SAJ — The Society for the Advancement of Judaism

A Photo-Essay on Reconstructionist Judaism

SAJ is on 86th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City.

Established in 1922 as The Society for the Advancement of Judaism by Rabbi Mordecai M. Kaplan (1881–1983), SAJ is the founding synagogue of what eventually became Reconstructionist Judaism. The Reconstructionist movement is the first major Jewish religious movement to originate in North America, developing between the 1920s and 1940s within the consolidations of Conservative Judaism. At the time, the wider Jewish-American milieu included the Reform movement, whose intellectual lineage began in Europe, and the various traditionalists responding to it that collectively organized as Orthodoxy. Reconstructionists were thus operating in an already complex socio-religious setting, formally separating in 1955 and joined by a common disposition affirming Judaism as a progressively evolving civilization.

Two perspectives on the facade of SAJ as seen from the south across 86th Street. When the property was first acquired, it consisted of two 19th Century style townhouses. Comprehensive renovations were done by PKSB in 2004. What used to be the small, windowless entrance was enlarged, making a double-height lobby illuminated by the southern windows recessed within the arch.

The triple entrance portal.

Rabbi Kaplan immigrated as a child in 1889 from what is now Lithuania and was raised in the Orthodox fold of Eldridge Street Synagogue, the first synagogue built by Eastern European Jews in the United States. While a student at City College of New York (CCNY) and then Columbia University, he simultaneously pursued religious studies at Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), which began as an Orthodox institution before becoming the preeminent academic center of Conservative Judaism. Ordained as a rabbi in 1902, Kaplan initially served Modern Orthodox congregations, including as inaugural rabbi of the Jewish Center in 1918, but departed in 1921 as the philosophical gap with Orthodoxy proved too great.

The open anteroom before the Sanctuary, just past the main reception. The space was created by pushing forward the southern wall of the Sanctuary, which in turn created a more intimate atmosphere within.

The Sanctuary as seen from its southeastern corner, featuring rectilinear seating on the dais along the western wall and customizable seating on the main floor around the Bimah.

The Sanctuary as seen from behind the balustrade of the western dais. The Ark (Aron HaKodesh), formerly situated on the northern wall, was moved to the eastern wall in the renovations. The southern gallery at the right is used for additional seating during the High Holidays and larger events.

Beyond his rabbinical service and the founding of SAJ in 1922, Kaplan also served as homiletics professor at JTS during 1909–63, as well as Dean of its Teachers’ Institute during 1909–46. Admirably, JTS leaders maintained Kaplan’s faculty position despite his controversial status. Nonetheless, Kaplan was often the target of polemics and book burning by traditionalist faculty and organizations, denounced as radical by the Orthodox and as naturalistic by the emerging Conservatives.

Left & Right: The Sanctuary as seen from its southern and northern termini. The five chandeliers are original and were refurbished in the renovations.

The eastern half of the Sanctuary in detail. The translucent, individual lamp covers on the chandeliers have become varied over time, with some completely frosted while others, in two different iterations, are only partially frosted.

Two perspectives on the modern, relatively new Bimah situated in front of the Ark.

The historical arc of Reconstructionist development thus proved to be long, entwined in the shifts within and between the Orthodox and Conservative folds while tempered by Kaplan’s unwavering resistance to creating a new denomination. In 1955, it was Kaplan’s followers that established the Federation of Reconstructionist Congregations and Havurot (FRCH), which included some Reform congregations and later became the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation (JRF). In 1968, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) was established by Rabbi Ira Eisenstein (1906–2001), Kaplan’s son-in-law and second rabbi of SAJ. In 1974, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association (RRA) was founded and has since remained the professional association of Reconstructionist rabbis. In 2012, the JRF and the RRC tightened their relationship, further consolidating in 2017 to form Reconstructing Judaism, the central organization of the Reconstructionist movement.

The upper portion of the Ark in detail, featuring the Eternal Light (Ner Tamid) and Tablets of the Law (Lukhot HaBrit). The Ark is framed by Doric pilasters and topped with a Roman open pediment.

The Ark in its three iterations, with its pocket doors closed, its doors opened, and its curtain drawn revealing the seven Sifrei Torah.

The Sifrei Torah in detail, adorned with Mantles (Mappah), Breastplates (Choshen), Finials (Rimmonim), and Pointers (Yad). During Rosh Hashanah, the colored Mantles are replaced with white ones.

Before Reconstructionist institutionalization, SAJ was host to the significant changes sparked by Kaplan’s pioneering thought, including the first American Bat Mitzvah held on March 18, 1922 for Kaplan’s daughter Judith (1909–96), who would later marry Eisenstein. Among Reform and Conservative Jews, the Bat Mitzvah only became widespread from the 1960s onward. Many such evolutions that began among Reconstructionists, including the civilizational mindset, are now normalized in other denominations and movements, but they are rarely attributed to Kaplan and Reconstructionists.

The Memorial niche on the northern wall, where the Ark was formerly situated. Congregants may purchase engravings for deceased loved ones that feature their names in English and Hebrew with dates of death. Stones are traditionally used by Jews when memorializing the deceased, including when visiting grave sites. Although not a commandment, the use of stones has long been a ubiquitous custom.

The small stained glass windows above the Memorial in detail.

Reconstructionists remain philosophically pluralistic and evolving, but do hold to common principles based on the civilizational approach to Judaism. Godliness is experienced through acts of historical ritual, thoughtful socio-emotional fulfillment, and worldly good works, while individual Reconstructionists may personally affirm (or not) the concept of God on theistic, naturalistic, or other metaphorical terms. In radically rejecting the notion of Jews as the Chosen People, Reconstructionists shift the model of communal identity from just being Jewish to doing Jewish, celebrating the rich particularism of Jewish culture while grounding its lived experience in universalism.

The eastern stained glass windows flanking the Ark.

The northern stained glass windows flanking the Memorial. Before air conditioning was installed, the bottom panes were adjustable for ventilation. All of the stained glass windows have been backlit since the renovations.

Given the socio-historical significance of the first Bat Mitzvah, it is rather fitting that SAJ is presently led Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann and Cantor Lisa Shapanka Arbisser. The social evolution at SAJ has continued, as the congregation has affirmed LGBTQ members and interfaith families since the 1990s as well as patrilineal descent since the 2000s. In 2017, the motto “Judaism that Stands for All” was adopted, celebrating the great diversity of its congregants and the engaged communal outreach considered essential by Reconstructionists.

The Sanctuary as seen from the Ark. The undercarriages of the chairs hold Printed Torahs (Etz Hayimot Chumashim) and Reconstructionist Prayer Books (Kol HaNeshamah Siddurim).

Before being called to SAJ in 2015, Rabbi Lauren founded Kol Tzedek (Voice of Justice) in 2004, a Reconstructionist synagogue in West Philadelphia that continues to thrive. At SAJ, Rabbi Lauren has developed and expanded a wide variety of programs and services, which presently include the specialized Hebrew School Makom (Place), Adult Learning in classes and special events, and Community Life via cultural festivals, local outings, and retreats. Along with multi-faceted public activisms, these initiatives foster a holistic environment of Spirituality, Arts, Life-Long Learning, Community (Kehilah), and Justice (Tzedek).

The plaques along the southern wall, honoring the early figures that were seminal to the development of SAJ and Reconstructionist Judaism. Clockwise from bottom-left: Rabbi Mordecai M. Kaplan, Founding Rabbi of SAJ and Forefather of Reconstructionist Judaism; Lena Kaplan (née Rubin), first wife of Rabbi Kaplan; Rabbi Ira Eisenstein, second Rabbi of SAJ and Founder of the RRC — Dr. Judith Kaplan Eisenstein, Jewish musicologist/composer/teacher, daughter of Mordecai and Lena, and wife of Ira; Cantor Moshe Nathanson, Composer of Hava Nagila and Cantor of SAJ during Kaplan’s tenure.

Left: One of the light fixtures along the western wall of the Sanctuary. Right: The original elevator featuring preserved wooden paneling and refitted with a modern digital system.

Although initially proving controversial, the Reconstructionist civilizational disposition lives at the heart of Jewish historical culture, one so quintessentially defined by dynamic intellectualism. The horrors of the 20th Century in Europe and the Middle East compelled so many Jews to return to their ancient homeland, but such devastations can never erase the social contributions Jews have made to so many communities throughout Diasporic history. In the same positive way that Reconstructionist Judaism has disproportionately shaped modern Jewish thought, Jewish intellectualism has shaped so many societies into true civilizations.

The mural “Old and New Elements in Modern Palestine” painted in 1935 by Temima Gezari (1905–2009) in the social realist style, dedicated in memory of Israel Unterberg (1863–1934). Gezari taught art education and art history at JTS for over 42 years, first appointed in 1935 by Rabbi Kaplan when he was Dean of the Teachers’ Institute. After being restored during the renovations, the mural was rededicated in 2005 at the renovated Social Hall, which also features numerous visual artworks of SAJ congregants curated by congregant Betsy Goldberg.

These photos were taken on a single day utilizing both a wide angle lens and a standard zoom lens. Acknowledgments and gratitude at SAJ go to Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann, Administrative Director Debbie Rudt, and Head Building Caretaker Fred Jusino. Rabbi Lauren graciously approved the production of this feature since initial email contact. Debbie and Fred kindly facilitated the interior photography and provided historical insights on the edifice. Rabbi Lauren and Debbie further reviewed the draft of this photo-essay.