Quest for Judaic Identity

Douglas Kaplan was reared in a traditional (Orthodox) Jewish home. The accommodation to the tenets of his faith was simple. Like many religions, the rules comprised of a well-established array of dos and donts. At age 7, he was placed in a yeshiva (a Jewish Parochial School) where he was instructed on the sacred texts of Judaism. All of that material was presented to his class as if it were a dinner prepared by a divine chef whose menu was not subject to question. It was presented to be learned, often memorized, but rarely questioned. He was occupied with the practice of law for more than 60 years. Upon retirement, he set out to academically examine and digest the religious meal that was served to him in my early youth.