Margie Jacobs

  • Contemporary Talmud Pages

    Talmud (study) consists of the Mishnah (original text or law) and Gemara, completion of the text. We emphasize the term Talmud (study) because it indicates that Mishnah and Gemara are part of a larger process of expansion of meaning that is fostered by sacred argument. In these contemporary Talmud pages, we use contemporary texts and…

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  • Evolve Collaboration

    A Note from Dr. Jacob Staub and Dr. Jeffrey Schein: The Mordecai Kaplan Center for Jewish Peoplehood website and Evolve have overlapping readerships. Jacob Staub and Jeffrey Schein, directors of Evolve and the Kaplan Center respectively, have begun a tradition of sharing articles that will guide Evolve readers to the Kaplan Center and Kaplan Center…

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  • by Dr. Mel Scult Peter Beinart in the Sunday Opinion section of the New York Times, was his usual brilliant self. But in this case he happens to be wrong. He would have us believe that the liberals on the left who have traditionally identified strongly with Israel have no place to go. He would…

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  • The Democracy Project

    It is often observed that for Mordecai Kaplan (and others) democracy was the religion of America. The Kaplan Center appreciates our grant from the Jewish Partnership for Democracy: A More Perfect Union. This grant allowed us to embark on a “religious” journey from February through October 2024. Each month we selected a passage from Mordecai Kaplan…

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  • Learning Materials for Adults

    From Dr. Jeffrey Schein 90th Anniversary Celebration of Judaism As a Civilization  Dr. Deborah Waxman and Elias Sacks on “Judaism as a Civilization: the 90th Anniversary of this Hanukkah Gift that Keeps Giving”.  We’d like to help our Institutional Friends utilize this both as a webinar in their own community and as useful public relations…

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  • As we prepare for the momentous journey that will take us through November 4th,  Kaplan Center Director Dr. Jeffrey Schein offers a perspective on our “aging” candidates.

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  • by Dr. Deborah Waxman

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  • By Dr. Jeffrey Schein. This position paper explores the well-known Kaplanian notion that Jews live in two civilizations, one Jewish and one North American.

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  • Joseph Reimer In my recent book, Making Shabbat, I tell the story of the Schoolmans, founders of Cejwin Camp. There were Jewish camps before Cejwin, but the Schoolmans created the first intentional Jewish camp: a space for campers and staff to actively engage their Judaism. The Schoolmans were disciples of Mordechai Kaplan. Intentional Jewish camping…

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  • Rabbi Manny Goldsmith Tributes

    The Kaplan Center joins the family and many communities touched by Rabbi Goldsmith in mourning his death and celebrating his life. He was a student, disciple, and colleague of Mordecai Kaplan of the highest order. In this folder, you will find four different tributes to his life: Later in the year, The Kaplan Center will…

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