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{{Short description|American non-denominational rabbi}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox Jewish leader
{{Infobox Jewish leader
| honorific-prefix = Rabbi Dr.
| honorific-prefix = Rabbi Dr.
| name = Tamara Kolton
| name = Tamara Kolton
| image = File:Tamara Kolton.jpg
| image =
| alt = Rabbi Dr. Tamara Kolton, a smiling middle-aged blonde woman in a striped shirt against a painted background
| alt = Rabbi Dr. Tamara Kolton, a smiling middle-aged blonde woman in a striped shirt against a painted background
| image_size = 250px
| image_size = 250px
| birth_name = Tamara Feldstein
| birth_name = Tamara Ruth Feldstein
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|03|13}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1970|3|13}}
| birth_place = [[Bloomfield Hills, Michigan]]
| birth_place = [[Bloomfield Hills, Michigan]]
| denomination = [[Jewish religious movements#Trans- and post-denominational Judaism|Non-denominational]] (formerly [[Humanistic Judaism|Humanistic]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thejewishnews.com/2019/11/28/local-women-celebrate-the-feminine-divine/|work=[[The Detroit Jewish News]]|title=Local Women Celebrate the Feminine Divine|date=28 November 2019|access-date=16 January 2021}}</ref>
| denomination = [[Jewish religious movements#Trans- and post-denominational Judaism|Non-denominational]] (formerly [[Humanistic Judaism|Humanistic]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thejewishnews.com/2019/11/28/local-women-celebrate-the-feminine-divine/|work=[[The Detroit Jewish News]]|title=Local Women Celebrate the Feminine Divine|date=28 November 2019|access-date=16 January 2021}}</ref>
Line 12: Line 15:
| website = {{URL|https://rabbikolton.com/}}
| website = {{URL|https://rabbikolton.com/}}
}}
}}
⚫
'''Tamara Ruth Kolton''' (''{{née}}'' Feldstein; {{Lang-he|תמרה קולטון}}; born March 13, 1970) is an [[Americans|American]] [[Jewish religious movements#Trans- and post-denominational Judaism|non-denominational]] [[rabbi]] and [[clinical psychologist]]. She was the first person ordained as a member of the [[Humanistic Judaism|Humanistic Jewish]] movement.<ref name="Oaklandpress">{{cite news|last1=Tippen|first1=Molly|title=Female rabbi thrives at Farmington Hills temple|url=https://www.theoaklandpress.com/news/female-rabbi-thrives-at-farmington-hills-temple/article_3a49d9ba-19d8-5fce-b2f1-b004d75a24df.html|work=[[The Oakland Press]]|date=31 July 2010}}</ref> Over time, her religious position evolved from [[Jewish atheism|agnosticism]] to a more [[Spirituality|spiritual]] perspective that drove her away from Humanistic Judaism.<ref name="The Detroit">{{cite news|first=Barbara|last=Lewis|title=A New Door: Rabbi Kolton finds a new home teaching spirituality at Shir Tikvah|url=https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/djnews/djn.2013.06.06.001/22|newspaper=[[The Detroit Jewish News]]|date=June 6, 2013|pages=22–23}}</ref><ref name="Downtown Publications">{{cite news|last=Casadei|first=Dana|title=Tamara Kolton|url=https://www.downtownpublications.com/single-post/2020/05/19/tamara-kolton|date=May 19, 2020|access-date=January 15, 2021|location=Birmingham, MI|magazine=Downtown Newsmagazine}}</ref> Kolton later became known for her controversial feminist reinterpretation of the Biblical [[Eve]], which has received both support and criticism from other religious and spiritual writers.<ref name="Downtown Publications" />
⚫
{{Women rabbis}}
⚫
'''Tamara Kolton''' ({{nee}} Feldstein; {{Lang-he|תמרה קולטון}}) (born March 13, 1970) is an [[Americans|American]] [[rabbi]] and [[clinical psychologist]]. She was the first person ordained as a member of the [[Humanistic Judaism|Humanistic Jewish]] movement.<ref name="Oaklandpress">{{cite news|last1=Tippen|first1=Molly|title=Female rabbi thrives at Farmington Hills temple|url=https://www.theoaklandpress.com/news/female-rabbi-thrives-at-farmington-hills-temple/article_3a49d9ba-19d8-5fce-b2f1-b004d75a24df.html|work=[[The Oakland Press]]|date=31 July 2010}}</ref> Over time, her religious position evolved from [[Jewish atheism|agnosticism]] to a more [[Spirituality|spiritual]] perspective that drove her away from Humanistic Judaism.<ref name="The Detroit">{{cite news|first=Barbara|last=Lewis|title=A New Door: Rabbi Kolton finds a new home teaching spirituality at Shir Tikvah|url=https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/djnews/djn.2013.06.06.001/22|newspaper=[[The Detroit Jewish News]]|date=June 6, 2013|pages=22–23}}</ref><ref name="Downtown Publications">{{cite news|last=Casadei|first=Dana|title=Tamara Kolton|url=https://www.downtownpublications.com/single-post/2020/05/19/tamara-kolton|date=May 19, 2020|access-date=January 15, 2021|location=Birmingham, MI|magazine=Downtown Newsmagazine}}</ref>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Kolton was born to Anita and Jerome Feldstein in [[Metro Detroit]],<ref name="bentley2">{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Detroit Jewish News]]|page=39|title=Weddings|url=https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/djnews/djn.1997.05.16.001/39|date=May 16, 1997}}</ref> where her family attended the [[Nontheism|non-theist]] [[Birmingham Temple]] led by Rabbi [[Sherwin Wine]], the founder of [[Humanistic Judaism]]. She earned a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in international relations and English literature at the [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]],<ref name="bentley">{{cite news|title=Tamara Kolton, 27|url=https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/djnews/djn.1997.09.12.001/11|newspaper=[[The Detroit Jewish News]]|page=11|date=September 12, 1997}}</ref> followed by a [[master's degree]] in [[clinical psychology]] from the [[Michigan School of Psychology]]. She later obtained a doctorate in [[Master of Rabbinic Studies|rabbinical studies]] from the [[Union Institute & University]], where she researched the experience of female rabbis.<ref>{{cite thesis|last=Kolton|first=Tamara|year=2000|title=The experience of women rabbis: Eight women rabbis describe their work and their lives|publisher=Union Institute & University|type=PhD}}</ref> She is married to Isaac Kolton, an [[Israeli Americans|Israeli-American]] born in [[Petah Tikva]].<ref name="bt-kolton">{{cite web |url=http://www.birminghamtemple.com/kolton.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110228081407/http://www.birminghamtemple.com/kolton.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 28, 2011 |title=Rabbi Tamara Kolton|website=The Birmingham Temple: A Congregation for Humanistic Judaism|date=May 15, 2009 |accessdate=March 12, 2012 }}</ref> They have two children, Lior and Maya.<ref name="bt-kolton" />
Kolton was born to Anita and Jerome Feldstein in [[Metro Detroit]],<ref name="bentley2">{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Detroit Jewish News]]|page=39|title=Weddings|url=https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/djnews/djn.1997.05.16.001/39|date=May 16, 1997}}</ref> where her family attended the [[Nontheism|non-theist]] [[Birmingham Temple|Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Metro Detroit]] led by Rabbi [[Sherwin Wine]], the founder of [[Humanistic Judaism]]. She earned a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in international relations and English literature at the [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]],<ref name="bentley">{{cite news|title=Tamara Kolton, 27|url=https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/djnews/djn.1997.09.12.001/11|newspaper=[[The Detroit Jewish News]]|page=11|date=September 12, 1997}}</ref> followed by a [[master's degree]] in [[clinical psychology]] from the [[Michigan School of Psychology]]. She later obtained a doctorate in [[Master of Rabbinic Studies|rabbinical studies]] from the [[Union Institute & University|Union Institute]], where she researched the experience of female rabbis.<ref>{{cite thesis|last=Kolton|first=Tamara R.|year=1999|title=The experience of women rabbis: Eight women rabbis describe their work and their lives|publisher=[[Union Institute & University|The Union Institute]]|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|type=PhD|oclc=640529022}}</ref> She is married to Isaac Kolton, an [[Israeli Americans|Israeli-American]] born in [[Petah Tikva]].<ref name="bt-kolton" /> They have two children, Lior and Maya.<ref name="bt-kolton" />


==Religious leadership==
==Religious leadership==
In 1999, Kolton was ordained the first Humanistic rabbi by Wine's [[International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism]].<ref name="Oaklandpress"/><ref name="NY Times">{{cite news|last1=Niebuhr|first1=Gustav|title=Religion Journal; Humanist Jewish Group Welcomes a New Rabbi|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/09/nyregion/religion-journal-humanist-jewish-group-welcomes-a-new-rabbi.html|archive-url=https://archive.is/1s8Ia|archive-date=16 January 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 9, 1999|page=B8|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Future Is Now: Rabbi Sherwin Wine marks first ordination of secular humanistic rabbi and plans a busy retirement|url=https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/djnews/djn.1999.10.01.001/6|publisher=[[The Detroit Jewish News]]|date=October 1, 1999|pages=6–7|first=Harry|last=Kirsbaum}}</ref> She succeeded Wine as senior rabbi at the Birmingham Temple in 2004 following his retirement.<ref name="Oaklandpress"/> In 2011, Kolton was interviewed by evolutionary biologist and atheist writer [[Richard Dawkins]] about the experience of being a Humanistic rabbi, and expanded upon the positions she and her temple held at the time. Kolton expressed a skepticism regarding the earlier books of the [[Torah]] and [[Old Testament]], making the claim that only the later books with apparent historical grounding described actual events. She described Humanistic Judaism as being a movement to preserve Jewish culture and traditions in the absence of explicit belief in God, and described herself and her congregation as "more [religiously observant] than most of the Jews in the world" for their strong preservation of traditions, such as [[kashrut]] and [[Sabbath|Shabbat observation]], that are abandoned by many non-Orthodox Jews.<ref>{{cite AV media|last1=Dawkins|first1=Richard|last2=Kolton|first2=Tamara|author-link1=Richard Dawkins|title=Richard Dawkins interviews Tamara Kolton|date=15 October 2011|medium=Video interview|publisher=Dawkins, Richard}}</ref>
In 1999, Kolton was ordained the first Humanistic rabbi by Wine's [[International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism]].<ref name="Oaklandpress"/><ref name="NY Times">{{cite news|last1=Niebuhr|first1=Gustav|title=Religion Journal; Humanist Jewish Group Welcomes a New Rabbi|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/09/nyregion/religion-journal-humanist-jewish-group-welcomes-a-new-rabbi.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210115233505/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/09/nyregion/religion-journal-humanist-jewish-group-welcomes-a-new-rabbi.html|archive-date=15 January 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 9, 1999|page=B8|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Future Is Now: Rabbi Sherwin Wine marks first ordination of secular humanistic rabbi and plans a busy retirement|url=https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/djnews/djn.1999.10.01.001/6|publisher=[[The Detroit Jewish News]]|date=October 1, 1999|pages=6–7|first=Harry|last=Kirsbaum}}</ref> She succeeded Wine as senior rabbi at the Birmingham Temple in 2004 following his retirement.<ref name="Oaklandpress"/> In 2011, Kolton was interviewed by evolutionary biologist and atheist writer [[Richard Dawkins]] about the experience of being a Humanistic rabbi, and expanded upon the positions she and her temple held at the time. Kolton expressed skepticism regarding the historicity of earlier books of the [[Tanakh]], though declared she found it likely later books described actual events. She defined Humanistic Judaism as a movement to preserve Jewish culture and traditions in the absence of explicit belief in God, and described herself and her congregation as "more [religiously observant] than most of the Jews in the world" for their strong preservation of traditions, such as [[kashrut]] and [[Sabbath|Shabbat observance]], that are abandoned by many non-Orthodox Jews. She also discussed her strong support for [[interfaith marriage]], something she considers "a sign of a better world in which people marry each other beyond tribal lines and religious differences",<ref name="bt-kolton">{{cite web |url=http://www.birminghamtemple.com/kolton.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110228081407/http://www.birminghamtemple.com/kolton.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 28, 2011 |title=Rabbi Tamara Kolton|website=The Birmingham Temple: A Congregation for Humanistic Judaism|date=May 15, 2009 |access-date=March 12, 2012 }}</ref> and the significant role that officiating interfaith marriages played in her practice.<ref>{{cite AV media|last1=Dawkins|first1=Richard|last2=Kolton|first2=Tamara|author-link1=Richard Dawkins|title=Richard Dawkins interviews Tamara Kolton|date=15 October 2011|medium=Video interview|publisher=Dawkins, Richard}}</ref>


Kolton left her position at the Birmingham Temple in 2012 due to experiencing a strong "spiritual calling" and feeling the need to pursue a more "soul-centered" form of Judaism. She also described significant personal and professional difficulties at the Birmingham Temple, culminating in a "terrible" board meeting during which she reportedly handed in her resignation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://how-to-write-a-book.com/writing-a-memoir-about-spirituality-interview-with-rabbi-tamara-kolton/|last=Edwards|first=Olivia|date=4 April 2020|access-date=16 January 2021|title=Writing a Memoir about Spirituality: Interview with Rabbi Tamara Kolton|work=How to Write a Book}}</ref> She later held the position of scholar-in-residence at Congregation Shir Tikvah in [[Troy, Michigan]].{{r|"The Detroit"}}
Kolton left her position at the Birmingham Temple in 2012 due to experiencing a strong "spiritual calling" and feeling the need to pursue a more "soul-centered" form of Judaism. She also described significant personal and professional difficulties at the Birmingham Temple, culminating in a "terrible" board meeting during which she reportedly handed in her resignation.<ref name="howto">{{cite web|url=https://how-to-write-a-book.com/writing-a-memoir-about-spirituality-interview-with-rabbi-tamara-kolton/|last=Edwards|first=Olivia|date=4 April 2020|access-date=16 January 2021|title=Writing a Memoir about Spirituality: Interview with Rabbi Tamara Kolton|work=How to Write a Book}}</ref> She later held the position of scholar-in-residence at Congregation Shir Tikvah in [[Troy, Michigan]].{{r|"The Detroit"}}


In 2020, Kolton published her first book, ''Oranges for Eve: My Brave, Beautiful, Badass Journey to the Feminine Divine''. The book was inspired by her research on the [[sacred feminine]] in Judaism and re-interpretation of the Biblical [[Eve]] as a "Mother of Spiritual Bravery" figure.<ref name="Downtown Publications" />
In 2020, Kolton [[Self-publishing|self-published]]<ref>{{cite report|type=Filing Endorsement|id=801783181|title=Certificate of Assumed Name: Just Fly Publishing|date=25 June 2019|publisher=[[Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs]]|url=https://cofs.lara.state.mi.us/CorpWeb/CorpSearch/CorpSearchRedirector.aspx?Action=PDF&Path=CORP_DRIVE1/2019/0621/000000000/6350/201978076350.pdf}}</ref> her first book, ''Oranges for Eve: My Brave, Beautiful, Badass Journey to the Feminine Divine''. The book was inspired by her research on the [[sacred feminine]] in Judaism and re-interpretation of the Biblical [[Eve]] as a "Mother of Spiritual Bravery" figure.<ref name="Downtown Publications" /> Kolton's theology after leaving Humanistic Judaism has oriented around feminist re-interpretation of Eve, contextualizing her story as a myth designed to separate women from their personal and spiritual power.<ref name="howto" />


==#MeToo controversy==
==Controversy==
In 2018, Kolton published the article "The First Story In The Bible Was The First Case Of [[Me Too movement|#MeToo]]" for ''[[The Forward]]''. In the article, she argued that the Biblical [[Adam and Eve|Eve story]] was a [[Misogyny|misogynistic]] invention designed to subjugate and control female sexuality, and that it needed to be rejected and Eve re-conceptualized in order for Jewish theology to progress.<ref name="forwardeve">{{cite web|url=https://forward.com/scribe/393778/the-first-story-in-the-bible-was-the-first-case-of-metoo/|title=The First Story In The Bible Was The First Case Of #MeToo|last=Kolton|first=Tamara|work=The Forward|date=6 February 2018|access-date=15 January 2021}}</ref> The article received significant criticism from [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] and [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox Jewish]] writers. Right-wing political commentator and Orthodox Jew [[Ben Shapiro]] described the article as "the single most illiterate piece ever written on the Biblical story of Adam and Eve".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailywire.com/news/26947/female-rabbi-publishes-single-stupidest-piece-ben-shapiro|archive-url=https://archive.is/mH1aN|date=8 February 2018|archive-date=11 February 2018|title=Female Rabbi Publishes The Single Stupidest Piece On Biblical Adam And Eve Ever Written. It's Not Close.|last=Shapiro|first=Ben|author-link=Ben Shapiro|work=The Daily Wire|url-status=dead}}</ref> Christian theologists also disagreed with the interpretation. John A. Cook of the [[Asbury Theological Seminary]], while describing Kolton's support for the #MeToo movement as "laudable", referred to her theological interpretations as an "abysmal failure".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/eve-sexually-assaulted-by-god-in-first-metoo-case-biblical-expert-slams-rabbis-interpretation.html|title=Eve Sexually Assaulted by God in First #MeToo Case? Biblical Expert Slams Rabbi's Interpretation|date=20 February 2018|access-date=15 January 2021|last=Zaimov|first=Stoyan|work=The Christian Post}}</ref> The article received over a hundred comments on ''The Forward'', the majority virulently negative; comments were posted describing her argument as "blasphemous", "repugnant", and "evil".<ref name="forwardeve" />
In 2018, Kolton published the article "The First Story In The Bible Was The First Case Of [[Me Too movement|#MeToo]]" for ''[[The Forward]]''. In the article, she argued that the Biblical [[Adam and Eve|Eve story]] was a [[Misogyny|misogynistic]] invention designed to subjugate and control female sexuality, and that it needed to be rejected and Eve re-conceptualized in order for Jewish theology to progress.<ref name="forwardeve">{{cite web|url=https://forward.com/scribe/393778/the-first-story-in-the-bible-was-the-first-case-of-metoo/|title=The First Story In The Bible Was The First Case Of #MeToo|last=Kolton|first=Tamara|work=The Forward|date=6 February 2018|access-date=15 January 2021}}</ref> John A. Cook of the [[Asbury Theological Seminary]], while describing Kolton's support for the #MeToo movement as "laudable", referred to her theological interpretations as an "abysmal failure".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/eve-sexually-assaulted-by-god-in-first-metoo-case-biblical-expert-slams-rabbis-interpretation.html|title=Eve Sexually Assaulted by God in First #MeToo Case? Biblical Expert Slams Rabbi's Interpretation|date=20 February 2018|access-date=15 January 2021|last=Zaimov|first=Stoyan|work=[[The Christian Post]]}}</ref>


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==References==
After leaving Humanistic Judaism, Kolton repeatedly described the Humanistic movement as "atheistic", including in the blurb for ''Oranges for Eve''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kolton|first=Tamara|year=2020|title=Oranges for Eve: My Brave, Beautiful, Badass Journey to the Feminine Divine|publisher=Just Fly Publishing|isbn=0578540363}}</ref> The connection between Humanistic Judaism and explicit [[atheism]] rather than unspecified secular alignment is debated amongst Humanistic Jews. While Humanistic Judaism rejects the [[personal God]], most Humanistic congregations reject being defined as explicitly atheist and have a wide variety of specific beliefs amongst their membership.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://citycongregation.org/faq/|title=Frequently Asked Questions about Humanistic Judaism|work=The City Congregation|location=New York|access-date=16 January 2021}}</ref> This includes the Birmingham Temple, at which Kolton was senior rabbi.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.birminghamtemple.com/our-beliefs|title=Our Beliefs|work=The Birmingham Temple Congregation for Humanistic Judaism|access-date=16 January 2021}}</ref>

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== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

⚫
{{Women rabbis}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Kolton, Tamara}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kolton, Tamara}}
[[Category:American Humanistic Jews]]
[[Category:American spiritual writers]]
[[Category:American spiritual writers]]
[[Category:Jewish American writers]]
[[Category:American women non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Jewish American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Jewish women writers]]
[[Category:Bible commentators]]
[[Category:Bible commentators]]
[[Category:Humanistic rabbis]]
[[Category:Humanistic rabbis]]
[[Category:Women rabbis]]
[[Category:Humanistic women rabbis]]
[[Category:Jewish feminists]]
[[Category:Feminist spirituality]]
[[Category:Feminist spirituality]]
[[Category:1970 births]]
[[Category:1970 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan]]
[[Category:People from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan]]
[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]

Revision as of 20:24, 7 June 2024

Rabbi Dr.
Tamara Kolton
Personal
Born
Tamara Ruth Feldstein

(1970-03-13) March 13, 1970 (age 54)
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
ReligionJudaism
SpouseIsaac Kolton
DenominationNon-denominational (formerly Humanistic)[1]
Websiterabbikolton.com

Tamara Ruth Kolton (née Feldstein; Hebrew: תמרה קולטון; born March 13, 1970) is an American non-denominational rabbi and clinical psychologist. She was the first person ordained as a member of the Humanistic Jewish movement.[2] Over time, her religious position evolved from agnosticism to a more spiritual perspective that drove her away from Humanistic Judaism.[3][4] Kolton later became known for her controversial feminist reinterpretation of the Biblical Eve, which has received both support and criticism from other religious and spiritual writers.[4]

Personal life

Kolton was born to Anita and Jerome Feldstein in Metro Detroit,[5] where her family attended the non-theist Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Metro Detroit led by Rabbi Sherwin Wine, the founder of Humanistic Judaism. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations and English literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem,[6] followed by a master's degree in clinical psychology from the Michigan School of Psychology. She later obtained a doctorate in rabbinical studies from the Union Institute, where she researched the experience of female rabbis.[7] She is married to Isaac Kolton, an Israeli-American born in Petah Tikva.[8] They have two children, Lior and Maya.[8]

Religious leadership

In 1999, Kolton was ordained the first Humanistic rabbi by Wine's International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism.[2][9][10] She succeeded Wine as senior rabbi at the Birmingham Temple in 2004 following his retirement.[2] In 2011, Kolton was interviewed by evolutionary biologist and atheist writer Richard Dawkins about the experience of being a Humanistic rabbi, and expanded upon the positions she and her temple held at the time. Kolton expressed skepticism regarding the historicity of earlier books of the Tanakh, though declared she found it likely later books described actual events. She defined Humanistic Judaism as a movement to preserve Jewish culture and traditions in the absence of explicit belief in God, and described herself and her congregation as "more [religiously observant] than most of the Jews in the world" for their strong preservation of traditions, such as kashrut and Shabbat observance, that are abandoned by many non-Orthodox Jews. She also discussed her strong support for interfaith marriage, something she considers "a sign of a better world in which people marry each other beyond tribal lines and religious differences",[8] and the significant role that officiating interfaith marriages played in her practice.[11]

Kolton left her position at the Birmingham Temple in 2012 due to experiencing a strong "spiritual calling" and feeling the need to pursue a more "soul-centered" form of Judaism. She also described significant personal and professional difficulties at the Birmingham Temple, culminating in a "terrible" board meeting during which she reportedly handed in her resignation.[12] She later held the position of scholar-in-residence at Congregation Shir Tikvah in Troy, Michigan.[3]

In 2020, Kolton self-published[13] her first book, Oranges for Eve: My Brave, Beautiful, Badass Journey to the Feminine Divine. The book was inspired by her research on the sacred feminine in Judaism and re-interpretation of the Biblical Eve as a "Mother of Spiritual Bravery" figure.[4] Kolton's theology after leaving Humanistic Judaism has oriented around feminist re-interpretation of Eve, contextualizing her story as a myth designed to separate women from their personal and spiritual power.[12]

#MeToo controversy

In 2018, Kolton published the article "The First Story In The Bible Was The First Case Of #MeToo" for The Forward. In the article, she argued that the Biblical Eve story was a misogynistic invention designed to subjugate and control female sexuality, and that it needed to be rejected and Eve re-conceptualized in order for Jewish theology to progress.[14] John A. Cook of the Asbury Theological Seminary, while describing Kolton's support for the #MeToo movement as "laudable", referred to her theological interpretations as an "abysmal failure".[15]

References

  1. ^ "Local Women Celebrate the Feminine Divine". The Detroit Jewish News. November 28, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Tippen, Molly (July 31, 2010). "Female rabbi thrives at Farmington Hills temple". The Oakland Press.
  3. ^ a b Lewis, Barbara (June 6, 2013). "A New Door: Rabbi Kolton finds a new home teaching spirituality at Shir Tikvah". The Detroit Jewish News. pp. 22–23.
  4. ^ a b c Casadei, Dana (May 19, 2020). "Tamara Kolton". Downtown Newsmagazine. Birmingham, MI. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  5. ^ "Weddings". The Detroit Jewish News. May 16, 1997. p. 39.
  6. ^ "Tamara Kolton, 27". The Detroit Jewish News. September 12, 1997. p. 11.
  7. ^ Kolton, Tamara R. (1999). The experience of women rabbis: Eight women rabbis describe their work and their lives (PhD). Cincinnati, Ohio: The Union Institute. OCLC 640529022.
  8. ^ a b c "Rabbi Tamara Kolton". The Birmingham Temple: A Congregation for Humanistic Judaism. May 15, 2009. Archived from the original on February 28, 2011. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  9. ^ Niebuhr, Gustav (October 9, 1999). "Religion Journal; Humanist Jewish Group Welcomes a New Rabbi". The New York Times. p. B8. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021.
  10. ^ Kirsbaum, Harry (October 1, 1999). "The Future Is Now: Rabbi Sherwin Wine marks first ordination of secular humanistic rabbi and plans a busy retirement". The Detroit Jewish News. pp. 6–7.
  11. ^ Dawkins, Richard; Kolton, Tamara (October 15, 2011). Richard Dawkins interviews Tamara Kolton (Video interview). Dawkins, Richard.
  12. ^ a b Edwards, Olivia (April 4, 2020). "Writing a Memoir about Spirituality: Interview with Rabbi Tamara Kolton". How to Write a Book. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  13. ^ Certificate of Assumed Name: Just Fly Publishing (PDF) (Filing Endorsement). Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. June 25, 2019. 801783181.
  14. ^ Kolton, Tamara (February 6, 2018). "The First Story In The Bible Was The First Case Of #MeToo". The Forward. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  15. ^ Zaimov, Stoyan (February 20, 2018). "Eve Sexually Assaulted by God in First #MeToo Case? Biblical Expert Slams Rabbi's Interpretation". The Christian Post. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
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