Mordecai Kaplan was born in Lithuania in 1881, and in 1889 he immigrated along with his family to America. During his early childhood he received a traditional Jewish education in Vilna. After coming to America, however, he became increasingly disenchanted with orthodox theology and more interested in non-orthodox approaches to Judaism.

As a young man, Kaplan pursued Jewish studies and graduated from City College of New York. Later, he was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary (of the Conservative Movement), received a master's degree from Columbia University and went on to serve as associate rabbi of Kehillath Jeshurun, an Orthodox synagogue in New York.

Kaplan was profoundly influenced by the new field of sociology and its view of civilization as characterized not only by beliefs and practices, but also by language, culture, literature, ethics, art, history, social organization, symbols and customs.

In 1935, Kaplan wrote Judaism as a Civilization, a seminal work that became the foundation of the new Reconstructionist movement. Kaplan taught that Judaism must be reconstructed so that it remained ever-changing, evolving to meet the needs of Jews in the New World. He promoted democracy in the synagogue community and advocated voluntary membership, elected leadership and respect for the religious opinions of individuals.

In June 1972, Kaplan biographer Mel Scult audiotaped conversations between Kaplan and himself. The audioclips of their conversations provide a rare and fascinating insight into the essence of Mordecai Kaplan and the foundational roots of  Reconstructionist Judaism.
 
Listen to audiotapes.
Visit the archives of the American Jewish Committee for additional audio recordings.