5: American Judaism in the mid-20th Century

10/05/18 • 10 min

In identifying the aspects of Judaism that he considered compelling for modern American Jews, Mordecai Kaplan focused on the human part of Judaism: community and folkways, rather than commandments and spirituality. In contrast, JTS professor Abraham Joshua Heschel sought to reawaken American Jewry to the power of mystery and the imperative to respond to God’s presence in the world.
Further reading:
Mordecai M. Kaplan, Judaism as a Civilization, (3-15, 173-208, 431-435);
The Meaning of God in Modern Jewish Religion, Chapter 1
Abraham Joshua Heschel, God in Search of Man, 3-4, 167, 184-199

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4: A Judaism OF the people

If Judaism can change, what must remain constant? Solomon Schechter, who became the President of JTS, identified the core elements of Judaism that unite all Jews who are part of the tradition, across ideologies and across time. Mordecai Kaplan, a professor of Midrash at JTS, took these elements and interpreted them as constituting a civilization that, he proposed, could be embraced by modern American Jews.
Further reading:
Solomon Schechter, “Historical Judaism,” “Excerpts from Seminary Addresses,” and “The Work of Heaven,” in Waxman, Tradition and Change (89-109, 163-172)
Mordecai M. Kaplan, Judaism as a Civilization, (3-15, 173-208, 431-435);
The Meaning of God in Modern Jewish Religion, Chapter 1

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6: Finding God through the “leap of action”

Both Mordecai Kaplan, the rationalist, and Abraham Joshua Heschel, the mystic, believed that Judaism compels us to make the world a better place. Kaplan was committed to the ethical practice adopted by the Jewish People throughout our history, while Heschel’s social activism was motivated by a prophetic imperative: transforming God’s will into action. Louis Finkelstein, the influential Chancellor of JTS, also stressed the importance of action, recognizing the unique role of the Jewish community in his time and place.
Further reading
Abraham Joshua Heschel, God in Search of Man, 3-4, 167, 184-199
Louis Finkelstein, “Tradition in the Making,” “The Things that Unite Us,” in Waxman, Tradition and Change, 187-197, 313-324