Mordecai M. Kaplan: Restless Soul
Book •
Jenna Weissman Joselit's 'Mordecai M. Kaplan: Restless Soul' is a compact biography that traces Kaplan's life from immigrant childhood to his pivotal role in American Jewish thought.
The book draws on Kaplan's extensive diary and other sources to portray his intellectual evolution, personal tensions, and commitment to Jewish community and practice.
Joselit situates Kaplan's ideas—peoplehood, Judaism as a civilization, and post-denominationalism—within the broader currents of American modernity.
The biography examines both Kaplan's public influence (including Reconstructionist roots) and his private struggles, offering a nuanced portrait rather than polemic.
Published as part of Yale University Press's Jewish Lives series, it aims to introduce readers to Kaplan's significance for contemporary Judaism.
The book draws on Kaplan's extensive diary and other sources to portray his intellectual evolution, personal tensions, and commitment to Jewish community and practice.
Joselit situates Kaplan's ideas—peoplehood, Judaism as a civilization, and post-denominationalism—within the broader currents of American modernity.
The biography examines both Kaplan's public influence (including Reconstructionist roots) and his private struggles, offering a nuanced portrait rather than polemic.
Published as part of Yale University Press's Jewish Lives series, it aims to introduce readers to Kaplan's significance for contemporary Judaism.
Mentioned by
Mentioned in 0 episodes
Mentioned by 
Noam Weissman
The Greatest Rabbi Of All Time? With Jenna Weissman Joselit
