#452: SPOTLIGHT: MJ Kaplan

#452: MJ Kaplan

Jan 13, 2026

A Backbeat of Community

Question for MJ: 

Have you ever been to a place you UNEXPECTEDLY felt truly aligned with your spirit?  Where initially perhaps you didn’t sense you would feel at home but surprisingly either quickly or across time you felt a deep sense of home, belonging, and harmony with its landscape, people, and/or energy in some way?  What was the surprise?

MJ's Response: 

My family was in the travel business, and I was exposed to new worlds early on.  I first visited Spain when I was 10.  I was dazzled by the light and beauty, the warmth of the people, the ‘que será’ approach to time and the musicality of the language. I dove into learning Spanish language, history, and culture.  I became convinced that our Jewish heritage was tied to Spain - a hunch I’ve never validated.

I returned to study in Barcelona for the year when I was 20. Franco had recently died and the region is on fire with nationalist Catalan pride and fervor.  I explore ancient neighborhoods, parks and fishing barrios. Balconies teeming with flowers are a room of their own where families gather to argue, laugh, and watch the world go by.  The streets are awash with music and dance.  The Catalan language explodes after being outlawed under Franco.  Colorful murals pop up and street signs are replaced with Catalan names, honoring fallen heroes.  This energy ignites my senses. 

A third-generation tapas restaurateur befriends me. We climb the spires of the Sagrada Familia for a dramatic vista of the city. We pick olives and grapes in northern villages.  We ski in the Pyrenees and swim in the Mediterranean. They pull me into their circle zealously, and I shift from witnessing a place to being part of it.  

I’ve returned to Spain often - always a home coming.  The connection that began in my youth remains my truth.