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Tamara Kolton, 27
Tamara Kolton, 27, has a peaceful
presence a soothing voice and calm
approach — something a lot of people
like in a religious leader.
The Bloomfield Hills native grew
up as a Humanistic Jew. "I always
loved Jewish history and felt great
pride in my people and their strength.
That must have come from this build-
ing," she says of the Birmingham
Temple. "Judaism ... was always an
anchor. This building rooted me, gave
me a sense of home.
But it was also her secular grand-
mother, who lit Shabbat candles, who
taught Kolton about living as a Jew.
"My grandmother had a very spiritual
way of living in the universe, not the-
istic, [but] embracing of all people,"
she says. "I think my grandmother
believed in a god but was not uncom-
fortable leaving [traditional modes of
spirituality]."
At 16, Rabbi Wine pulled Kolton
out of class and into his office. There
stood her mother with a cake and 16
lit candles, and a surprise present: a
trip to Israel.
Since then, Kolton has jumped at
any chance to return to the Jewish
state. She worked at Mai Kai Cleaners
during her junior year in high school
to earn money for a return trip, then
spent her college years at Hebrew
University. She even married an
Israeli, although she met him here, at
a Jewish Community Center-spon-
sored singles barbecue.
"Israel has this incredible energy —
ancient energy, energy of the Jews,"
she says. "I felt at home there and
loved Hebrew."
But ultimately, Kolton came home.
She knew she wanted to be a
Humanistic rabbi and felt uncomfort-
able doing so in Israel. "Israel can be
very angry," she says. "One of the
hardest things is coming up against
intolerance from other Jews."
Kolton earned a master's degree in
clinical psychology at the Center for
Humanistic Studies in Detroit, a small
private graduate school that is not
associated with the Humanistic Jewish
Contains:
• Oversized Changing Pad
• Side Bottle Pockets
• Washable Lining that
easily wipes clean.
"
Tamara Kolton: Its hard to deal with
intolerance from other Jews.
movement. She began rabbinic studies
in 1992.
It will be another two to three years
until Kolton completes doctoral work
and receives rabbinic ordination. But
in the meantime, she will help the
movement make the transition from
Wine's leadership to new, uncharted
waters.
"Like good humanists, we're
embracing our fears," she says. "We
have too important a voice in the
Jewish world to let ourselves disinte-
grate. I think our future is very
secure."
STARTER TOTE
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Humanistic
Humanistic movement started: 1963
Birmingham Temple founded: 1963
First "big" services:
High Holidays (September-October 1963)
Number of people involved initially: Eight couples
and Rabbi Sherwin Wine
Society for Humanistic Judaism formed: 1969, with three congregations
(Westport, Conn.; Deerfield, 111.; Birmingham Temple)
Next congregations: Washington, D.C., and Long Island, N.Y.
International Institute for Secular Humanistic Jews: 1985
International Federation for Secular Humanistic Jews: 1986
Rabbinic program formed: 1992
A Birmingham Temple program (Colloquium) first received funding from
the Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit: 1997
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(248) 357-1800
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29815 Northwestern Hwy. • Applegate Square
Hours: M-Sat 10-5 • TH 10-8
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181 S. Old Woodward Ave.
On (1 Blk. South of Maple, Next
to the Birmingham Theater)
9/12
(248) 642-1690
1997
11