2021-J2091
Sponsored By
(D, IP, WF) Senate District
text
2021-J2091
Senate Resolution No. 2091
BY: Senator KAPLAN
COMMEMORATING the 100th Anniversary of the first
Bat Mitzvah ceremony in the United States on March
18, 2022
WHEREAS, Religious rituals, and the many spiritual, social and
educational benefits they confer, play a vital role in the development
of the moral fabric of a responsible citizenry; and
WHEREAS, It is the tradition of this State and this Nation to pay
tribute to those sacred rituals and individuals who have contributed to
the ethical and spiritual values of their communities; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate the
100th Anniversary of the first Bat Mitzvah Ceremony in the United
States; and
WHEREAS, On March 18, 1922, 12-year-old Judith Kaplan became the
first American to celebrate a Bat Mitzvah; her father, Rabbi Mordecai
Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism, believed that girls
should have the same religious opportunities as their brothers, so he
arranged for his daughter to read Torah on a Shabbat morning at his
synagogue, the Society for the Advancement of Judaism; and
WHEREAS, Even though Judith Kaplan merely read a passage in Hebrew
and English from a printed Chumash (the first five books of the Bible)
after the regular Torah service, it marked a turning point for women's
roles in Conservative Judaism in America; and
WHEREAS, By 1948, about a third of Conservative congregations had
conducted Bat Mitzvah ceremonies, and by the 1960s, Bat Mitzvah was a
regular feature of Conservative congregational life; today, it is a
mainstay in synagogues from Reform to Modern Orthodox; and
WHEREAS, After her Bat Mitzvah, Judith Kaplan married Ira
Eisenstein, who became Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan's successor, and went on to
enjoy a successful career in the Jewish music industry; after studying
at the Institute of Musical Art (now the Juilliard School) in New York,
she attended the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) Teachers Institute
and Columbia University's Teachers College, where she earned her Master
of Arts degree in music education in 1932; later, she furthered her
education by obtaining her PhD in the School of Sacred Music at Hebrew
Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR); and
WHEREAS, Judith Kaplan taught music pedagogy and the history of
Jewish music at JTS, HUC-JIR, and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical
College for many years; and
WHEREAS, This talented and inspirational woman also created the
first Jewish songbook for children, Gateway to Jewish Song (1937), and
published Festival Songs (1943) and Heritage of Music: The Music of the
Jewish People (1972); in 1987, she created and broadcasted a 13-hour
radio series on the history of Jewish music; and
WHEREAS, In 1992, at the age of 82, Judith Kaplan Eisenstein
celebrated a second Bat Mitzvah, surrounded by leaders of the modern
Jewish feminist movement; this time, she read from a Torah scroll; and
WHEREAS, Judith Kaplan Eisenstein died on February 14, 1996;
throughout her storied life, she truly made a difference for millions of
Jewish women in the United States, and to the lives of all those she
educated, sang to and filled with hope and joy; and
WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to take note of
enduring religious rituals and to bring such traditions to the attention
of the people of this Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the first Bat Mitzvah ceremony in
the United States on March 18, 2022; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to various Jewish organizations throughout the State of New
York.
actions
-
15 / Mar / 2022
- REFERRED TO FINANCE
-
22 / Mar / 2022
- REPORTED TO CALENDAR FOR CONSIDERATION
-
22 / Mar / 2022
- ADOPTED
Resolution Details
- Law Section:
- Resolutions, Legislative
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