A Whole Different Country

Ethical Culture School

I wouldn't call it a "whole new world," but New York City is definitely a different country from what I experience each day in Central Texas.  The weather.  The streets.  The people.  This trip has surprised me, challenged me, and inspired me.  My central purpose in coming was to work on a research project related to Ethical Culture, so that meant going to the New York Society for Ethical Culture--the Meeting House.  

On my first day, I walked from my hotel via 64th Street toward Central Park.  I was immediately delighted to see a fruit and vegetable vendor right on the corner.  I bought two pears, thinking that would be a healthy boost to my snack stash.  I was also checking out all the shops at street level, to see what services might be there in case of need.  Almost immediately I came to the Ethical Culture Fieldston School just as students were arriving.  Teens meeting and greeting on the steps.  Little ones shepherded in by a parent.  An actual school bus dropping off a couple of dozen or so younglings.  What a delightful sight.  I took a moment to think about the school's history and origins in Ethical Culture, to think about what a fine education these children would be receiving, and was quite cheered.  Unlike the battle zone that Texas schools have become, I thought how these children would be allowed to question, to explore, to wonder in ways Texas children will not--sitting in classrooms marked with "In God We Trust," the ten commandments, and all sorts of religious indoctrination.

It took but a few minutes to find the entrance to NYSEC and roll myself up the ramp to the door.  A nice lady named Jody let me in and took me up to the 5th floor where the NYSEC administrative offices were.  I was early, but I had a comfortable place to sit and lots of things to look at.  The artwork on the walls.  Brochures.  Posters promoting NYSEC events.  There was plenty to take in.  Then Donna Pang arrived, and the day took off.  Donna is retired from the administrative offices of the American Ethical Union (which are located on the fourth floor).  Her interest in the Ethical Culture archives inspired her to come meet with me to talk about the archives.  But first a tour of the building!

Donna took me to see the places where the archives are stored--some well organized and very high cabinets, some jumbles of boxes mixed in with other random junk.  Clearly preservation is as high a priority as access (my own goal).  We also visited the Elliott Library and Adler Study.  In the latter, I think we struck gold--a complete set of The Standard--which I hope to be able to look at more closely before I head back to Texas.  

Adler Hall -- At the Door

Our final stop on the tour was the Meeting Hall--now called Adler Hall.  I struggled to climb the steps to enter this space that I had seen only in photos and videos.  There were a few people in the Hall, eating their lunch and talking quietly.  Donna and I sat on the edge of the platform and tried to take it all in before one of these renting the space informed us that they would soon resume their preparations for another event and would we please leave soon?  A disappointment.  I did not get my chance to "stand where Felix Adler stood," but I was close enough.  While the space seemed smaller than I had imagined, it was every bit as inspiring as I knew it would be.  Bound in its own time, of course.  Art deco mixed with classical inspiration and a narrow vision of "how shall we meet," but an inspiration nonetheless.

As I sat on the edge of the stage, my eyes prickled with tears.  I was at the heart of the Movement (metaphorically speaking, of course).  I was grateful to be able to experience this moment of connection.  I felt a sense of the past, a thread of connection to the present, with both continuity and change, but with a bedrock faith in the inherent worth of each individual person.  I'd like to return to that space--to sit and think a while on where we are today, where we need to go, but I think that would just be an indulgence at this point.  It is the people, not the places nor the things, that make us a Movement.  It is with the people--in conversation, dialogue, discussion, the search for consensus--that we will find a way through the current jumble that is facing us with our national organization.  I look forward to just such dialogue.