sought to give practical expression to theoretical framework provided in Judaism as a Civilization. In this work he expressed a broad tolerance for the wide spectrum of observance which existed in the American Jewish community, He felt that individual Jews should voluntarily associate themselves with whatever group met their specific needs. Within those groups the positive aspects of tradition rather than its prohibitions should be stressed. Kaplan also stressed that there should be a hierarchy of folkways so that not everything was on an equal level as is true in traditional Judaism . Most of all, his practical guide emphasized the need for the rediscovery of rituals and the need to infused new meaning in those which had lost their significance for modern people. As this was intended as a guide, Kaplan went into much practical detail in it.(28)
As Mordecai Kaplan proceeded to clarify his view of Judaism as a civilization, he incorporated halakhah as a major factor in that civilization. A fuller exposition of halakhah was provided in his book, The Future of the American Jew(1948). He faced the fact that ritual had been eliminated from the lives of many American Jews , particularly criticized traditional community for its exclusion of those who observed little of the halakhah. His broad view was that,"a religious civilization is one which not only identifies the individual with his group, but makes the group responsible for the salvation of the individual, for helping him to experience life is supremely worthwhile or holy and thus commune with God . A satisfactory rationale for Jewish usage is one that would recognize in it both a method of group survival and a means to the personal self-fulfillment, of salvation of the individual Jew."(29) Although guidance may be necessary Kaplan did not€quate it with revealed