The Denver Jewish news., 1924-11-27
NEW APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM OF JUDAISM

There only way saving Judaism and engage
associated endeavor with the avowed of making Juda
ism function life" declares Dr. Mordecai Kaplan
Foreword of his book "A New Approach the Problem
Judaism which has just been published by the Society for the
Advancement of Judaism of which Dr. Kapan the Leader
"A adheren of Judaism, faced with condition that
does let us live at ease Dr. Kapan ut compes
eadus ourselves socially and Intellectually To leave that read
ustment chance invite moral chaos We afford to
Sanhedrn possessed of wisdom and repre-
sentative of the mutfaous shades of Jewish belief and practice
will upon happy formula that will satisfy the whole
Israel look forward any gospel
laon."
Therefore Kaplan emphasizes necessary
Judaism as civilization as the spirit OF nation and not as the
cult of a denomination"
What does Judaism to the average layman? DR..
Kapan asks his book "A few stories from the book of Genesis
vaguely remembered the duty of believing God keeping
from ham and shefsh attending at least the
High Holy Days. and saying Kaddh after departed parent In
the natural of things these few duties ksome
that of mind to the conclusion that Judaism alto
gether superluous is but STEP"
Judaism religious philosophy but religious cviza-
ton 1t cultural and spiritual complex of language literature
history social institutions organized about conception
of God which has the most arreahng social and spiritual i'm
picatons for human life of all times"
Kapan points out that a time in the past uda
treated by Jew Gentle anything else than civilization
confusion the character of Judaism byproduc
the emancipation Out of fear lest be charged with hyphen
loyalty the country of which arecitzens tind
teachers have tried reduce the Jewish
to a cult
Our chief problem today Kaplan emphasizes rein
Torah the life of the jew to the
chef humanzng element in Jewish life Torah should remind
Judaism function of life only long as the
Jew engaged in lifelong process of moral education
DR. Kapan then takes this conception of Torah
m with the education of the child and the youth and the reedu
cation of the adult and points out that would evoutone most
present spiritual education The Jew
adoescnt who his religion and hardened
cync necessarily the youth who received spiritual train
ing his childhood Dr. Kapan points out for he most
spcuous instances of revusion against religion and morality will
found among those who children received intense and
careful religious upbrngng This emphasizes the fact that the
responsibility for their chens spiritual development
augmented the that their children confined become
The recognition of this fact which is,
acknowledging that Torah of moral ed
with greater vgor during the of
adolescence imposes upon wod task of supendous
portions:
Zone organize subject material for Jewish youth
and the other create the machinery whereby Jewish education
must be carried the of adolescence When the
youth enters the world of practical affairs his education must
tnue he vegeate spiritually people do after the
of twenty He must always be at school, Dr. Kapan states
commenting upon the re-education of the adult.
he of ethical study and discussion will depend
being able identify them Torah and approach them
with that spiritual attitude fathers did the study of
Scrpura and Rabbnc text the book concludes f the nstr
study the personality the teachers and the atmos
here where such discussion carried calculated to inspire
the heart well inform the mind look forward to the
reawakenng of literary activity among Jews that will exert
potent spiritual influence the future the Tamud did the
past"
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF She spoke the cooperation