The Jewish Origins of Cultural Pluralism: The Menorah Association and American Diversity

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Daniel Greene traces the emergence of the idea of cultural pluralism tothe lived experiences of a group of Jewish college students and publicintellectuals, including the philosopher Horace M. Kallen. These young Jews facedparticular challenges as they sought to integrate themselves into the Americanacademy and literary world of the early 20th century. At Harvard University, theyfounded an influential student organization known as the Menorah Association in 1906and later the Menorah Journal, which became a leading voice of Jewish public opinionin the 1920s. In response to the idea that the American melting pot would erase allcultural differences, the Menorah Association advocated a pluralist America thatwould accommodate a thriving Jewish culture while bringing Jewishness intomainstream American life.