Congregation Etz Chayim

Meat is one of the most visible markers of Jewish distinctness and social separation. In this talk, John Efron argues that meat has played an especially important role in the formation of Jewish and Christian identities in Germany from the Middle Ages until today. To an extent not seen elsewhere in Europe, the importance of meat is reflected in many realms including the visual arts, literature, religion, politics, commerce, and home life. Studying the history of meat and its multiple meanings in Germany tells us much about the changing nature of German and German-Jewish identity, the links between religion, nationality, politics, and food. Above all, focusing on meat provides us with a singular window into the rich, fraught, and ultimately tragic history of German Jewry.

Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, one of the intellectual luminaries of 20th century Jewish thought, was a prolific diarist. Comprising 27 volumes, his journals spanned over 60 years, recording his thoughts and his observations on topics ranging from two World Wars to the nature of God, from his teaching at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) to his sermons, from liturgy and ritual to Jewish peoplehood.