Special Report ON THE COVER Visionary Trailblazer from page 11 flow — no notes but a smooth, coherent, learned and intelligent presentation with the usual Sherwinian wit, which had the audience and main guests, such as Salman Rushdie, in stitches." Israeli Professor Yehuda Bauer, a Holocaust historian and leader in the Secular Humanistic movement in Israel, first met Rabbi Wine more than 20 years ago during the establishment of the World Federation of Secular-Humanistic Jews. "What attracted me to Sherwin was the combination of clear theoretical thinking and a practical sense that had succeeded in translating the theory into practice by establishing a first Humanistic Jewish com- munity, with a center at the Birmingham Temple Bauer wrote in an e-mail. ... Sherwin was a Jewish atheist, who wanted to rescue elements from the vast Jewish tradition to serve a modern Jewish people in a secular humanistic way, while discarding those elements that were anti- quated." These beliefs, especially his atheism, We who knew him and loved him will miss him terribly, and we are that much more grateful for what he gave us." Rabbi Chalom serves Kol Chadash Humanist Congregation in Chicago and is assistant dean of the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism. He grew up at the Birmingham Temple and served as its rabbi, along with Rabbi Kolton, for three years after Rabbi Wine retired from that post in 2003. Rabbi Wine continued his popular Monday night classes and forums and conducted a Shabbat service every month. When Rabbi Wine announced his retire- ment, Rabbi Chalom addressed the fear that Humanistic Judaism and the Birmingham Temple would be "a 'flash in the pan — here with Sherwin and gone without him." "The truth;' he said, "is that the lasting legacy of Sherwin Wine's life will be his cre- ation of Humanistic Judaism, the culmina- tion of intellectual and personal gifts." Rabbi Miriam S. Jerris, community development director for the Farmington Hills-based Society for Humanistic Judaism "I admired Rabbi Wine's intellectual gifts and learned and president of to disagree agreeably. Different perspectives did not the Association of prevent our longstanding friendship from developing Humanistic Rabbis, from the day my wife, Alicia, and I arrived in Detroit till said, that, "as a tribute this sad moment in time. Although an iconoclast, he was to Rabbi Wine and his truly a great thinker and a wonderful teacher. I'm truly memory, we will fur- saddened." ther commit ourselves - Rabbi Emeritus David Nelson, Congregation Beth Shalom, Oak Park to the values and phi- losophy of Humanistic stirred controversy. Judaism." "Most American Jews certainly do not Rabbi Kolton, another Birmingham believe there's a person in the clouds Temple graduate, called Rabbi Wine her pushing buttons; but most of them have mentor, father, rabbi and colleague.' found a way to employ God language, the "He had the analytical powers of an normative language of Judaism in relating Einstein and the warmth of Papa Bear to the divine and remember that we are — and this incredible charisma. in a country where God language suffuses "He was special to me because he made the culture Jonathan Sarna, a professor me live up to my potential;' she said. of American Jewish history at Brandeis "Anything less would be to disappoint him University, said in a JTA story. "So to pray to — and to disappoint myself" God puts you in sync with the culture. Deborah Rose, who is completing a "Rabbi Wine didn't care about that, but master's degree from the Frankel Center for I suspect that the majority of American Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan Jews do!" in Ann Arbor, is another Birmingham Still, Sarna credits Wine with helping to Temple alum. define the left-wing boundary of Reform "He was such an inspiring teacher for Judaism and with "refurbishing" the notion me during my last days of high school; that of secular Judaism in a manner that may made the pursuit of Judaic Studies a natural have presaged its current revival. fit for me Rose said. "Rabbi Wine held me at my baby naming, and I was looking for- Future Of The Movement? ward to his officiating at my wedding." "The loss of Sherwin Wine is a terrible blow Rose plans to dedicate her thesis, which to the movement of Secular Humanistic will explore Reconstructionist, Humanistic Judaism and to all of American Judaism," and Renewal Judaism, to Rabbi Wine's Rabbi Adam Chalom said. "He always memory. promised a natural immortality: He lives on Helen Forman, a former Birmingham in the lives he touched, the rabbis and lead- Temple executive director, cited two phrases ers he trained, the communities he inspired that recur in Rabbi Wine's lectures and and the ideas and institutions he created. written work: 'A Life of Courage" and "A (( 12 July 26 • 2007 Rabbi Tamara Kolton of the Birmingham Temple speaks to her congregation about her mentor, Rabbi Sherwin Wine. Life of Hope." "For me and for many people, that's what he would have wanted for the future Forman said. "To live our lives with courage without him, and to be hopeful about the future — our own future and the future of the movement." 'A Life Of Courage' In addition to his work with Secular Humanistic Judaism, Rabbi Wine was active in the larger intellectual community. In 1980, he founded the Center for New Thinking, which sponsors education and research into issues of philosophical and political concern. The Rev. Harry T. Cook of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Clawson said in a writ- ten tribute that he first encountered Rabbi Wine in 1959, when "some unwary soul" invited the rabbi to speak at weekly chapel service at Albion College, where Cook was a 20-year-old student. That first impression was spellbinding. "It must have been that way of his that made you believe that, in a crowd, he was looking directly at you alone. Or maybe his Klaxon-like baritone speaking in short declarative sentences. "Or maybe his quickly stated thesis to the effect that nothing — most especially religious 'truths' — could be taken seri- ously absent the observations of human experience. "... Now he has passed very suddenly and unexpectedly from the scene,' Cook wrote. "His footprint will not be effaced any time soon. His was a life of courage. He was his own person and appeared never to be dependent on anyone or anything. "Yet, the words he once wrote really tell the story: 'Where is my hope? My hope is in me ... and in you.'" Jack Lessenberry, a journalist and profes- sor at Wayne State University in Detroit, said that "like many prophets, Rabbi Wine was not always appreciated in his community. "He toiled tirelessly to raise the intellec- tual level of the entire community. He was one of the most powerful, positive, stimu- lating sources this community has ever seen — not just the Jewish community." Rabbi Wine was one of the first to agree to serve when the Triangle Foundation, a human rights group specializing in issues of concern to the gay community, formed its first advisory board about 15 years ago. "Beyond his obviously huge intellect and erudition, there was always great warmth in Sherwin's presence said Jeff Montgomery, the Detroit-based organization's president. "He approached controversial issues with such equanimity — for those of us who identify as activists, it's a really rare but effective trait. We all learned a lesson from his approach. "There aren't many people that, when they die, you can honestly say that the world is much, much better place because they lived. Sherwin was such a person." The Compassionate Wine While Rabbi Sherwin Wine is best known for his intellectual prowess and uncom- promising beliefs, Sunday night's gather- ing also brought out other facets of his Visionary Trailblazer on page 14 Memorials For Rabbi Wine A memorial will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, July 27, the Birmingham Temple, 28611 W.12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills. Shuttle service will be provided from the Adat Shalom Synagogue parking lot,13 Mile and Middlebelt. Shivah will be held at 7 p.m. at the Birmingham Temple on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Along with longtime partner Richard McMains, survivors also include sister and brother-in-law, Lorraine and Ben Pivnick of Farmington Hills and Boca Raton, Fla.; nieces and nephews, Elyse Pivnick and Dr. Norman Glickman, Dr. Billie Pivnick and Jay Cohen; great-nieces and great-nephews, Madelaine and Katy Glickman, Isaac and Noah Cohen. A memorial will be held by the Center for New Thinking at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Birmingham Unitarian Universalist Church, 38651 Woodward Ave., (at Lone Pine Road), Bloomfield Hills. The Rev. Harry T. Cook of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Clawson will officiate. For more information, call (248) 647-2380.