Former Rabbi of Jamaica Now in Mobile
- danaevankaplan
- Jan 3
- 1 min read
by: Chad Petri
Posted: Jan 24, 2016 / 10:46 AM CST
Rabbi Dr. Dana Evan Kaplan is a busy man. He’s head of the oldest reformed Jewish congregation in Alabama. That’s Spring Hill Temple. He takes over for Donald Kunstandt. Kunstandt retired last year after nearly 30 years as rabbi at Spring Hill Temple. Kaplan is the interim rabbi and he said part of his job is to help members of the congregation decide their direction.
“Before they move on over the next 28 years or whatever period it may be they need to take stock of where they are, where they have been and where they might go,” said Rabbi Kaplan. It was cold today but Kaplan is used to our warm weather. He spent the last four years Jamaica’s only Rabbi.
“When you move to a foreign culture you’re moving into an entirely different world,” said Kaplan. He showed me pictures of his time in Jamaica. I’ve put some of those images below. Kaplan said social class distinctions are more important in Jamaica than in the states. He said he also learned Jews and Rastafarians share some of the same symbols and traditions.
Comments