclusion of all who desire to con­ delineates many problems and suggests tinue as Jews. solutions that are still on the American 2. The primacy of the religious and educa­ Jewish community's agenda. These ideas tional institutions in the communal structure. 3. Democratic representation of all legiti­ and analyses were later .expounded in the mate Jewish organizations in the administration Future of the American Jew, (1948), and in of the community.2 numerous articles. His writings continue to Recognizing that achieving these goals command the interest of many Jewish would be difficult, and a long-term process, communal workers and laymen today. Kaplan suggested seven immediate aims. Kaplan recognized that communal life These were: for American Jews in the twentieth century 1. To maintain a complete register and vital had to be drastically different from any­ statistics and to establish bureaus for gathering thing that had preceeded it. No longer information concerning all matters of impor­ bound to a system of law and salvation, the tance to contemporary Jewish life. Jew no longer felt compelled to be an active 1 Mordecai Kaplan, The Future of the American member of the Jewish community. The Jew, : Reconstructionist Press, 1967, p. 536. only reason for maintaining a voluntary 2 Ibid., p. 120

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2. To activate the high ethical standards It continues to develop "certain social transmitted in the Jewish tradition, by the relationships . . . cultural interests. . .activi­ formulation of specific codes and sanctions for ties . . . organizations . . . amenities to various social and economic relationships. conform to, (and) moral and social stan­ 3. To foster Jewish educational, cultural dards to live up to as a Jew."4 In short, it and religious activities. has achieved many of the goals Kaplan felt 4. To coordinate all efforts on behalf of the necessary to insure a vibrant Jewish com­ health and social welfare of Jews and the relief munity. The contemporary American Jew­ of poverty and suffering among them. ish community has also become increas­ 5. To help Jews to meet economic diffi­ ingly concerned and centered around the culties due to discrimination by both Gentiles state of Israel. Kaplan so accurately de­ and Jews, and to defend Jewish rights against picted the need for a Jewish homeland and encroachment and Jewish honor against defamation. what the relationship between Eretz Israel 6. To organize the collaboration of the and the diaspora should be. Kaplan's Jewish community with other groups in civic words have since been adopted, and ex­ movements for the promotion of the common pounded and amplified by Federations, the welfare. United Jewish Appeal and countless Ameri­ 7. To advance the cause for the rebuilding of can Jews and their leaders. Eretz Yisrael and to collaborate with world Jewry in all matters affecting the general Palestine should serve as the symbol of the welfare of Jews.1 Jewish renascence and the center of Jewish It is clear that the Jewish community of civilization. Without such a center upon which today has striven toward these goals, and Jews throughout the world might focus their indeed, has achieved some of them. The interest, it is impossible for Jews to be con­ growth of the Council of Jewish Federa­ scious of their unity as a people . . . Judaism tions, National Jewish Community Rela­ cannot maintain its character as a civilization tions Advisory Council, and various Jew­ without a national home in Palestine. There essential Jewish creativeness will express itself ish defense and community relations agen­ in Hebraic forms not so easily developed in cies, and the plethora of Jewish social other lands. There Jews will attain sufficient service agencies, have implicitly and expli­ autonomy to express their ideas and social will citly worked towards these goals. There in all forms of organized life and thought.5 are, however, some notable shortcomings. Amazingly, even before the creation of the Complete democratic representation of Jew­ Jewish state, Kaplan foretold what the. ish organizations, as well as individuals, is relationship between homeland and dia­ still elusive. Too often, the "golden rule"— spora would be. While political relations 'he who has the gold, rules'—is the first rule between the two communities have been of Jewish communal life. Likewise, reli­ experiencing increasing tension, the cul­ gious and educational institutions continue tural relationship and dependency have to be underfunded, and out of the com­ remained steadfast. munal spotlight. Perhaps this is why, In order to achieve the goal of building though by and large untouched by scandal, an organic Jewish community, Kaplan Jewish communal life has been slow to recognized that changes would have to take formulate the specific codes and sanctions place in the Jewish communal structure. suggested by Kaplan. Religious organizations would have to lose By and large, the American Jewish com­ their place of primacy to "civic type" of munity has gone about the task of building organizations. "Not that religious organi- an organic community, one which strives 4 Mordecai Kaplan, Judaism as a Civilization, to include as many individuals as possible. Schocken, N.Y. 1967. p. 178 ' Ibid., p. 121 5 Ibid., p. 515

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zations need to be discontinued or super­ them a matter of technique, and their seded by lay organizations, but a social interest in increasing it is that of the usual frame,work must be evolved by means of job-holder . . . "9 Many steps have been which all who want to remain Jews, taken to overcome this gap in leadership. whether they be orthodox or radical in Programs combining social work and Jew­ their views, whether they be wealthy or ish studies have been developed that seek to poor, might retain Jewish status."6 The educate future generations of leadership. organization that comes closest to fulfilling Rabbis are also beginning to enter Jewish this role is the Federation. The Federation, communal service. Kaplan's observation, on the local level, Kaplan felt, was the however, that fund-raising and administer­ organization best suited to bring about an ing are prized over the more ethereal organic community. In delineating the secu­ qualities of Jewish learning, knowledge lar drift of the community, as well as the and commitment, continues to remain benefits to be derived from well structured valid. organizations, Kaplan foresaw a Jewish Kaplan saw in the Federations and their communal structure towards which the community councils great hope for the American Jewish community is continu­ future. They were still young and imper­ ally evolving. fect, but they had great potential for uni­ Kaplan saw the Federations as providing fying and coordinating the various aspects an initial framework for his reconstructed of Jewish communal life. "The principle to community. He saw however, a number of be persistently championed is maximum flaws that had to be remedied before the collaboration among different organiza­ Federation could be the basis for this tions for the purpose they have in common, organic community. "Jewish Federations, without imposing restrictions on purpose as at present constituted, take at best a that they do no share."10 benevolently neutral attitude toward all Kaplan correctly understood that the efforts to foster an affirmative Jewish reconstructed American Jewish com­ life."7 Though Federations have been mak­ munity could not and would not be built ing great strides in fostering all aspects of around the synagogue. The synagogue had Jewish life and in reducing antagonisms been synonymous with the kehillah, the all with religious groups and life, much work inclusive community. In the , remains to be done. Kaplan's vision of an where many Jews were secular, and where organic community was dependent upon a there was little agreement as to the shape of cadre of qualified leaders. "They who religious life, the synagogue had to give supply the resources and they who are at way to a larger communal organization. the helm of Jewish affairs, must possess The , functioning as private imagination, social vision, intelligence and clubs, which provided services only to passionately yearn to see a Jewish future in those that were members, would become 8 this country." Kaplan further defined increasingly irrelevant. Kaplan advocated what he saw as the problem with the that they fall under the control of the larger professional leadership at the helm of Fed­ community, and that rabbis and other erations. "Even the professional leaders of synagogue functionaires be employed by these agencies are, as a rule, far from the community." Kaplan further envi­ zealous for Jewish survival. Efficiency in sioned the synagogue functioning as a bet fund-raising and fund-spending is with am, as a community center. The synagogue

<• Ibid., p. 293 9 Future, p. 115 7 Ibid., p. 298 10 Ibid., p. 38 * Ibid., p. 298 11 Judaism as a Civilization, p. 292

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center would be a neighborhood center component for all of the above. Kaplan's that would offer a panoply of recreational, vision of a well integrated, diversified cen­ social, cultural as well as religious activi­ ter is still a valuable, though distant and ties.12 Kaplan's own synagogue, the Society difficult goal to attain. for the Advancement of Judaism, served as Kaplan's contributions to the field of a model. This synagogue, however, was Jewish communal service remain legion. one of the few that followed his vision. He created the first synagogue center, was a Synagogues have never become fully strong supporter of Federations and or­ integrated into the larger community, as ganic communities, and an advocate for they and Federations have continued to fusing social work and Judaism together as jealously guard their own turf. In fact, an academic discipline. He wished to break Synagogue-Federation relations remain a down what he saw as the artificial division touchy, volatile subject, still beyond satis­ between secular and religious aspects of factory reconciliation. Jewish life. "From the standpoint of the While Kaplan was very sketchy in pro­ religio-cultural program, whatever helps to viding details as to how synagogues would produce creative social interaction among be modified, and redesigned to fit into a Jews rightly belongs to the category of 4 Federation structure, his suggestions still Jewish religion. . . "' Early on, he foresaw contain much merit. As in his own day, the great importance that a Jewish home­ involvement of membership in synagogues land would have for diaspora communi­ continues not to be a reality for the vast ties. majority of Jews. The synagogue as part of More importantly, Kaplan recognized a larger communal structure would have a the need to infuse communal life with an better chance to reach larger numbers of overriding ideology, and ideology all too Jews. often lacking today. "My own experience Closely coupled with the notion of the with the first Jewish center in this county synagogue center, was Kaplan's notion of a convinced me that while ideas, to have an Jewish community center. In fact, the effect on human life, must be incorporated synagogue and the center were two varia­ in institutions, institutions that are devoid tions of the same basic type of institution.'3 of ideas or based on the wrong ideas are Kaplan saw the community center as an bound to prove sterile . . . Attention must attractive institution because it aimed to be be given to the development of an ideology affirmatively Jewish without committing on which these organizations or institu­ itself to a particular type of religion. It tions would have to be based.15 strove to unite all Jews on a common plane, Kaplan's words can only remind us that and to foster activities that would strength­ while the field of Jewish communal service en and enhance Jewish life. Kaplan's vision has made great strides in professionalizing of the center has been difficult to achieve. and Judaizing itself, it still has a long way The centers have continuously tried to find to go. Organicism, cohesiveness, and end­ a meeting ground between social, recrea­ ing the pettiness that still permeates much tional, cultural, and religious activities, of Jewish communal life remain distant and have tried to seek a suitable Jewish goals. Yet, Kaplan's influence on hundreds of rabbis, teachers, and communal work­ 12 Ibid., p. 17 ers, has brought great progress to the 13 see ibid., p. 51,54 and Louis Kraft, "Mordecai M. American Jewish community. His vision of Kaplan's Contribution to the Jewsih Center Movement" in and .eds., 14 Judaism as a Civilization, p. 328 Mordecai M. Kaplan: An Evaluation, Reconstruc- 15 Mordecai M. Kaplan, "The Way I have Come"in tionist Press, New York, 1952, pp. 119-135 Mordecai M. Kaplan: An Evaluation., op cit., p. 312

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an organic Jewish community continues to large unfinished agenda, it is not improb­ motivate Jewish communal workers and able that Kaplan's writings will still be a laymen alike. With the creation of a school guide to the American Jewish community espousing many of his ideals, and with a at the threshold of the twenty-first century.

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Jewish communal ag icJCS

For registration forms |\ MIRIAM R. EPHRAIM, Secretary General c J c s and further Information I > !, 5 E a 8l 26th street

contact w New YOrk, N.Y. 10010 U.S.A.

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