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The Influence of Mordecai M. Kaplan

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The Influence of Mordecai M. Kaplan RECONSTRUCTIONISM world, the necessity to enhance Jack J. Cohen the methods and the quality of our worship, and the realization Kaplan's Reconstructionism that ethical problems involve not has informed my whole intellec­ only the refinement of moral tual career. I emphasize values but the cultivation of the "Reconstructionism" rather than act of ethical decision. "Kaplanism" because it is all too 2) Reconstructionism thus easy, in the case of a charismatic serves as a check list against teacher, to fall prey to the per­ which Jewish thinkers and com­ son and to lose sight of the inde­ munal leaders can and must THE pendent career of the ideas he judge their activity. propagates. Kaplan himself, de­ Reconstructionism calls upon INFLUENCE spite the confidence he had in them to avoid focusing on one the correctness of his vision of area of the above agenda without Jewish life, was too honest a taking note of its organic rela­ OF thinker not to realize that he had tionship to all the others. A not spoken the last word about change in Jewish polity, for ex­ MORDECAI Judaism, in general, or even ample, such as occurred with the about his own philosophy of establishment of the State of Is­ Reconstructionism, in particular. rael, could not have come about M. KAPLAN, He expected his students to unless our people had revolution­ think for themselves. In that ized its understanding of how Z"L: sense, Kaplan's influence as a God functions in human affairs. teacher reached far beyond those Nor should it have been ex­ of us who consider themselves to pected that the creation of a sov­ part two be his disciples. Beyond the ereign state with a Jewish major­ Reconstructionist circle, there ity could have left untested tradi­ are countless men and women in tional Jewish attitudes toward We continue here the tributes to Rabbi Kaplan's influence upon Jewish life. We will several countries, who studied the ethical values involved in re­ continue to publish these short tributes for under Kaplan and reject his con­ lationships between Jews and several more issues. cepts but who owe their ability non-Jews. to wrestle honestly with their 3) Reconstructionism has put own doubts and uncertainties to into the key of scientific thought his influence. and method the approach of For myself, Reconstructionism many of us to our understanding provides the perspective within of Jewish tradition and its devel­ which I have seen Judaism in the opment in the future. I believe course of my professional career. that our commitment to the ob­ I list just a few items in that per­ jective search for truth has chal­ spective. lenged us to take the risks that 1) Reconstructionism might be are involved in stepping from defined as that version of Juda­ modernity to post-modernity. As ism which embraces all elements a result of our acceptance of the of Jewish civilization. That is to scientific orientation to the study say, a philosophy of Judaism has of reality, including human be­ to take account of the changing havior, we Reconstructionists no character of Jewish polity, the longer have the problem of try­ need for periodic readjustment of ing to square some of the faults our visions of God, man and the we discern in the biblical and 8 Reconstructionist RECONSTRUCTIONISM rabbinic views of things with the disposition, I was privileged to never forget the prophetic fervor assumption that the Written and grow to maturity in the institu­ that moved him to raise his fist Oral Law is God's revelation to tion he founded — the Society and vent his fury against the man. We believe that the Scrip­ for the Advancement of Judaism evils that beset us. Hypocrisy, tures will take on fresh meaning — and to root my own faith in intolerance, obscurantism, arro­ and a fresh kind of authority the words he spoke and the fiery gance, and, above all, dishonesty once they are properly inter­ passions he aroused. His writings — in thought and in action — preted in this new light. seem, in retrospect, to be more were his deepest enemies. His 4) Reconstructionism has ac­ philosophical than poetic, more love for his people shone in his cepted the democratic method of precise than suggestive, perhaps sermons with a light that the free and open discourse and of even more scientific than reli­ decades have not dimmed. The majority decision or consensus in gious, as that term is commonly centrality of the Jewish people the process of formulating and understood. But that impression was far more than a philosoph­ effectuating the next stage of — as those of us who lived in ical or sociological construct. It Jewish peoplehood. The need to the milieu he created knew well was and is a blessing to be nur­ progress toward a renewed na­ — belies the essence of the man tured and a force that moves our tional covenant based on the cen- and his teachings. lives. Jewish life, he taught, was trality of Eretz Yisrael and the Above all, Mordecai Kaplan an evolving reality, not a play creation of organic communities was a believer. He believed that with its script already written to throughout the diaspora motiv­ a Jew in the twentieth century be ritually enacted on special oc­ ates us to strive for Jewish could live an observant, Jewish casions. ecumenism. The concept of klal life without surrendering his From our perspective, the yisrael must be understood as faith in science and in the virtues measure of his contribution can the duty to heighten responsible of the life of freedom. He be­ be taken accurately by asking interaction between the ideolog­ lieved that mankind could be what our lives would have been ical segments of our people. united in the "dream and the without the vision he inspired These and other fundamentals hope of freedom" without the in­ and the reality he and his follow­ of Reconstructionism have tervention of a messenger from ers created. We would surely guided me throughout the years. an imagined, unmanifest other- have forsaken Jewish life, as I seek here to express my pro­ world. He believed that modern many of our contemporaries and found indebtedness to our men and women could write their descendants have. For teacher for the grand conception prayers and poetry that would some, of course, which he gave us during his life­ sustain them and their fellowmen compartmentalization smooths time and which he has now be­ in their darkest hours, and uplift over the evident contradictions queathed to us to refine, de­ them when their momentary between our religious professions velop, expand and, if necessary, concerns seemed overwhelming. and our real beliefs — profes­ correct. He believed in unflinching integ­ sions that are quickly abandoned rity. He refused to utter Hebrew whenever the more "important" prayers which were conceptually matters of money and power DR. COHEN, a Contributing Editor of unbelievable or abhorrent. In­ call. No one raised in Mordecai the RECONSTRUCTIONS directs the B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundations in Israel. stead, he and his followers took Kaplan's presence can comforta­ up the themes of the siddur and bly accept that "solution" to the recast them in molds that could problem of faith in a world beset contain our most enlightened un­ by spiritual and moral entropy. George B. Driesen derstanding and our deepest Nor can we accept the polite rel­ hopes. "Sing Unto the Lord a egation of religion to a ceremo­ The debt I owe Mordecai New Song," he taught. And sing nial irrelevancy any more than Kaplan, z"l, moves me to add to he did. we can surrender to the revival the tributes now being paid him. Those of us who were privi­ of superstition and fundamental­ With a few others of like age and leged to hear him preach can ism. MARCH, 1984 9 W RECONSTRUCTIONISM Rather we are compelled to worship. There was kavanah — really happened at Sinai was the see religious faith as the ground more than enough — but also crucial question of modern Juda­ upon which we stand, inextrica­ dignity and insight. There was ism. Something had indeed hap­ bly bound up with the awesome contact, in Dr. Kaplan's voice pened there that transformed the majesty of the universe of and demeanor, between him and Jews through the ages. Einstein and Gamow and the ex­ the spirit of our people through I must recall the effect that hilarating air of free inquiry we the ages, between him and the Dr. Kaplan's opening every class are privileged to breathe. He Power that comforted, consoled, with a prayer had upon me. He kindled our hopes for a worthy brought meaning out of chaos was the only professor who not Jewish life. He gave us a frame­ and transcendence out of de­ only spoke about religion but work within which we could em­ spair. Dr. Kaplan, on that even­ practiced it in a moving and rele­ brace the songs, the poetry, and ing, confirmed for me the truth vant way. Dr. Kaplan's ability to the heroic past of our people of faith and the validity of wor­ extract four or five different in­ without flinching from the task ship. The injection of the per­ terpretations out of every passage of examining its present with a sonal element — his own prayer of Genesis Rabbah was nothing critical eye. — made me understand what the short of miraculous. Finally, I To learn from him was to ac­ rabbis had intended when they must recall his difficulty ac­ quire a field whose fruits we har­ referred to worship as the service cepting his students' inability to vest year after year.
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