World
Humanists On The Bimah
Israel's Secular Humanistic Jusaism holds its first rabbinic ordination.
Diana Lieberman
Special to the Jewish News
ecular Judaism made headlines
in Israel last month, as Tmura
Israel, the Israeli campus of
the International Institute for Secular
Humanistic Judaism (IISHJ), held its first
rabbinic ordination ceremony.
The event, held Dec. 22 at Jerusalem's
Israel Museum, attracted the atten-
tion of Rabbi Yona Metzger, the nation's
Ashkenazic chief rabbi. According to
the newspaper Haaretz, Rabbi Metzker
petitioned Attorney General Menachem
Mazuz to stop the event and the activi-
ties of the participants, whom he termed
c, impersonators: ,
Attention of this sort is not unfamil-
iar to the Birmingham Temple's Rabbi
Emeritus Sherwin Wine, founder of IISHJ
and dean of the school's United States
campus in Farmington Hills.
Nothing happened as a result of Rabbi
Metzker's objections, Rabbi Wine said,
except that he managed to raise our visi-
bily, for which I thank him."
About 300 people attended the ordina-
tion ceremony, part of a two-day IISHJ
conference, "Celebrating Israeli Judaism!'
Novelist A.B. Yehoshua was keynote
speaker at the conference, which attracted
numerous members of the Knesset,
professors and community leaders. An
overwhelming number of young people
attended the event, especially the ordina-
tion ceremony, Rabbi Wine said.
Press coverage was widespread and gen-
erally friendly. Five of the seven new rab-
bis, along with Rabbi Sivan Maas, director
"
Scrolls Scholar Visits
Adolfo Roitman, Dead Sea Scrolls scholar,
will visit Metro Detroit for two public pre-
sentations on Friday, Feb. 9, and Sunday,
Feb. 11. The International Institute for
Secular Humanistic Judaism, in coopera-
tion with the Birmingham Temple, will
present Dr. Roitman.
At 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, Roitman will
discuss "The Dead Sea Scrolls: The
Continuing Controversy."
At 10 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 11, he will pres-
ent "The Dead Sea Scrolls: Their Legacy in
Judaism."
Dr. Roitman is curator of the Shrine
of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea
Scroll collection and the oldest manu-
of Tmura Israel and an IISHJ assistant
dean, appeared on Israeli television's
Channel One and Channel Two. One of the
new rabbis was asked to take a turn inter-
preting the week's Torah reading on radio.
"In Israel, the leading journalists are
happy to admit they are secular," Rabbi
Wine said. "In the United States, half the
Jews are secular, but not publicly. In Israel,
it is a safe environment. To be secular is
ho-hum."
Historically, Israel's secular Jewish
majority was opposed to synagogues
and rabbis because these institutions
seemed inextricable from traditional
religion. Rabbi Wine called this opposi-
tion "counterproductive" because it denies
basic human needs for community and
ceremony.
The organized movement of Secular
Humanistic Judaism, founded by Rabbi
Wine in 1963, seeks to fill that void. Today,
more than 30 groups in North America
and many others throughout the world are
formally associated with the movement.
Secular Humanistic Judaism celebrates
Judaism as a culture rather than as a
religion, honoring the secular roots of the
Jewish people as just as important as the
religious ones. Its philosophy affirms that
individuals have the power to shape their
own lives independent of supernatural
authority. "Jews have learned from their
history that, in the end, human beings
have to rely on their own power and deter-
mination," Rabbi Wine said.
A New Need
The seven new Israeli rabbis, who range
in age from 30 to 50, came to the IISHJ's
scripts of the Bible in the world.
Both presentations are open to the
public at no charge and will be held at the
Birmingham Temple, 28611 W. 12 Mile
Road, in Farmington Hills.
ZOA Offers Scholarships
Scholarship grants for 2007 study in
Israel are being offered by the Zionist
Organization of America Scholarship
Committee. Co-chairs are Beverly Baker
and Toby Schlussel.
Applications are available at the ZOA
office, 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 350, in
Bloomfield Township.
Each applicant must submit an applica-
tion and an essay on "What Israel and
Participating in the Dec.
22 ordination ceremony in
Jerusalem for seven new
Israeli Secular Humanistic
rabbis were Professor Yaakov
Malkin, IISHJ dean; Rabbi
Adam Chalom, IISHJ assis-
tant dean; Rabbi Sherwin
Wine, IISHJ founder and dean;
and Rabbi Guy Oren, one of
the new rabbis.
three-year rabbinic program after estab-
lishing careers in teaching, writing and
social work. Each has earned at least one
master's degree in Jewish studies from an
Israeli college or university, and two are
pursuing Ph.D. degrees.
Even before their ordination, they began
providing educational and ceremonial ser-
vices for Israel's secular Jews. Two of the
rabbis lead organized Secular Humanistic
Jewish communities; one has established
a series of free or low-cost kindergartens
for poor secular Jews; another runs a Web
site that includes sample ceremonies for
secular Jewish celebrations. Another is
organizing an institute to provide support
to young Israelis when they leave army
service.
The situation of Israelis leaving the
Jewish state after their army service —
primarily going to India — has reached
crisis proportions, Rabbi Wine said.
"The Israeli public is totally concerned
about the India thing," he said, adding that
this situation stems partly from the atti-
tudes of Israel's founders.
"Secular Zionism generally provided a
national philosophy, not a personal phi-
losophy of life; it's a communal celebration
whose central community was the kib-
butz," Rabbi Wine said.
But, while the majority of Israel's Jews
still reject traditional religion, they are
now city-dwellers, members of a first-
world society that values personal fulfill-
ment.
What they now need, Rabbi Wine said,
is access to Secular Humanistic teachers
in Israel who can help them give expres-
sion to a personal philosophy of life,
incorporating the traditional humanistic
values espoused by Israel's founders but
including Jewish ceremonies, celebrations
and study.
The Dec. 22 ordination was a turning
point in the credibility of the Secular
Humanistic movement, he said. "The best
news is that 17 more secular rabbis are
waiting in the wings to be ordained."
Zionism Mean to Me',' the cost of their
study in Israel and a recommendation let-
ter from a Jewish teacher or rabbi. Primary
consideration will be given to the students
with Zionist motivations and ideals.
Application deadline is May 19.
For information, contact the ZOA, (248)
282-0088 or zoa@estart.com .
mance, qualified seniors are invited each
year to one of the Scholars Days at WSU, in
Detroit Feb. 10-11.
Scholars Day includes an introductory
session with Honors Program Director
Jerry Herron, an interview, tours of campus,
an open-house session with the university's
schools and colleges, and lunch.
Students must have been admitted
to Wayne State by Jan. 15 and have a
grade-point average of at least 3.5 at the
end of their junior year of high school.
Additionally, they must submit their ACT
scores to the university.
For information, visit www scholarsday.
wayne.edu.
Scholars Day At WSU
Some 1,000 high school seniors who are
facing the task of choosing which higher
education institution to attend next fall
will receive incentive from Wayne State
University in the form of a $6,000 scholar-
ship ($1,500 a year for four years).
Based on high school academic perfor-
February 8 2007
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