Molly Weinstein History of Philosophy Lectures

Biographical note provided by David Weinstein (lightly edited for length):

Molly Weinstein was born October 6, 1924, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her parents, Ely and Dora, emigrated from a small town near Minsk, in Belarus, and passed through Ellis Island at the turn of the 19th century. They spoke no English, only Yiddish and Russian. With abounding courage and optimism, Molly’s parents came to America in search of opportunity and to escape religious persecution.

As a child, Molly, the oldest of three siblings, loved the outdoorsy rural environment of central Michigan. But life changed when the depression struck in 1929. Ely’s haberdashery shop (selling shirts, ties, and hats) lost customers and went bankrupt. The family soon moved to Brooklyn, NY. At Bushwick High School, she studied hard, won academic prizes, and earned a college scholarship upon graduation in 1941. But Molly’s “old country” parents didn’t think unmarried girls should live away from home and they weren’t convinced that girls needed a college education to begin with. Undaunted and intent to pursue higher education, Molly matriculated at nearby Brooklyn College, commuted from home, and continued to study hard. After schoolwork, she helped her parents who ran a small grocery store, a “Jewish bodega,” in Bushwick.

At Brooklyn College, Molly met her future husband, Phil. They dated in college, corresponded while Phil was a machine gunner on the German front in World War II, and married after war’s end in 1947. Phil went on to NYU Law School and Molly worked as a secretary in Manhattan to support the couple. When Dora and Ely moved to an apartment on Parsons Boulevard in Flushing, Queens, Molly and Phil rented a few doors away. Phil, also a traditionalist, encouraged Molly to stay at home and raise a family. David was born in 1951 and Elaine in 1954. To accommodate their growing family, Molly and Phil purchased a two-family home in Whitestone with Molly’s sister, Bea, and her family.

Amid the joy of raising families together, Molly also suffered tragedy. Ely took sick and passed away at age 59, and Molly’s younger brother, Marty, a medical student, died of a brain tumor at 25. Grief overwhelmed Molly. Despite a strong religious upbringing, Molly rejected God. How could any God countenance such undeserved and untimely death? She sought answers in philosophy and religion books, wrestled with, and eventually redefined her relationship with God. She spread her insights by organizing adult discussion groups on religion and philosophy.

She was a Head Counselor at CEJWIN, a prominent Jewish overnight camp in the Catskills. She led teenagers on summer tours to Israel. And along her newly constructed spiritual path, Molly found a nascent branch of Judaism called Reconstructionism. Human centered (not God centered), this egalitarian branch redefined Judaism as the collective and evolving values and social history (including art, literature, language, etc.) of Jewish civilization. Men and women were treated as equals. This fresh, intellectual, and dynamic approach resonated with Molly. Molly also embraced the writings of Martin Buber, especially I and Thou, about finding meaning through authentic relationships (encounters) with others.

Molly lectured about Buber and Reconstructionism at synagogues and community centers. She was an academic entrepreneur, determined to get her message out. Molly promoted her speaking engagements with handmade flyers and dozens of telephone calls. In the late 1960s and 70s she was active in the Women’s Rights and anti-Vietnam War movements. When her children left Queens for college, Molly knew it was time to fulfill her purpose as an educator by committing to a formal study program. She returned to the CUNY system - at Queens College - and earned her Master of Arts in Philosophy in 1977.

With her degree, Molly taught Philosophy courses at Queens College from 1978 to 1990. She also taught in the ACE (Adult Collegiate Education) program for students aged 25 and older. An adult learner herself, Molly loved the life experiences that older students brought to class. Molly was a charismatic teacher with a loyal following. She met informally with current and former students at a Kissena Blvd pizzeria to talk philosophy over slices. Molly enjoyed the green campus, the inquisitive students, and collegial faculty. In September 1990, following a class at Queens, Molly unexpectedly suffered a brain aneurysm and died. In 1992, Molly’s family established the Molly Weinstein Memorial Prize as an annual award to two or three graduating Queens College seniors who have superior records of scholarship and intend to pursue careers in college teaching. The Prize carries on the important mission of public education and higher learning from one generation to the next.