What’s New ? מה חדש
It is often observed that for Mordecai Kaplan (and others) democracy was the religion of America.
The Kaplan Center appreciates our grant from A More Perfect Union: Jewish Partnership for Democracy. This grant allows us to embark on a “religious” journey from this February through next October. Each month we will select and distribute to our friends and partners a passage from Mordecai Kaplan or one of his students and collaborators.
This month features Kaplan’s diary entry from August 10, 1939 on Facism, Mobocracy, and Democracy
After mentioning the two factors which have contributed to the rise of mobocracy, viz: a) the stupendous machinery of communication which unites millions into a seething sea of human emotion, and b) the failure of democracy to make good its promise of bringing special privilege under control.
The rulers in a mobocracy know that they can gain control of the masses by instilling in them hate and fears of some common enemy who has to be augmented to gigantic proportions if he is comparatively insignificant and harmless, and who has to be invented if he is non-existent. For their purposes, mankind must be treated as broken up into classes or nations or tribes that are engaged in a mutual life and death struggle. The purpose of propaganda is to fan the flames of hate.
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Webinars
Judaism as a Civilization, The Hanukkah Gift to the Jewish People and World that Keeps on Giving
with Dr. Deborah Waxman and a response by Dr. Elias Sacks
The Great Kaplanian Report Card: Valley Beth Shalom as a Kaplanian Playground
with Rabbis Amy Bernstein, Ed Feinstein, and Jeffrey Schein
Beneath the Surface: Mordecai Kaplan’s Philosophical Commitments Explored
with Dr. Nadav S. Berman and Dr. Rabbi Vered Sakal
Kaplanian Scholarship
Looking to deepen your knowledge of Mordecai Kaplan’s life and philosophy?
- Meet a great companion guide in the form of Mel Scult’s annotated bibliography
- Read scholarly articles about Kaplan
- Watch video reminiscences about Kaplan’s life
- Learn about Kaplan on One Foot: Mel Scult’s Eight Core Principles of Kaplan’s Philosophy
- Watch Mel Scult’s talk about Kaplan’s Understanding of Naturalistic Prayer
- Related to our conversation about democracy: “Memory on Trial” by Dr. Jeffrey Schein
Kaplanian Voices
Our Kaplanian voices series seeks to sensitize us to the unique ways many of us experience the very notion of Peoplehood in 2023. Below are excerpts from conversation between Rabbis Jeffrey Eisenstat, founding director of our movement’s Camp Havaya, and former camp counselors about their initial exposures to the philosophies of Mordecai Kaplan a decade ago and its present meaning to them as young adult Jews in their thirties.
Visit the Ira Eisenstein portal where you will find….
- Introductions by Rabbi Richard Hirsh to Ira Eisenstein’s books Creative Judaism and What We Mean by Religion with digital copies of those currently out-of-print volumes now available on our website
- Explore the full set of resources related to teaching Mordecai Kaplan through Ira Eisenstein’s writings with these resources
- Reflections about Ira Eisenstein as theologian and wise leader by Rabbis Dennis Sasso and Jeffrey Schein
- A recording of Rabbi Eisenstein’s contributions that was hosted by the SAJ:Judaism that Stands For All as part of its centenary celebration