Mordecai Kaplan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mordecai M. Kaplan |
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Rabbi Mordecai M. Kaplan
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| Religion | Judaism |
| Denomination | Orthodox Judaism Conservative Judaism Reconstructionist Judaism |
| Personal | |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | Mottel Kaplan June 11, 1881 Sventiany, Russian Empire (now Švenčionys, Lithuania) |
| Died | November 8, 1983 (aged 102) New York City, United States |
| Spouse | Lena Rubin (c. 1885 – 1958), Rivka Rieger |
| Children | Judith Eisenstein, Hadassah Musher, Naomi Wenner, and Selma Jaffe-Goldman |
| Parents | Rabbi Israel and Haya (Anna) Kaplan |
| Organization | Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Society for the Advancement of Judaism, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College |
| Buried | Glendale, New York |
| Semicha | Jewish Theological Seminary of America |
Mordecai Menahem Kaplan (born June 11, 1881 – died November 8, 1983) was a famous rabbi, writer, and teacher. He is known for helping to create Reconstructionist Judaism. This is a special way of thinking about Jewish life. He worked with his son-in-law, Ira Eisenstein, to develop these ideas.
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Life and Work of Mordecai Kaplan
Mordecai Kaplan was born in a place called Svinstyan. Today, this place is known as Švenčionys in Lithuania. His parents were Rabbi Israel and Haya (Anna) Kaplan. In 1889, when he was eight years old, he moved to the United States. He came with his mother and sisters to join his father in New York City. His father was working with Chief Rabbi Jacob Joseph there.
Early Education and Marriage
Young Mordecai went to Etz Chaim Yeshiva for a short time. In 1895, he started studying at the City College of New York. He also studied at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America from 1893 to 1902. After finishing college in 1900, he went to Columbia University. There, he studied philosophy, sociology, and education. He earned two advanced degrees from Columbia.
In July 1908, he married Lena Rubin. While on his honeymoon, he was officially made a rabbi by Rabbi Isaac Jacob Reines.
Starting His Career
Kaplan began his work as an Orthodox rabbi. He worked at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun in New York. In 1912, he helped start the Young Israel movement. This group was for Modern Orthodox Judaism. He also played a big part in creating the idea of a Jewish Community Center. He helped found the Society for the Advancement of Judaism.
A New Tradition: The Bat Mitzvah
On March 18, 1922, Kaplan held the first public bat mitzvah in the United States. This was for his daughter, Judith Kaplan. It happened at his synagogue, the Society for the Advancement of Judaism. During the ceremony, Judith read from the Torah. This was a very new idea at the time. Traditionally, only boys had read from the Torah in public ceremonies.
Writing and Later Life
From 1934 to 1970, Kaplan wrote many books. In these books, he shared his ideas about Reconstructionist Judaism. His main idea was that Judaism is a "civilization." This means it's not just a religion, but a whole way of life. He wrote a lot throughout his life, keeping a journal for many years.
After his first wife, Lena, passed away in 1958, he married Rivka Rieger. She was an artist from Israel. Mordecai Kaplan lived to be 102 years old. He died in New York City in 1983. He was survived by Rivka and his four daughters.
Kaplan's Views and Other Jewish Groups
Mordecai Kaplan started his career as an Orthodox rabbi. He helped create the Young Israel movement in 1912. He was also the first rabbi at the new Jewish Center in Manhattan in 1918. However, his ideas about religion and society were very new. They were too different for these traditional groups. He left the Jewish Center in 1921. Other Orthodox rabbis also wrote articles criticizing his views.
Criticism and New Ideas
After leaving, he became involved with the Society for the Advancement of Judaism. This is where he held the first public bat mitzvah for his daughter Judith in 1922. This event also brought a lot of criticism from Orthodox Jewish newspapers.
Kaplan's main idea was that Judaism is a "religious civilization." This idea was somewhat accepted by Conservative Judaism. However, his views on God were very different. He believed God was not a personal being who performed miracles. Instead, he saw God as a natural force. This idea was not popular with many.
Even at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he taught, some professors disagreed with him. In 1945, a group of Orthodox rabbis formally tried to "excommunicate" him. This meant they wanted to remove him from the Jewish community. They saw his ideas as too different from traditional Jewish beliefs. Kaplan believed that Jewish practices should fit with modern thinking. This was shown in his Sabbath Prayer Book.
Despite the criticism, Kaplan stayed at the Jewish Theological Seminary until he retired in 1963. In 1968, his closest student and son-in-law, Ira Eisenstein, started a new school. It was called the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. This school was created to teach Kaplan's ideas as a separate Jewish movement. This movement is now known as Reconstructionist Judaism.
Starting a Jewish University
Kaplan wrote an important essay called "On the Need for a University of Judaism." In it, he said there should be a university where Judaism could be taught as a rich culture and a growing civilization. He imagined a place with programs for Jewish art, music, and drama. He also wanted a college to train Jews to be good citizens in both American and Jewish life. He dreamed of schools to train Jewish teachers and rabbis.
In 1947, his efforts led to the creation of the American Jewish University. It was first known as the University of Judaism. His vision continues to guide the programs at this university today.
Kaplan's Ideas About God
Mordecai Kaplan's ideas about theology (the study of God) were very modern. He believed that with new knowledge in philosophy, science, and history, it was hard for modern Jews to believe in some traditional ideas about God.
Kaplan thought that God is not a personal being. He believed that all human-like descriptions of God are just ways to try and understand something much bigger. Kaplan's idea was that God is the sum of all natural processes. These processes help people grow and become their best selves.
He wrote:
To believe in God means to accept life on the idea that there are things in the world and feelings in people that push us to be better. To believe in God means to know that it is our purpose to rise above simple instincts. It means to remove all violence and unfairness from human society. Simply put, God is the Power in the universe that guides human life. This Power helps humans show the best parts of themselves.
Kaplan's ideas changed a bit over the years. He signed the Humanist Manifesto II in 1973. This showed his belief in human potential and responsibility.
Awards
- 1971: National Jewish Book Award for his book The Religion of Ethical Nationhood
See also
In Spanish: Mordecai Kaplan para niños
