[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 9 (Thursday, January 13, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E36]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING SAJ'S CENTENNIAL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JERROLD NADLER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 13, 2022

  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the one hundredth 
anniversary of SAJ: Judaism that Stands for All. Originally named the 
Society for the Advancement of Judaism, the synagogue's founding in 
1922 was a historic moment in the growth of Judaism in America. One 
hundred years later it remains a cornerstone of Jewish life in New York 
City.
  SAJ was founded by Rabbi Mordecai M. Kaplan, one of the most 
influential Jewish thinkers of the 20th Century. Rabbi Kaplan developed 
an understanding of Judaism as an evolving civilization, later becoming 
known as Reconstructionist Judaism. For decades, SAJ served as Kaplan's 
experimentation field. There, Americans Jews could take pride in 
drawing from their Jewishness to support their Americanness, and their 
Americanness to support their Jewishness.
  SAJ joined the rapidly growing synagogue community on New York's 
Upper West Side, a neighborhood rich with Jewish life.
  SAJ has long stood for social justice, equality, and progress. It is 
a place where all are welcome, including LGBTQ+ and interfaith 
families. In 1922, it hosted the first bat mitzvah in the United 
States. Today, it is led by all-female clergy and staff. Rabbi Alan 
Miller, who served as rabbi of SAJ from 1961 to 1992, introduced to the 
sermon the idea of ``the open microphone,'' where congregants can share 
their reactions as part of a dialogue. Originated at SAJ, the open 
microphone is now utilized by rabbis across Jewish denominations.
  Today, we celebrate SAJ's commitment to advancing justice in the 
Upper West Side, in New York City, and in the world beyond. We 
celebrate its one hundred years of bold, intellectual curiosity and one 
hundred years of enriching Jewish life.