Birmingham Temple

The Birmingham Temple is the first Humanistic Jewish congregation. It was founded by the late Rabbi Sherwin Wine in Birmingham , Michigan (a suburb of Detroit ), in 1963. It would later relocate to its present location on Twelve Mile Road in Farmington Hills . As being part of the Humanistic Judaism movement, the Birmingham Temple observes holidays, traditions and rituals focused on the humanistic and cultural aspects of Judaism , rather than the religious aspects. The person works with a mentor, a senior member at the temple, in studying many different heroes before finally choosing one to write the paper on. The paper highlights important contributions the individual makes/made in his or her life to humanity, and why and how the hero was humanistic. Unlike other Bar Mitzvah services where there is usually silence throughout, at the Birmingham Temple there is usually a round of applause at the end of Mitzvah presentation for recognition of his or her achievement.

The Birmingham Temple was the first Humanistic Jewish congregation. It was founded in 1963 by Rabbi Sherwin Wine (formerly an assistant rabbi at Temple Beth El ) and eight founding families, who originally intended that the congregation would be located in Birmingham , Michigan (a suburb of Detroit ). The temple originally followed many Reform practices but within six months decided to drop most of these (as well as all mentions of God in the services), and began to pursue a humanist philosophy. The congregation's first services were at Eagle Elementary School , and then at Highmeadow School, in Farmington ; later services moved to the Masonic Temple, Birmingham Unitarian Church, and from 1965 to 1971 at Frost Middle School in Livonia . Finally, in 1971, the temple moved to its current location on Twelve Mile Road in Farmington Hills . The temple began publishing the journal Humanistic Judaism in 1967. In the words of one writer, the temple has "sought to define a primarily secular Jewish identity" and has "steered a clearly liberal political and humanistic moral course." Tamara Kolton became the senior rabbi of the Birmingham Temple in 2003. In 2007, Sherwin Wine died in an automobile accident. In 2013 Jeffrey Falick became the new rabbi of the Birmingham Temple. As being part of the Humanistic Judaism movement, the Birmingham Temple observes holidays, traditions and rituals focused on the humanistic and cultural aspects of Judaism , rather than the religious aspects. The person works with a mentor, a senior member at the temple, in studying many different heroes before finally choosing one to write the paper on. The paper highlights important contributions the individual makes/made in his or her life to humanity, and why and how the hero was humanistic.

The Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Metro Detroit (founded as The Birmingham Temple ) was the first Humanistic Jewish congregation. As being part of the Humanistic Judaism movement, the congregation observes holidays, traditions and rituals focused on the humanistic and cultural aspects of Judaism , rather than the religious aspects. The person works with a mentor, a senior member at the temple, in studying many different heroes before finally choosing one to write the paper on. The paper highlights important contributions the individual makes/made in his or her life to humanity, and why and how the hero was humanistic. All traditions in Humanistic Jewish congregations follow secular and humanistic ideals; followers believe the religion to be an ancestral religion than a religion of salvation. Society for Humanistic Judaism .

Humanistic Jewish synagogue in Detroit, Michigan, United States The Birmingham Temple , officially the Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Metro Detroit , is a Humanistic Jewish congregation and synagogue , located at 8611 West Twelve Mile Road, Farmington Hills , a suburb of Detroit , Michigan , in the United States. The synagogue was founded in 1963 as the Birmingham Temple in Birmingham , a suburb of Detroit.