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.

