RABBIS MEETING

On Tuesday July 25, Rabbi Wine and the Birmingham Temple hosted a meeting of seven rabbis. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the significance and meaning of a humanistic philosophy within the framework of Reform Judaism. It was also hoped, that, despite variations in both method and religious vocabulary among those who attended, the essential principles of a humanistic approach could be clarified and serve as a basis for future cooperation.

The rabbis in attendance were: Rabbi David Baylinson of Montgomery, Alabama; Dr. Sheldon Blank of Cincinnati, Ohio; Rabbi Daniel Friedman of Deerfield, Illinois; Rabbi Joseph Goldman of Denver, Colorado; Rabbi Alvin Roth of Albany, New York; Rabbi Lawrence Siegel of St. Louis, Missouri; and Rabbi Wine.

The discussions continued until Friday morning, July 28 and achieved the purpose of the meeting. Questions concerning theology prayer, the nature of Jewish identity, the purpose of Jewish survival, religious education, and political action were provided as the basis for an informal and lively dialogue.

The meeting concluded with a consensus of six principles as a basis of a humanistic approach.
(1) What is real is defined by the natural world of space-time.
(2) The most effective procedure for the discovery of truth is the scientific or empirical method.
(3) The purpose of life is human happiness and fulfillment.
(4) The major power for the achievement of this purpose lies within man.
(5) The most significant identity of any individual is his human identity.
(6) Judaism is the religious expression of those people who identify themselves as Jews.
At the conclusion of the meeting, it was decided to sponsor collectively another dialogue, sometime in the fall or winter, to which other interested rabbis would be invited. In addition, a procedure for sharing ideas and creative materials was established.

The effective hospitality of the Temple was arranged by Barbara Kopitz, with the generous help of many Temple members.