Judaism as a Civilization: Toward a Reconstruction of American-Jewish Life

Introduction to Judaism as a Civilization at 75

Introduction toJudaism as a Civilization at 75 MELSCULT Mordecai Kaplan's epoch-makingworkmarked a significant paradigm shift in thinking about religion in general andJudaism in particular. His views inJudaism as a Civilization were revolutionary, and we have not yet begun to absorb the full nature of that revolution. For centuries the reigning view among those devoted to the Jewish tradition was that the Jewish people existed to serveJudaism. Kaplan asserted that, to the contrary , the purpose ofJudaism was to serve theJewish people. Most directly, Kaplan's thinking and writing gave birth to the Reconstructionist Movement, which has grown since its institutional inception in 1955 to become a major North American Jewish denomination. Themovement's approachtoJudaismremainsfirmlygroundedinKaplan's principles, especiallythose laid out inJudaism as a Civilization. This living legacy is perhaps most clearly seen in the curriculum ofthe movement's seminary, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. And whether in the liturgy that the movement uses, in the program at its summer camp, or in the movement's understanding ofits own evolution, an ongoing conversation with Kaplan is always taking place. Kaplan is also the "patron saint" of many of the other most innovative segments of contemporary Jewry. These include not only Reconstructionism , but also the Jewish Renewal Movement, the Havurah Movement, Eilat Chayim and Humanistic Judaism. If we consider Kaplan 's principles as they are laid out in Judaism as a Civilization we see a direct line to those groups that are in the forefront ofliberal experimentation . The foundation ofhis principles was a fierce functionali~m and a willingness to eliminate dogma that he felt no longer contributed to the survival and vitality oftheJewish people. Kaplan's courageous openness to change is illus,trated by his attitude toward liturgy; he believed that ifit didn't work, change it or discard it. At one time he went so far as to omit the Kol Nidre prayer and substitute Psalm 130 with the traditional tune. Eventually he decided to ii INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM AS A CIVILIZATIONAT 75 reintroduce the prayer, but not without much thought and soul searching . The youngJews oftoday who create their own minyanim and yearn to experiment with new expressions and prayers can look to Kaplan for inspiration. From the beginning Kaplan was obsessed with the fate and survival of the Jewish people, so much so that he once thought of calling his new approach "Zionist Judaism." The preeminent philosopher, Emil Fackenheim, though one ofKaplans severest critics, fully appreciated Kaplan 's strengths and his love for Israel. In 1974 Fackenheim said: "Kaplan represented the best side ofthe American pragmatic genius which refuses to subordinate realities to the requirements ofphilosophical or theological systems. The other [side] is the indomitable love for amcha [theJewish people] by an indomitable man."l The publication of Judaism as a Civilization was the crowning achievement ofKaplans career, and within its pages he addressed many of the serious challenges facingJudaism. One in particular was thatJudaism was regarded by most Jews primarily as a religion, regardless ofwhether it was given by God (Orthodox) or evolved over the centuries (Conservative ) or is primarily concerned with ethics (Reform). For many ofthe younger generation ofthe 1930s, when the book was first published, religion was simply not relevant to their lives. They yearned to succeed as Americans and found the religion oftheirparents to be old fashionec,. and out oftouch with their needs. In our own time, there are still enormous numbers ofunaffiliatedJews who see no need to institutionalize a deeper Jewish commitment in their lives. By redefining Judaism as a civilization rather than a religion, Kaplan radically shifted the whole discussion about what it means to be aJew. IfJudaismis a livingcivilization, then it is obviouslyconstantlyevolvingand no one beliefor dogma is necessarily permanent. When we dismiss dogma and center our attention on theJewish people we create an opening for all kinds ofpossibilities. Being the pragmatist that he was, Kaplan understood that change is the iron law oflife and that traditions require continual "reconstruction " if they are to remain vital. Indeed one might view Jewish history as a series of"reconstructions:' The well-known first-century rabbi INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM AS A CIVILIZATIONAT 75 iii Yochanan Ben Zaccai, who advocated substituting prayer for the sacrificial Temple system, was as much a "Reconstructionist" in his time as Kaplan was in his. Kaplan courageouslyredefinedJudaism when he declared that the essence ofJudaism and ofJewish civilization resides in the living energy of the Jewish people. In his words...