Ira Eisenstein Portal

The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its first ordained Rabbi, Michael Luckens. The inspirational teaching of Rabbi Mordecai Kapan featured quite prominently in the celebration. In simple terms one must say, no Mordecai Kaplan, no Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.

Yet it is equally true that without Rabbi Ira Eisenstein our Rabbinical College, a thriving Reconstructionist movement, and The Kaplan Center would have been just as unlikely.  Kaplan’s son-in-law, Rabbi Ira Eisenstein, was his foremost interpreter and popularizer.  He translated dozens of Reconstructionist ideas into institutional realities, always adding depth and nuance in the process of translation.

The Kaplan Center is delighted to be launching the Ira Eisenstein portal on our website. It includes: 

  • 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 soon to be made available on our website;
  • A Book Club next year around the above volumes, led by Harriet Feiner and Rabbi Lee Friedlander; 
  • Reflections about Ira Eisenstein as theologian and wise leader by Rabbis Dennis Sasso and Jeffrey Schein;
  • A recording of reflections on Rabbi Eisenstein’s contributions that the SAJ (now known as Judaism That Stands for All) hosted as part of its centenary celebration.

From Synagogue to Movement: Remembering Rabbi Ira Eisenstein

A recording of reflections on Rabbi Eisenstein’s contributions that the SAJ (now known as Judaism That Stands for All) hosted as part of its centenary celebration.


Reminisce with Ira & Judith

Rabbi Ira Eisenstein and Dr. Judith Eisenstein spoke to congregant Ruby Kohn, (daughter of Eugene Kohn, one of Kaplan’s students): Looking back at their twelve years of living in the creative and vibrant Jewish community of Woodstock, New York; Judith’s retelling of how and why she became North American Jewry’s first Bat Mitzvah; Ira providing…

Read more… Reminisce with Ira & Judith

Lessons I Learned From My Teacher

From Ira, I learned that Judaism is not an abstract idea, that religion does not exist in a vacuum, that religion
is as religion does. Judaism begins with the Jewish people; religion is a human, social reality, one in which “Belonging precedes Believing” If we want to help Jews love and practice their heritage, we must first make them feel at home in the tradition and community and feel that they have a stake in it.

Read more… Lessons I Learned From My Teacher