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Living Politically in Two Civilizations

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Living Politically in Two Civilizations Living Politically in Two Civilizations The Politics and Political Culture ofAmerican jews, by Arthur A. Goren (Indiana University Press, 1999), 274 pages hat was the significance Goren in his recently published an- of the mass funeral held thology, The Politics and Political for the beloved Yiddish Culture ofArnericanjews. Each of the writer, Sholom Aleichem, in 1916? essays in this rich collection explores What role did the Yiddish news- a discrete topic in American Jewish paper, the Morgen Zhurnal, and its history, spanning the period from the publisher, Jacob Saphirstein, play in turn of the twentieth century through Republican politics at the turn of the the 1970's. Yet all of them relate in century? some way to the overall theme of Jew- What can the congressional cam- ish political activity, both within Jew- paigns of Morris Hillquit and Meyer ish communal circles and in the London (in 1908 and 1910, respec- larger American context. tively) tell us about the ethnic and political loyalties of East European Collective Identity immigrant Jews? How did American Zionists make On a more fundamental level, the use of the image of the "halutz" (Jew- author is concerned with American ish pioneer in Palestine) to advance Jews' efforts to formulate and project their cause? a sense of collective identity which What did the planners of the 1954 ensures both complete integration Tercentenary Celebration (marking into American society and Jewish 300 years of Jewish presence in continuity. American Jkwish leaders, America) hope to prove to themselves he notes, have long strugled with and others? these issues. In his landmark 1907 These are among the thought pro- address, entitled "The Problem of voking questions raised by Arthur Judaism in America," Dr. Israel Fried- Reena Sigman Friedman is Associate Professor of Modern Jewish Civilization at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. 60 Fall2000 The Reconstructionist laender, Professor of Bible at the Jew- the early clashes between their two ish Theological Seminary of America, leadership and constituencies. The articulated the anxieties many felt author, however, delves more deeply about Jews' abilities to balance par- to examine the backgrounds and ticipation in American life with re- motivations of major players such as taining group ties and fulfilling their Louis Marshall and Stephen Wise, responsibilities to world Jewry. enabling the reader to better under- In essence, this is a book about stand the public positions that they how American Jews have dealt with took. the challenges and rewards of "living Similarly, most accounts of the in two civilizations," to borrow early. years. of the American Jewish Mordecai Kaplan's phrase. As Goren Joint Distribution Committee em- explains, it is a complex process: phasize the organization's ability to bring together individuals from many The twin desires for ethnic sur- different sectors of the community in vival and personal acceptance a common relief effort. Goren dem- into American society were onstrates that, though the JDC's mis- rarely posed as an either-or sion was ultimately successful, quite choice. Much of Jewish commu- a few tensions lay beneath the sur- nal thought was directed toward face. formulating strategies and pro- grams to mitigate tensions Zionism through compromise and ac- commodation, or by redefining In his chapters on Zionism, Goren the group's Jewish identity and also illuminates important, though the character of American na- less well known, aspects of a much tionality. (p. 14) discussed topic. While we know that there were many different factions Some of the essays discuss well within American Zionism, most known episodes in American Jewish scholars have emphasized the work of history, such as the establishment of political Zionists and the movement's major communal organizations or the early organizational challenges, rather contributions of famous Jewish labor than ideological differences among its leaders. Yet even when the subject leaders. Goren evaluates the impact matter is familiar, Goren supplies ad- of cultural or spiritual Zionists within ditional information, offers fresh per- the American Jewish community, fo- spectives or provides a more complex cusing on four individuals: Israel analysis. Friedlaender, Judah Magnes, Morde- For example, much has been writ- cai Kaplan and Louis Finkelstein. ten about the founding of the Ameri- In assessing the responses of the can Jewish Committee and the first two leaders to the Balfour Dec- American Jewish Congress, as well as laration in November 1917, and the The Reconstructionist Fa112000 61 last two to the passage of the Biltmore (1916); and Jewish labor leaders, Program in May 1942, the author dis- Meyer London (1926), Morris cusses the reservations they expressed Hillquit (1933) and Baruch Vladeck about the goal of Jewish political sov- (1938). ereignty in Palestine. Once the post- Goren views the funerals as "pub- war need for a haven for Jewish refu- lic pageants" which variously blended gees became clear, Kaplan and traditional Jewish mourning rituals, Finkelstein certainly supported the East European customs honoring de- creation of the state. However, the parted leaders, socialist ceremonial earlier arguments of cultural Zionists and American organizational tech- - that such objectives were unattain- niques. The funerals were occasions able under existing conditions, devi- for communal bonding, when ated from the true goals of Zionism mourners rededicated themselves to (i.e. the cultural renaissance of the the ideals represented by the de- Jewish people) and might exacerbate ceased, affirmed their collective iden- international tensions - constituted tity and projected carefully crafted an important critique of mainstream self images to the larger society. Along political Zionism. with rallies, parades and other mass In addition, these Zionist spokes- demonstrations, the funerals helped men emphasized the importance of to create a domain of "Jewish public the American Jewish community, as culture," in Goren's words. well as the positive cultural influence The treatment of the funeral of which Israel would have on Jewish life Rabbi Jacob Joseph is an example of in this country. Goren's ability to view familiar events through a new lens. Several histori- Public Pageants ans have discussed the ill-fated career of Rabbi Joseph, who was brought to In other cases, the author examines the United States in 1888 in a vain more obscure events, those not dis- attempt by Orthodox leaders to es- cussed in other surveys or mentioned tablish a Chief Rabbinate in the only in passing, and reflects on their United States. Existing accounts of broader significance. One particularly the 1902 funeral have focused either interesting chapter explores the phe- on the fact that Rabbi Joseph died in nomenon of public Jewish funerals in poverty or on the Irish-Jewish riots the early twentieth century. The au- which erupted during his funeral pro- thor provides detailed descriptions of cession. In contrast, Goren is more funeral rites organized for such well interested in the ways in which East known figures as Kasriel Sarasohn, European Jewish immigrants trans- Orthodox leader and publisher of the planted Old World burial rituals for Yiddishe Egeblat (1905); the Yiddish great scholars to the U.S. as a means playwright, Jacob Gordin (1909); the of strengthening communal solidar- famous writer, Sholom Aleichem ity in their new land. 62 Fa11 2000 The Reconstructionist Post-War Decades sented a segment of the immigrant Jewish community that was conser- Much has been written about vative, non-ideological, politically American Jewry in the postwar de- sawy and rather parochial in its in- cades, including the phenomenon of terests. Such a picture contrasts suburbanization, Jews and liberal sharply with the usual image that we politics, communal policy regarding have of the socialist minded, cosmo- Israel, Jews and the Left and Jewish politan, fervently ideological but involvement in the Civil Rights somewhat naive residents of immi- movement. Goren's essay, "Inventing grant ghettos. As the author notes, the New Pluralism," sheds light on a this is a topic that deserves greater little known chapter in the history of scholarly attention. this period: the activities of the American Jewish Committee's Na- The Reconstructionist tional Project on Ethnic America. In an effort to defuse the mounting ra- There is much in this volume of cial tensions of the 1960's, AJC lead- interest to those with connections to ers broadened the scope of their work the Reconstructionist movement. In beyond particularistic Jewish con- addition to the obvious appeal of the cerns to support the interests and book's central themes, several of the preserve the ethnic consciousness of essays touch directly on the role of various urban, white ethnic groups. Mordecai Kaplan as a bold thinker They conducted research, developed and major contributor to American educational materials and worked to Jewish life. In his first chapter, which shape public policy in this area. In deals with various efforts to shape a the process, they helped to forge a definition of American Jewish iden- new, pluralistic vision for America as tity, Goren presents Kaplan's concept a whole. of Judaism as a total civilization. In some instances, Goren's book Moreover, it was Kaplan who charged breaks entirely new ground by chal- planners of the 1954 Tercentenary of lenging commonly held assumptions American Judaism with failure to regarding Jewish life in America. His place American Jewry within the analysis of Jacob Saphirstein and the larger context of Jewish history or to Morgen Zhurnal (the major Ortho- evaluate its relationship with Israel dox Yiddish daily newspaper at the and other Jewish communities turn of the twentieth century) is a around the world. As noted above, case in point. The essay "The Con- the questions raised by Kaplan, the servative Politics of the Orthodox spiritual or cultural Zionist, regard- Press" highlights Saphirstein's loyal ing the potential dangers of "stat- support for the Republican Party on ism," as well as the ultimate goals of both the local and national levels.
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