Judaism That Grows With Us (Thank Goodness!) Parashat Emor and the Wisdom of Mordecai Kaplan By Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg

The Original Calendar (and So Much Grain)

Emor is the Torah’s Google Calendar. It gives us the sacred schedule—Shabbat, Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot—complete with timing, offerings, and a heavy dose of grain. (So much grain.)

But what’s amazing is how these holidays evolved. Originally, they were all deeply tied to agriculture and Temple sacrifice. But after the Temple was destroyed and Jews scattered around the world, something remarkable happened: we didn’t give up the calendar—we reimagined it.

A Living, Breathing Calendar

Purim and Hanukkah emerged in the Rabbinic period. Tisha B’Av reminded us to mourn loss together. And modern Israel added Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, and Yom HaAtzmaut. Even Tu BiShvat transformed from a tithing deadline into a Jewish Earth Day. Jewish time is sacred, but never static.

Judaism That Evolves: Enter Mordecai Kaplan

This is exactly the kind of evolution that Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan celebrated.

Born in 1881 in Lithuania, Kaplan immigrated to the U.S. and went on to found the Reconstructionist movement. He believed that Judaism isn’t just a religion—it’s an evolving religious civilization. He emphasized democracy, peoplehood, and ethical meaning over rigid dogma.

One of Kaplan’s most powerful teachings is:

“The function of Jewish religion is to enable Jews to live with dignity, to make their lives spiritually significant, and to be loyal to their people. Judaism must serve the needs of the Jewish people. The Jewish people do not exist to serve Judaism.”

— Judaism as a Civilization (1934)

That’s a freeing idea, isn’t it?

Judaism isn’t a box we have to fit into—it’s a tradition we shape and grow with. It should help us live better, deeper, more connected lives.

The Omer and the Ethics of Pirkei Avot

Right now, we’re in the season of Counting the Omer, a seven-week journey from Pesach to Shavuot mentioned in Emor. During this time, many Jews take on the custom of studying Pirkei Avot, a collection of rabbinic ethical teachings.

The opening teaching?

“The world stands on three things: Torah, Avodah (spiritual service), and Gemilut Chasadim (acts of lovingkindness).” (Avot 1:2)

These pillars, too, have evolved:

   •   Torah is more than scrolls. It’s study, searching, conversation, podcasts, and protest signs.

   •   Avodah has shifted from animal offerings to prayer, intention, and spiritual practice.

   •   Gemilut Chasadim now includes everything from soup for a sick neighbor to systemic justice work.

You Don’t Serve Judaism—It Serves You

So if your Judaism today looks different than it did five years ago (or five generations ago), that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be. We grow. Judaism grows with us. That’s not a flaw—that’s the whole point.

Shabbat Shalom—from one evolving Jew to another—with a full heart, a light spirit, and deep gratitude that our tradition still makes room for who we are and who we are becoming.