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Reorienting American Liberal Judaism for the Twentieth Century: Stephen S City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 2-2014 Reorienting American Liberal Judaism for the Twentieth Century: Stephen S. Wise and the Early Years of the Jewish Institute of Religion Shirley Idelson Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/52 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] REORIENTING AMERICAN LIBERAL JUDAISM FOR THE TWENTIETH CENTURY STEPHEN S. WISE AND THE EARLY YEARS OF THE JEWISH INSTITUTE OF RELIGION by SHIRLEY IDELSON A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York. 2014 ©2014 Shirley Idelson All Rights Reserved ii This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in History in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK ________________ _________________________________________ Date Robert M. Seltzer, Chair of Examining Committee ________________ _________________________________________ Date Helena Rosenblatt, Executive Officer Stephan F. Brumberg Gerald Markowitz Kathleen D. McCarthy Mark A. Raider Supervisory Committee iii Abstract Reorienting American Liberal Judaism for the Twentieth Century: Stephen S. Wise and the Early Years of the Jewish Institute of Religion by Shirley Idelson Advisor: Robert M. Seltzer This study explores how Rabbi Stephen S. Wise and supporters from the Free Synagogue and elsewhere sought to reorient American liberal Judaism by establishing the Jewish Institute of Religion (JIR) in the early 1920s. They believed the leaders of the Reform movement at that time were reluctant to relinquish an outmoded approach that had lost relevance in light of a new demographic reality whereby over a million Eastern European Jews now living in New York were becoming the dominant presence in American Jewish life. The JIR founders attributed this to Reform’s having become insular, unresponsive to pressing social issues, overly concerned with respectability, and spiritually lifeless. Wise and his circle advanced a vision for liberal Judaism they considered to be more modern and American, more liberal and more deeply Jewish. While they attempted to advance their vision for liberal Judaism on many fronts, they believed that critical to the task was creating a New York-based scholarly center capable of training a new kind of rabbi. This work describes the key individuals in addition to Wise who created the Institute, the international scholars who formed the first faculty, and the debates that ensued and obstacles encountered as the institution took shape. From the outset, the founders determined that JIR would differ from existing schools iv in significant ways. For example, prioritizing the “oneness of Israel,” JIR would include faculty and students representing a broad spectrum of belief, from Orthodox to non- Orthodox, and Zionist to non-Zionist. All students would enter with a bachelor’s degree, and in addition to studying traditional fields like Bible, history and Talmud, they would study modern Hebrew, social service and contemporary trends in Jewish education. In addition, through fieldwork, students would utilize the metropolitan area as a laboratory for learning how to serve American Jewry as inspiring, socially-engaged rabbis. With these and other innovations, Wise and the founders believed JIR would point twentieth-century liberal Judaism in new directions. Though they did not succeed in all they set out to achieve, many aspects of the reorientation of American Jewish religious life they pursued remain with us today. v Acknowledgments While working on this dissertation, I have lived in overlapping worlds of batei midrash, houses of study, and I am indebted to the many teachers from whom I have been privileged to learn. At the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, Robert Seltzer, my advisor, could not have been more kind while ever challenging me to raise the bar and sharpen my argument. I am grateful to my dissertation committee: Gerald Markowitz, my second reader, and Kathleen McCarthy, both of whom have guided me since my first year at the Graduate Center; Stephan Brumberg, who inspired me with his wisdom and wonderful spirit; and Mark Raider, who shared his knowledge of Stephen S. Wise and the American Zionist movement through many breakfast meetings in Cincinnati and New York, and who went the extra mile by generously traveling to New York in order to be present at my defense. I am also indebted to Thomas Kessner for his instruction in the Dissertation Seminar, and to Jeffrey Gurock for his participation on my orals committee, and his ongoing encouragement. The Graduate Center benefits from a diverse and strong student body, and I was fortunate to share the doctoral student path together with Gwynneth Malin, Thomas Hafer, Stan Mervis, Lauren Santangelo and Brian Smollett, who provided much- needed support and collegiality. At Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion’s New York School, where I received my ordination and now serve as Dean, I am privileged to be part of a community devoted to scholarship, professionalism, and the highest ideals of Judaism. We are the beneficiaries of Stephen S. Wise and the protagonists of the story told here, and while Wise may not recognize certain aspects of contemporary life on campus—drumming in the Chapel, say, or interactive whiteboards in the classroom—I believe the devotion and work of our vi faculty and students would make him proud. Our president, Rabbi David Ellenson, has been a true mentor for me as both a rabbi and a scholar. David pushed me to complete this dissertation and gave me every form of support I needed in order to do so. His friendship has been his greatest gift to me. Likewise, I am grateful to Rabbis Norman Cohen and Aaron Panken for their generosity from the outset, and their encouragement throughout the process. I am fortunate to work with a team of colleagues who inspire me on a daily basis, including Rabbi Renni Altman who ably stepped in during my sabbatical, and all of my colleagues on the faculty, administration and staff who participated in the endeavor by helping me think through ideas, challenging me regarding process as well as content, and offering ongoing and meaningful support. Special thanks go to our library staff who continue to unearth JIR treasures and share them with me—Yoram Bitton and Tina Weiss, as well as our former librarian, Philip Miller. In addition, I am grateful to the Eastern Region Board of Overseers, and especially our Board’s co-chairs—Stephen S. Wise would have been fortunate to work with the likes of Margie Miller and Kevin Penn. My research quickly led me to the American Jewish Archives, which houses the Jewish Institute of Religion collection and so much more. Rabbi Gary Zola welcomed me warmly, and Kevin Proffitt could not have been more gracious in orienting me to the archival materials. I am thankful, too, to Amanda Franey and Nathan Tallman for their research assistance. I had the good fortune of participating in the Institute for Jewish Spirituality’s sixth rabbinic cohort, and benefited from the practices taught by their remarkable faculty as I tried to balance dissertation work with my deanship. I am thankful to Rabbi Dan Alexander for remaining my wise and steadfast hevruta partner after the IJS program concluded. Throughout my life, close friendships have sustained me. During the dissertation- vii writing years, Kathryn Conroy, Debbie Sachs Gabor, Sally Gottesman, Ellen Lippmann and Joyce Lyon provided valuable support at the most personal level. My work with Ruth Levine, who provided spiritual direction (though we did not call it that), has sustained me over these many years, as well. I reserve my deepest gratitude for Alexis Kuhr, my partner of twenty-one years, to whom this dissertation is dedicated. Alexis, you bring joy to my life every day. I could not have done this without you, and I thank you. viii Table of Contents Introduction 1 Chapter One: Setting the Stage 10 Roots of American Liberal Judaism 11 Rabbinical Training and Jewish Scholarship in Europe and the United States 28 Religion in American Higher Education 46 The Emergence of Stephen S. Wise and the Free Synagogue 56 Wise’s Critique of Reform Judaism and His Call for a New Seminary 74 Chapter Two: Founding 78 Getting Started 81 Assembling a Board 121 Assembling a Faculty 127 Student Recruitment 154 Chapter Three: Presidency, Board, Faculty, and Curriculum 161 Opening Day 162 Presidency 164 Competing Visions of the Board 165 Faculty 172 Curriculum 218 Cooperation with HUC and Other Schools 248 Chapter Four: Students and Fundraising 254 Student Recruitment 255 Admissions 258 Field Placement 275 Jewish Institute Quarterly: “We Must Build Anew” 281 Fundraising 321 Conclusion 348 Internal Factors Contributing to the School’s Success 349 External Factors Contributing to the School’s Success 353 What Failed to Emerge 355 Impact 362 Appendix: Congregations Served by JIR Students and Alumni through 1930 375 Selected Bibliography 377 ix INTRODUCTION This study explores how Rabbi Stephen S. Wise and a group of ardent supporters from the Free Synagogue and elsewhere established the Jewish Institute of Religion (JIR) as part of a broad effort to reorient American liberal Judaism away from its nineteenth-century antecedents toward a new and different model necessitated, they felt, by dramatic changes taking place in the early decades of the twentieth century. Stephen S. Wise is recognized as one of the outstanding Progressive and Zionist figures in American Jewish history, and by 1920 he had already established himself among the nation’s most prominent rabbis.
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