Colloquium '99
The Future Is
HARRY KIRS BAUM
Staff Writer
Rabbis Tamara
Kolton and
Sherwin Wine
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Rabbi Sherwin Wine marks first ordination of Secular
Humanistic rabbi and plans a busy retirement.
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will or
Kolton as a Secular
Humanistic rabbi.
DIANA LIEBERMAN
Staff Writer
T
amara Kolton, a small
blonde woman with a
direct gaze and a firm
handshake, will become
the Est rabbi ordained within the
Secular Humanistic movement. Her
ordination takes place at Shabbat ser-
vices Friday, Oct. 8, at Birmingham
10/1
1999
6 Detroit Jewish News
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abbi Sherwin Wine may
be the founder of
Humanistic Judaism, but
in 100 years, history
books will show someone else as its
first rabbi. That's fine with him.
The ordination of Tamara Kolton,
the first graduate of the Secular
Humanistic rabbinic program, is a
significant step forward in the move-
ment Rabbi Wine started in 1963. He
will officiate at Rabbi Kolton's ordina-
tion during the Oct. 8 Friday evening
services at Birmingham Temple —
part of "Colloquium '99: Beyond
Tradition," a four-day conference on
Jewish identity.
Rabbi Wine's charismatic leader-
ship and keen intellect still are key to
the growing movement, which claims
30,000 followers worldwide. Though
he plans to retire as rabbi of
Birmingham Temple in about four
years, he hardly will be absent. Rabbi
Wine will remain dean of the institute
he began in 1992 to train leaders and
publish literature. He also will have
more time to travel and lecture in the
more than 40 affiliated organizations
worldwide.
In general, these groups are united
by some basic tenets of Secular
Humanistic Judaism:
• Members celebrate the power of
the individual, Jewish culture and his-
tory, without praying to a deity.
• Community leaders put together
their own siddur, taken from an
anthology of literature.
• The Bible is not holy or sancti-
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of rabbi
However, each was trained in another
branch of Judaism and embraced
Secular. Humanistic Judaism later.
The movement also has been cer-
tifying lay leaders -- madrichim —
through its International Institute for
Secular Humanistic Judaism based at
Birmingham Temple.
With Rabbi Kolton's ordination,
Secular Humanistic Judaism gains
added credibility in a world that
tends to view it as a rejection of
Judaism rather than a viable alterna-
tive with its own philosophical struc-
ture.
And the Birmingham Temple
gains a vital, enthusiastic heir appar-
ent to its 71-year-old founder, Rabbi
ciate
said Rabbi Win
very
at her ordinatioth,
proud of Tamara and.o her extraor
dinary accomplishments, and we rec-
ognize fully the significance of her
ordination to our movement,"
The ordination, which begins at 8
p.m., will be part of the temple's reg-
ular Friday night service.
Three people alternate leading ser-
vices at the Birmingham Temple —
Rabbi Wine, Associate Rabbi Kolton
and Assistant Rabbi Adam Chalom,
who is studying for ordination. Each
has a singular style, said member
Beth Dzodin of Lathrup Village.
"Hers is a sophisticated, poetic,
graceful service," Dzodin said. "She
the
emple member.
her moth
first trip to Israel came at age 16.
She's married to Israeli citizen Isaac
Kolton, whom she met in Detroit.
Rabbi Kolton earned a bachelor's
degree from Hebrew University in
Jerusalem and a master's in clinical
psychology from the Center for
Humanistic Studies in Detroit. Her
goal always was to be a rabbi.
"I really believe I decided when I
was 13, at my bat mitzvah, that I
wanted to spend my life with the
Jewish people," she said. "I am proud
to be a Humanistic Jew, and feel very