By Andrea Zarczynski BIRMINGHAM — A community leader was lost when Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine died at the age of 79 in a traffic accident July 21. The accident was in Essaouira, Morocco, where Wine — a Birmingham resident — was on holiday, riding in a taxi with his life partner Richard McMains. According to reports, the taxi driver was also killed after his vehicle was struck by another car. McMains survived with serious injuries. Wine was known as a highly respected individual in the community and a nationally recognized intellectual, said Lucille Miller of Farmington Hills, who met Wine and listened to his lectures about contemporary politics and the development and evolution of Judaism. “He was so brilliant, he had such a phenomenal memory and had a marvelous way of putting everything into context. … He could speak beautifully,” Miller said. “This was a terrible waste of talent, the fact that this man is gone. He appealed to non-Jewish people, as well.” Known for lecture series presentations named after his organization, Center for New Thinking, Wine aired his show regularly after first earning a broadcasting slot in 1991. The series has since become one of the most popular regular airings on local station BCTV, according to Tom Wilson, host of the nationally syndicated radio show “Somewhere in Time” who regularly watches Wine’s BCTV program. “Rabbi Wine was an intellectual giant who carefully analyzed world, local and personal problems and offered insights, opinions and suggestions. He was probably the most knowledgeable person I have ever met on world affairs,” said Wilson, also a former member of the Bloomfield Hills School Board. “His show on BCTV was a great service to our community. He will be sorely missed.” As the founder of Humanistic Judaism, Wine was responsible for founding The Birmingham Temple as the first congregation of Humanistic Judaism in suburban Detroit in 1963. In 1969 he founded the Society of Humanistic Judaism, which now has reportedly reached a membership of about 40,000 people. Wine wrote several books and once was a board adviser of the Triangle Foundation, which serves Michigan’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and allied communities. In 2003, the American Humanist Association named him Humanist of the Year . Wine was born and raised in Detroit and earned a bachelor’s and master’s in philosophy from the University of Michigan. He attended Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati and believed Judaism to be a cultural versus purely faith-based way of life. A memorial service took place on July 27, and shiva services were held on July 27, 28 and 29 at the temple. All events were open to the public. The Wine family is forwarding memorial contributions to benefit the 21st Century Fund that aids the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, the Society for Humanistic Judaism and The Birmingham Temple. Donations should be made payable to the 21st Century Fund and mailed to: Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine Memorial Fund, c/o The Birmingham Temple, 28611 W. 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334. In response to Wine’s death, the temple created a grief and loss center run by professional counselors. People can make an appointment through the Birmingham Temple Office at (248) 477-1410. The Center for New Thinking is located at 725 S. Adams Road, Suite L41, in Birmingham. Call (248) 646-0416 or visit www.centerfornewthinking.com for more information. |
