On the limits of American Jewish social engineering: Ironic reflections on Prof. Mordecai M. Kaplan and R. Aharon Kotier

Abstract

and attract them to a rich and compelling Jewish experience. This was no easy task. American religious freedom made America's Jews considerably less dependent on community than either their pre-modern co-religionists or many modern Jews elsewhere. Yet, openness also made community such a necessity, because it could provide an attractive social context in which to live a rich and ful filled Jewish life, thereby combating assimilation. What would convince America's Jews to become active and contributing mem bers of a Jewish community when they were free to acculturate and assimilate into an inviting American culture? A complete answer to this question would examine a range of social, historical, geographic, intellectual, religious, political, and economic factors, and have wide implications for Jewish commu nal policy.1 This essay will focus on only one small piece of the puzzle. I would like to reflect on ways in which talking about the importance of Jewish community and describing the desired Jew ish community have or have not contributed to the construction of that community: To what extent is community built self-con