According to Mordecai Kaplan’s teachings, which have long resonated with me and so many others, to be Jewish in America is to live simultaneously in two rich civilizations, the Jewish and the American civilizations, both full of promise and character-shaping values. To be Jewish in America is to draw deeply from both of these civilizations in order to contribute meaningfully to both of them. As deeply as Kaplan believed this, living it out was often challenging in his day. Increasingly, it is challenging in our day as well.
The Ballad of the Five Women (sung to the tune of "She'll be coming Round the Mountain") tells the story of Shifrah, Puah, Miriam, Batya and Tzipora, five women of the Exodus.
