First, the talk was extremely well-attended, with upwards of 100 people there to listen, learn, and engage Rabbi Kaplan.
Rabbi Kaplan noted that America is awash with new religious movements, a trend that reveals that spiritual seeking is prevalent among Americans. He said that while this seeking may not be immediately apparent in temple life, it's an important piece of the American religious landscape. He positioned KAMII as, in some respects, a distinct contrast, given this community's (hyper)intellectual bent and its rational approach to religious tradition and community. But he stressed that this widespread spiritual seeking has triggered changes in the Reform movement, a move that has left many congregants uncomfortable with the increasingly prominent place of ritual and spirituality.
Rabbi Kaplan recalled the inception of the "classical reform movement" in the U.S., noting that the core principle of the 1885 Pittsburgh Platform was that the Reform Jewish approach to religion should be rational.
Rabbi Kaplan offered that the Reform movement needs a clear set of doctrines and a compelling theology to help shape decisions and practices -- without this, Reform Judaism becomes what Kaplan called a "mish-mosh," just a "bunch of opinions." Reform Judaism owes more to America than to Judaism, he said, and that has pros and cons for the movement and its adherents.
Before taking questions, Rabbi Kaplan closed with two observations/recommendations:
1) according to Rabbi Kaplan, we need to reconceive a Reform Judaism that is "both coherent and compelling": coherent in that it makes sense, and compelling in that it draws people.
2) the Reform movement must offer a theology and practice that is immediately understandable and emotionally relevant. (Rabbi Kaplan appeared to suggest that one group that has made itself immediately understandable and emotionally relevant is the chabad movement, by encouraging people to do "one mitzvah," "to wrap tefillin" -- and that that's enough, at least as a compelling (re)introduction to the tradition.)
In closing, a few questions in anticipation of the Weinstein Weekend:
- do you agree with Rabbi Kaplan that Reform Judaism devolves into a "mish-mosh" without a compelling, and generally uniform, theology?
- to grow, should the Reform movement stress its Americanness, attempt to reassert its Jewishness, or some combination? Are "Americanness" and "Jewishness" complementary concepts, or oppositional?
- Can Reform Judaism maintain its rational core while embracing a more emotional, spiritual side?
- How can Reform Judaism best make itself "both coherent and compelling"?
Prepared by Tom Levinson
1 comment:
It was a great morning. I was very impressed that the auditorium was completely filled.
I was surprised by Rabbi Kaplan's comment that our Judaism is shaped much more by the American environment then by our Jewish values. When Tom Levinson asks if "Americanness" and "Jewishness" are complementary concepts or whether they are oppositional, I would say that they are complementary. In fact I'm not sure that we differentiate what influences come from the American social environment as opposed to Jewish values as derived from particular texts or some other Judaic source.
I enjoyed the talk very much.
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