Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan was admired by many, challenged by others, and never stopped trying to reinvent what it meant to live a Jewish life in the modern world. In this special three-part Melton+ series presented in cooperation with Valley Beth Shalom, Rabbi Ed Feinstein sits down with historian Jenna Weissman Joselit, author of the forthcoming Jewish Lives biography Mordecai M. Kaplan: Restless Soul, for a candid and compelling exploration of Kaplan’s life and legacy. Founder of the Reconstructionist movement, fierce critic of inherited dogma, and tireless advocate for a Judaism that could speak to modern life, Kaplan reshaped American Jewish identity and ignited ongoing debate about faith, community, and change.

Together, they’ll explore:

Part 1: Kaplan’s World – An introduction to the early 20th-century American Jewish landscape and the tensions that gave rise to Kaplan’s bold critique.
Part 2: Upheaval – A close and personal look at how Kaplan transformed not only American Jewish life but also himself.
Part 3: In His Own Words – A deep dive into Kaplan’s writings, including some of his earliest and most overlooked works.

Jenna Weissman Joselit, Charles E. Smith Professor of Judaic Studies and Professor of History at George Washington University, is known for her engaging, accessible, and original approach to Jewish cultural history. Her book draws on Kaplan’s private diaries and personal correspondence to paint an intimate portrait of a restless, brilliant, and sometimes frustrating thinker. With warmth, insight, and a healthy dose of humor, Rabbi Ed Feinstein—a Melton+ favorite—guides the conversation and helps bring Kaplan’s voice into dialogue with the Jewish present.

Participants will receive a discount code to purchase the book when it becomes available in March 2026.

We strive to ensure access and meaningful participation by all. As such, this program will have closed captioning.

Jenna Weissman Joselit is a leading historian of American Jewish life and culture, renowned for her engaging exploration of how ordinary objects and rituals reflect deep questions of identity, faith, and belonging. She holds the Charles E. Smith Chair in Judaic Studies and is Professor of History at The George Washington University, where she also directs the MA program in Jewish Cultural Arts. Her research brings Jewish history into dialogue with material culture, fashion, popular religion, and American civic life. Among her acclaimed books are The Wonders of America, A Perfect Fit, Set in Stone: America’s Embrace of the Ten Commandments, and, now, Mordecai M. Kaplan: Restless Soul.
Faculty photo

Teacher, lecturer, and storyteller, Rabbi‬ Ed Feinstein is rabbi of Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, California, and a lecturer at the Ziegler Rabbinical School of‬ the American Jewish University. He has served on the faculty of the Wexner Heritage Program, Milken‬ Community High School, the Chautauqua Institution, and the Shalom Hartman Institute.‬ Raised in the back of his parents’ bakery on the wild frontiers of the West San Fernando Valley, Ed‬ graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz, Columbia University Teachers College, and the‬ Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he was ordained a rabbi and earned his doctorate in education.‬ He was the founding head of the Solomon Schechter Academy of Dallas, the Associate Rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel in Dallas, and the Executive Director of Camp Ramah in California. He came to Valley Beth Shalom‬ in 1993.‬

Rabbi Feinstein is the author of five books, including‬‭ Tough Questions Jews Ask,‬‭ which is taught in schools and synagogues across North America.‬‭ The Chutzpah‬‭ Imperative‬‭ traces the history of theological‬ humanism in Jewish sacred literature, Capturing the‬‭ Moon‬‭ retells the greatest Jewish stories, and his latest‬‭ book,‬‭ In‬ Pursuit of Godliness and a Living Judaism‬‭, is an intellectual‬‭ biography of his mentor, Rabbi Harold Schulweis.‬ Ed shares life with Rabbi Nina Bieber Feinstein, their three adult children and spouses, and three‬ beautiful grandchildren. Every Friday afternoon, he bakes brownies from a recipe revealed to his ancestors at‬ Mount Sinai.‬

#Culture #History #Theology