Special Report
ON THE COVER
Rabbi Sherwin Wine, founder of Humanistic Judaism, stressed the power of man.
Bonnie Shaw of Birmingham comforts Ben Morris of Huntington Woods, a former Birmingham Temple president. Also present Sunday: John Gardon, left, of Bloomfield Hills.
Diana Lieberman
Special to the Jewish News
T
he tragic news spread quickly
Sunday, July 22, and by 7 p.m.
more than 150 people had gath-
ered at the Birmingham Temple to share
their memories of Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine,
the founder of Humanistic Judaism.
The hastily organized event was not a
formal memorial service for the much-
loved rabbi, who founded the Birmingham
Temple and numerous other organizations
dedicated to Humanism and Humanistic
Judaism. Instead, the doors were open so
those Rabbi Wine considered his extended
family could speak to each other about
what he meant to them.
"He left us at the height of his powers,"
said Tamara Kolton, who has served as
Birmingham Temple rabbi since 2003.
Rabbi Wine couldn't imagine losing his
faculties, she said. "He wanted to fall off the
stage in the midst of delivering a lecture.
"He lived bigger than life," Rabbi Kolton
said. "He died still bigger than life."
Rabbi Wine, who lived in Birmingham,
was killed in a traffic accident Saturday, July
21, in Essaouira, Morocco, when the taxi he
was riding in was struck by another vehicle.
Rabbi Wine, 79, and the taxi driver were
killed instantly. Richard McMains, 59, Rabbi
Wine's partner of 20 years, is in stable con-
dition in a Moroccan hospital.
A native of Detroit, Rabbi Wine was born
Jan. 25, 1928, to William and Tillie Wine,
immigrants from Poland/Eastern Europe.
Originally named Herschel Wengrowski,
Rabbi Wine's father, like so many other
Jewish immigrants of the early 20th cen-
Rabbi Sherwin Wine through the years
closely with Rabbis
Abraham Hershman and
Morris Adler, both of
whom he admired greatly.
After earning two
degrees in philosophy
from the University of
Michigan, he went to
Hebrew Union College in
Cincinnati in 1959 and
was ordained as a Reform rabbi. Although
he already knew he was a "committed
humanist," he felt that becoming a rabbi
would best enable him to use his skills to
serve the Jewish people.
From 1957-58, he served as a chaplain
assistant in the U.S. Army in Korea. Co-
incidentally, the chaplain he replaced was
future novelist Chaim Potok.
Rabbi Wine's rabbinic career continued
at Temple Beth El, Detroit, where he served
from 1958 through 1960. He was founder
and rabbi at of Temple Beth El in Windsor,
Ontario, through 1963.
tury, came to America as a deserter from
the czar's army. Rabbi Wine frequently told
the story of his father's desertion: Assigned
as an honor guard at the Kremlin, he wit-
nessed another Jewish honor guard being
kicked to death. On his next leave home, he
fled, first to England, then to Detroit.
By the time he met his future wife,
Teibele (Tillie), he was a trouser cutter, then
a secure job. The two married in 1924, liv-
ing at 1961 Clairmount.
Sherwin, their second child after daugh-
ter, Lorraine, took his time learning to talk
— at first his family doctor thought he was
retarded. This proved to be the miscalcula-
tion of the century.
Start Of A Movement
The young Wine attended Crosman
In 1963, Rabbi Wine became founding
Elementary, Hutchins Junior High and
rabbi of what eventually became known
Central High School. He excelled in history
as the Birmingham Temple, organized by
and debate. As a senior
in high school, he won
"The world has lost a gifted scholar and Detroit has lost
the 1945 National
a beloved rabbi. Rabbi Wine brilliantly taught thousands
History Contest spon-
how to look at and analyze the world. His pastoral care
sored by the Hearst
was from the heart. His zest for knowledge and his abil-
Newspapers.
ity to synthesize a lifetime of learning were his passion.
He became involved
He was a seeker of truth and a great leader. My sympa-
in the family's
thy goes out to all who had the privilege to know him."
Conservative shut,
- Rabbi Arnie Sleutelberq, Congregation Shir Tikvah, Troy;
Congregation Shaarey
president, Michigan Board of Rabbis
Zedek. He worked
a group of young Reform Jewish couples
from Metro Detroit who originally envi-
sioned a small Reform congregation
characterized by openness and intellectual
curiosity.
As the group explored what they — and
their rabbi — really believed, they became
the pioneer congregation of what is now a
worldwide Jewish Humanist movement.
The temple, which dedicated its current
building in Farmington Hills in 1971, is
still the largest member congregation of
the Society for Humanistic Judaism, which
Rabbi Wine founded in 1969.
Among the other organizations begun by
Rabbi Wine are the Americans for Religious
Liberty (1980); the North American
Committee for Humanism (1982);
the International Institute for Secular
Humanistic Judaism (1985); the Center
for New Thinking (1976) and Clergy and
Citizens United (1995).
His many publications include the books
Judaism Beyond God: A Radical New Way To
Be Jewish; Stay Sane in a Crazy World; and
Celebrations: A Ceremonial and Philosophic
Guide for Humanists and Humanistic Jews.
He was a gifted orator.
"I was most fortunate to hear his superb
lecture delivered flawlessly without notes
on the occasion of the recent inaugura-
tion of one of his students — Gregg
Epstein — as the Humanist chaplain of
Harvard University:' said Felix Posen, a
British philanthropist and vice chairman
of the International Federation of Secular
Humanistic Jews.
"Sherwin's talent as a speaker was in full
Visionary Trailblazer on page 12
July 26 2007 11