Society for the Advancement of Judaism

The Society for the Advancement of Judaism, also known as SAJ, is a Reconstructionist synagogue and Jewish organization in New York City, on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Founded in 1922 by Mordecai M. Kaplan, the rabbi who founded Reconstructionist Judaism, the synagogue is affiliated with the Reconstructionist movement.

The current rabbi is Lauren Grabelle Herrmann, who succeeded Michael Strassfeld on 1 July 2015.^[1]

Moshe Nathanson, composer of Hava Nagilah, was Cantor of the SAJ during Kaplan's tenure.

The first American Bat Mitzvah was held at the Society for the Advancement of Judaism on Saturday morning, March 18, 1922, for Judith Kaplan, daughter of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan.^[2]

References

^ "The SAJ Welcomes Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann". thesaj.org. September 8, 2015. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015. Rabbi Lauren began her term on July 1, 2015.
^ Lusk, Isabelle (March 1, 2022). "What the First Bat Mitzvah in the U.S. Looked Like". Teen Vogue. Retrieved January 31, 2025.

External links

Media related to Society for the Advancement of Judaism at Wikimedia Commons

[1] "The SAJ Welcomes Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann". thesaj.org. September 8, 2015. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015. Rabbi Lauren began her term on July 1, 2015.

[2] Lusk, Isabelle (March 1, 2022). "What the First Bat Mitzvah in the U.S. Looked Like". Teen Vogue. Retrieved January 31, 2025.

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Authority control databases
International	VIAF
Other	SNAC