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Jewish Peoplehood: Educational Resources

Video

Educational Gifts Overview

Rabbi Jeffrey Schein has created a suite of educational resources on Jewish peoplehood, under the auspices of the Kaplan Center for Jewish Peoplehood.

 

The resources include:

Many thanks to Rabbi Schein and the Kaplan Center as we receive these gifts, and use them to inspire and enrich our teaching and learning. 

 

Senior Educational Consultant, Kaplan Center for Jewish Peoplehood

Related Resources

News and Blogs

Let's Journey Together

In an essay that appeared in Philadelphia’s Jewish Exponent, Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D., makes the case that Reconstructionist Judaism matters now more than ever.

News

"Where Was God?" - Lesson Plan On Natural Disasters and Parashat Noah

During disasters and their aftermaths, many people wonder about God’s role in their suffering. This lesson seeks to explore God’s role in tragedy from a Jewish Reconstructionist perspective. This lesson is intended for children ages 8-12.

Document

How Can Reconstructionists Pray?

How does a non-supernatural notion of God fit together with the practice of prayer? Rabbi Jacob Staub explores their intersection. 

Article
News and Blogs

Nothing Neutral About It: Inspired by Reconstructionist Judaism in Switzerland

Paul Piwnicki, a Polish-born, German-raised scientist and Jew-by-choice, credits Reconstructionist thought with helping him develop a personal theology and practice. Piwnicki’s story highlights the influence of Reconstructionist ideas and thinkers, even in countries lacking Reconstructionist congregations.

News

If God Is Good, Why Do Pain and Suffering Exist?

The question is an old and venerable one: If God is good, and God is all-knowing, and God is all-powerful, then why is there so much pain and suffering in the world? Rabbi Jacob Staub explores this longstanding question. 

Article
News and Blogs

Light Through The Cracks

Rabbi Deborah Waxman reflects on finding spiritual equilibrium in a time of shifting sands.

News

Liturgy and Prayer Leadership: Distance Learning Session

This distance learning conference call explores the dynamics of worship and the human impulse to pray, some of the deep structures of Jewish prayer services, and specifically Reconstructionist liturgy.

Spoken Audio

Kaplan and the Meaning of Ritual: Reconciling the Mind and the Heart

The author reflects on the way Mordecai Kaplan's philosophy  helped him see Jewish ritual as spiritually meaningful and, at the same time, intellectually honest.

Article

Author Interview: Guide to Jewish Practice

Interview with Rabbi David Teutsch, Ph.D., about the issues addressed in the new Guide to Jewish Practice

Article

Reconstructionism Explained

What is Reconstructionist Judaism? Its essence is contained in the phrase, “Judaism is the evolving religious civilization of the Jewish people.” Unpacking this phrase, we find five simple keys to understanding the philosophy and beliefs of Reconstructionist Judaism.

Article

A Hasidic Lens on Parashat Bo

In this short talk, Rabbi Lester Bronstein brings 18th and 19th-century Hasidic thought into dialogue with contemporary Reconstructionist theology.

Spoken Audio

A New Approach to the Rules Shaping Shabbat Practice

Congregation B’nai Israel in Willimantic, Connecticut underwent a long communal Reconstructionist process to decide on congregational rules for Shabbat practice. This is the result.

Document

Yigdal: A Reconstructionist Examination

Yigdal, one of the most beloved of the medieval piyyutim (liturgical poems) summarizes the thirteen principles of the Jewish faith as formulated by Moses Maimonides (RaMBaM; late 12th century C.E.). Reconstructionists often proudly assert that when we pray with a Reconstructionist siddur, we feel that we can 'say what we mean and mean what we say,' because our liturgical language reflects Reconstructionist theology. How might a Reconstructionist interpret the words of Yigdal in this way?

Document

Exploration of God Beliefs: A Teen Program

This pilot program for Jewish teen education provides several activities for exploring and sharing beliefs about God. 

Document

A Child's Biography of Mordecai Kaplan

This short biography of Mordecai Kaplan is written for children from 5th to 9th grade.

Document