Rediscovering Judaism

From Orthodoxy to
Hindu philosophy,
rabbi describes return
to the Jewish faith.

SHELLI DORFMAN
Staff Writer

I

n traditional rabbinic fashion,
Rabbi Tirzah Firestone of the
Jewish Renewal Community in
Boulder, Colo., begins her lec-
ture at Colloquium '99 with a story.
A young boy asked about his syna-
gogue's memorial plaques. When told
they represented those lost in the ser-
vice, he replied, "Oh my God, was it
Friday night or Saturday's service?"
With "many souls lost in the normal
routes of being a Jew," Rabbi Firestone
explains that there is a "quest for spiri-
tual nourishment" from a "largely dis-
affected, disenfranchised, disinterested"
group of Jews. Many are exploring
healing, yoga and meditation, "looking
for something." She says that some-
thing has got ro be Judaism. From the
tension of this search, she says, came
the form of Judaism she embraces, the
Jewish Renewal community.

Rabbi Firestone says
tion takes Jewish pas-
Renewal members hold
sages out of books and
services while sitting in
into theater and psy-
a circle, reading the text
chodrama, with an
to one another.
aliveness that makes
Experiencing "full-bod-
teens want to go" to ser-
ied, holistic Judaism,"
vices.
they dance to the liturgy
"What I love the most
and sing new melodies
about Renewal," says
in rounds, with a per-
Rabbi Firestone, "is the
cussion background.
joy and aliveness that
They don't "go by
replaces guilt and duty.
the siddur." Instead, she Rabbi Tirzah Firestone
Regarding God, she
says, "We take pieces
says, "Old images of
that are relevant, that make hearts sing,
God that are transmitted to our chil-
and dance to them." Meditating, mak-
dren are dead and dying. There is no
ing sense of our week, blessing one
male God sitting out there." The
another eye-to-eye — she calls these
movement holds to the creation of
important parts of the weekly service.
new pictures and images — for some-
Prayers are made less stiff through
thing juicy and alive and joyous and
substantive translations. The congrega-
inclusive for our children." 7

Through new forms of prayerful
words, and hands-on celebration in
dance, music, art and meditation, she
said the community is open to learning
from all of Jewish tradition and history,
including kabbala, Chasidism and
Jewish Secularism.
The community is egalitarian and
accepting for gay, lesbian and bisexual
Jews. Its focus is on tikkun haLev
(repairing the heart) and tikkun olam
(repairing the world.)
Addressing an audience unfamiliar
with the fledgling Renewal community,
which claims 40 affiliates worldwide,
Rabbi Firestone said being invited to
speak at the colloquium hosted by
Rabbi Sherwin Wine of Birmingham
Temple was "a test of his
curiosity, with me not fit-
ting the bill of a purely
rational, Secular Jew."
Whether or not Wine
was curious, others in the
audience clearly were.
Before a full crowd
They listened raptly as the
,during Shabbat services
rabbi, who came to
on Oct. 8, Rabbi
Renewal after growing up
Sherwin T Wine of
Orthodox, then exploring
Birmingham Temple
other religions and Hindu
presents Rabbi Thmara
philosophy, described her
Kolton with her rab-
movement's practices.
binic certificate. She's
Rather than "sitting in
the
first graduate of the
pews, staring mindlessly,"
rabbinic program of the
International Institute
for Secular Humanistic
Judaism, Rabbi Kolton
is being groomed to
assume his position as
rabbi of Birmingham
SHELLI DORFMAN
Temple when he retires
Staff Writer
in about four years,
Rabbi Wine said
he Reform
movement
entered this
Movement." He took the opportunity
century "with a bold new
to compare Secular Humanism's cele-
vision of religion," but it leaves the
bration of "peoplehood" with what he
20th century in retreat, imitative and
called the Reform movement's push
exceedingly dull," Rabbi Daniel
toward "ethnic solidarity."
Friedman said in a lecture last week-
For example, he said, Humanists
end at Birmingham Temple's bienniel
commemorate
Jewish peoplehood
colloquium.
with
celebrations
of milestone events
Ordained a Reform rabbi in 1962,
and
holidays.
"Jews
do not belong to
Rabbi Friedman initially was drawn to
synagogues and temples for religious
the movement's progressiveness, but
reasons, but for secular or ethnic rea-
seemed to have become disillusioned
sons to maintain a connection to the
with its return to tradition. He
embraced Humanism and transformed Jewish people," he said. "Lighting can-
dles, holding seders, are not as service
his Reform temple in Chicago into the
to God, but to feel Jewish, to promote
Humanistic Congregation Beth Or.
family togetherness.
Rabbi Friedman's lecture at the col-
However, the modern-day Reform
loquium was titled "The
movement, he said, promotes "ethnic
Transformation of the Reform

"

A Landmark Ordination

Reform `Regresses'

Former Reform rabbi
p refers Secular
Humanism's
celebration of
"p eoplehood" to
"ethnic cheerleading."

T

"

Rabbi Daniel Friedman

cheerleaders." Disapprovingly, he
spoke of the added number of Jews
wearing kippot and tallitot, davening,
keeping kosher, going to the mikva
and performing wedding rituals
they've never seen but only heard
about. These are "Jews wanting to feel
ethnic, but not be ethnic," he said.
In a time of "deconstruction of
Reform Judaism," Rabbi Friedman
said, "We regard/elvishness as more
important than Judaism — one might
say it replaces it — transitioning
toward a post-ethnic background."
In a room filled largely with follow-
ers of Secular Humanism, the rabbi
met with no dissension, just lengthy,
roaring applause. ❑

10/15

1999

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