Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the rabbi whose theology and leadership are the foundation of the Reconstructionist Movement, taught that to be Jewish in America was "to live in two civilizations." By this Kaplan meant one should celebrate being both a part of American civilization and a part of Jewish civilization and never having to choose one over the other. “The American Jew,” Kaplan argued, “will not be fifty percent Jew and fifty percent American, but one hundred percent of each, for he will have achieved a synthesis in his own personality of whatever is valid in both the Jewish and American civilizations.”
Kaplan understood Thanksgiving as an example of the two-civilization experience. Thanksgiving is an American holiday, one which never conflicts with Shabbat or another major Jewish holiday/yontif (I am in agreement with Jewish tradition that Hanukkah, which has fallen on Thanksgiving in the past, is only a minor holiday, no matter what happens on the Hallmark Channel ). As a result, Thanksgiving has become one way many Jews in America express the importance of their American identity. Kaplan jumped on this opportunity as well. As a way to uphold the importance of both American culture and Jewish culture, Kaplan even created texts for the Thanksgiving table to make the family meal more like a Passover seder.
It should be argued that it is impossible to separate the grave history of the holiday of Thanksgiving and this country's overdue reparations to Indigenous peoples with the holiday Kaplan is joyful about celebrating. I admit, I am mostly considering my own experience of the modern-day holiday of Thanksgiving, one centered around family and friends giving thanks for the bounty of food available to us. This might be considered dishonest by some, and I do not entirely disagree with them. I also hold and honor that there are Native American Jewish people for whom there is no choice but to hold these different identities in ways I can't begin to understand. For that I am mindful of my own privilege as an American born, Eastern European Jewish person.
In addition, the two-civilization concept is not without its flaws. In the twenty-first century, many of us consider ourselves to be living in multiple civilizations, including but not limited to, civilizations centered on global identities, political affiliations, gender identities, and sexual orientations. One example could be Pride Shabbat, a Shabbat we celebrate every year with many other congregations in June. At Pride Shabbat we bring together our Jewish selves and our identity as LGBTQ+ people (as well as allies). If Kaplan were alive today, he would probably agree that Pride Shabbat is an example that one need not be fifty percent Jew and fifty percent LGBTQ+, but is one hundred percent of each. In our current climate where binaries are demanded of us, the ability to live proudly within nuance is refreshing.
Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan was proud to be both fully American and fully Jewish. He showed the importance of both of these civilizations through his integration of both. This was radical at the time, especially for a rabbi. The "Closing Prayer for Thanksgiving Day" is another example from Kaplan, first published in 1951 for Thanksgiving in The Faith of America: Readings, Songs, and Prayers for the Celebration of American Holidays:
Closing Prayer for Thanksgiving Day by Mordecai Kaplan, J. Paul Williams, and Eugene Kohn (edited slightly for publication in the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association newsletter "Connection") O You who are our Creator and who sustains our life by your bounties, You who has blessed our land with all manner of wealth bless You also us Your people with the spirit of humility. Let us not, in the pride of possession, forget that we but hold all this wealth in trust and that only when we are faithful to that trust and use our wealth with wisdom, justice, and generosity can it yield us true happiness. Teach us that the joy of creation far surpasses that of acquisition, that there is more security in mutual helpfulness than in selfish hoarding, that to earn the love and gratitude of our fellow humans affords a deeper satisfaction that to force their fear, servility, and envy. We thank you, O Gd, for all Your gifts, but above all we thank you for the gift of Your spirit for only by it can we learn to use Your gifts for our blessing. Amen.
It may be the day after Thanksgiving, but this prayer can still be meaningful tonight and tomorrow as you gather around for a Shabbat meal. Enjoy with some challah and (hopefully) some leftover pumpkin pie.
Shabbat Shalom from Lenape land, Rabbi Janine Jankovitz
Kehilat HaNahar 85 West Mechanic St. New Hope, PA 18938
