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mother, has never been one to take a
well-traveled path, and last spring, in a
move that startled watchers, she traded
her Monteciedo, Calif, home for the
Bloomfield Hills townhouse she shares
with her 7-year-old daughter Emma.
For a leader of Williamson's stature,
assuming the daily responsibility of a
3,000-member church is remarkable,
but the fact that she's Jewish makes the
move even more extraordinary.
Williamson insists that her Judaism is
"in no way past tense." In fact, the very
first line of A Return to Love, the book
that propelled the diminutive brunette
to fame, is "I grew up in a middle-class
Jewish family ..."
At one of her first talks to the Warren
congregation in the spring, Williamson
told the audience, "I don't want to go
on and on about being a Jew. I want to
feel accepted. If I feel some anti-Semitic
thing, it will become a big deal to me."
When she sat down with the church's
board during her preliminary interviews
and the subject of her Judaism arose, the
board was very accepting, she said.
"They said they consider this more of
a spiritual congregation than a religious
congregation, although it is called a
church. I said I am a Jewish woman and
the board totally understood,"
Williamson said.
Nonetheless, she admits the "as-yet
unresolved oddity" of being the Jewish
head of a Christian church.
One of the answers to the quandary
may lie in Williamson's dedication to A
Course in Miracles, which provides the
foundation for her faith. She describes
the three-volume Course as a "self-study
program of spiritual psychotherapy."
Written by Jewish psychologist Helen
Schucman in the late 1960s, the turgid-
ly written Course is said to teach the way
to universal love and peace. Even
though the language is Christian and
Schucman said that Jesus dictated the
books to her, adherents portray the
Course as non-sectarian and non-
denominational.
The text explains how fear and guilt
can be overcome through miracles,
which it defines as "maximal expressions
of love." Students undergo a one-year
training program with textbooks and
workbooks to "begin the process of
changing the student's mind and percep-
tion."
Mother Jones magazine called
Williamson the "public face" of the
Course, which was first published in
1975 and has sold more than 1 million
copies worldwide.
Unity, a 100-year-old international
Christian organization, seems to be a
good fit for Williamson. Unity is not

"I feel blessed," she said. "I am learn-
ing so much from her."
Kabrin's sentiments are echoed by
Stephanie Mellen, a Troy Jew who has
attended the church for more than a
decade.
"Marianne is taking me to a level I
wasn't at before. She truly lives what she
shares, and has integrity" said Mellen,
who stumbled upon the church in the
bleak period following her divorce.
"She doesn't bring these amazing
things you've never heard before, but
instead you find yourself saying to the
person next to you, 'We were just saying
that yesterday!' I don't put her on a
pedestal, but I see that she brings clarity.
Whatever Marianne says is just what I
needed to hear at the moment," said
Mellen, who writes, illustrates and pub-
lishes inspirational books, including, A
Bear in the Chair and God Doesn't Leave
Stephanie Mellen says Williamson brings clarity to her life.
the Toilet Seat Up — Why Would She?
She is also a motivational speaker.
While both the church and
ment pastors, but neither worked out.
traditional Christianity. While adherents
Williamson
welcome all comers,
Then
board
member
Carol
Mullen,
who
do not consider Jesus the only son of
Williamson
stresses that she should "in
has
been
affiliated
with
the
church
for
a
God, they do revere Jesus as a "way-
no
way'
be
perceived
as trying to "lure"
decade,
met
Williamson
during
a
1997
show-er" or divinely inspired person.
people
away
from
Judaism
or any other
book
tour.
A
serendipitous
conversation
Semantics aside, there is a beautifully
religion.
between
the
women
resulted
in
painted icon of Jesus with gold filigree
"I found God in Judaism,"
Williamson being named spiritual leader
gracing Williamson's office.
Williamson
said soulfully, "but I did not
several
months
later.
"This is a Unity church. Although
find
my
spiritual
path in Judaism ... and
Mullen recalled, "We announced her
there is a great respect for all religions
not
because
Judaism
is not a unique or
arrival
on
Christmas
eve.
There
was
a
here, Unity is a Christian teaching. But
spiritual
path.
There's
a difference. I
collective.gasp,
then
shouts
and
cheers."
it's not exclusive in that Jesus is not the
believe that all the world's great religions
The
Church
of
Today
draws
its
only way to God," she said.
are a valid spiritual path."
members, now about 3,000, from across
Williamson understands that as the
In some sense, Williamson's connec-
the
metropolitan
area.
Most
are
white,
church's spiritual leader, however, she
tion
to Judaism stems from her family,
but
a
smattering
of
African-Americans
must uphold Unity ideals in her work,
which
she describes as complicated but
belong,
as
well
as
Hispanics,
American
but noted, "I myself find comfort from
close.
She
grew up in Houston with a
Indians, and Filipinos. There are Mus-
the fact that there is such an inclusion-
brother
and
a sister, an "eccentric"
lims; along with several Jewish members,
ary sensibility here, religious and other-
father, and a mother who is from "a very
including
Carole
Kabrin,
47,
of
Dear-
wise."
prominent Jewish family in Houston."
born.
Speaking with Williamson is like a
"My father's father was named Shlo-
Kabrin,
a
lifelong
Detroiter
who
free-association joy ride. Her voice vacil-
mo
Veschnivetsky. All four of my grand-
works
as
a
courtroom
artist
for
ABC
lates between a sultry whisper and fiery
parents
were born Russian Jews.
network
news
and
has
been
affiliated
oration. She gives the impression of total
Veschnivetsky
was turned back from
with
Temple
Israel
and
Temple
Beth
El,
candor, but will pause to select the best
Ellis
Island
twice,
and on the third try,
joined the Church of Today two years
word or ask to strike a sentence or two
he
took
the
name
of
Williamson, having
ago.
from the interview. She is known to be
seen
a
railroad
car
on
the trans-Siberian
"I
don't
find
Unity
contrary
to
outspoken, but at the same time she is
railroad (where he was a laborer) that
Judaism.
Unity
is
about
spiritual
princi-
respectful of her congregation, and
said, Allen Williamson, Liverpool,"'
ples, and it often uses Jewish principles.
admits that_she's had to "tone down" her
Williamson related.
Unity
is
very
Jewish,"
Kabrin
remarked.
left-wing progressive politics while on
Neither of her parents have had a
"But I go to the church to get spiritu-
the pulpit.
particularly easy time with their daugh-
al
coaching.
I'm
learning
about
spiritual-
Her stated goal at the church is to
ter's career choice.
ity, and I'm training on a spiritual path.
"intensify the spiritual life-force of this
"My mother would be happier if I
Why do I have to go to the Church of
community," one which, it seems, was
were a rabbi, but she knows I've not
Today
for
this?
That's
my
question.
Why
in dire need of intensification. Atten-
converted, not repudiated Judaism, and
can't I get it from a Jewish service? Peo-
dance flagged after the 1992 death of
.
am raising my daughter as a Jew.
ple
have
a
spiritual
hunger,
a
spiritual
beloved Minister Jack Boland, who dur-
"She knows my love of God is sin-
need, and I feel that our rabbis are afraid
ing his two-decade tenure remade a
cere," Williamson continued, smiling.
to
devote
more
than
a
small
part
of
the
struggling 50-member church into the
"But of all the titles I've been given, I
sermon to it, if at all," she said.
5,000-member strong Church of
think she likes 'best-selling author' best."
Kabrin
said
she
is
not
only
thrilled
Today/Unity Warren, a modern multi-
But it is with her late father, who was
that Williamson joined the church but
million dollar campus.
born in Detroit in 1910 and died three
that
they
share
a
religious
background.
The church board tried two replace-

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Detroit Jewish News

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