SinaiCares: More Than a Slogan

SinaiCares. This is more than just a slogan. It’s how we conduct ourselves as a kehillah kedosha, a holy community. We care about our members, our community, and the world. As we celebrate our twin holidays of redemption, Purim and Passover, let us turn to their stories to inspire us in our sacred task of caring.

Both redemptions came about because of caring. In the Purim narrative, the Book of Esther, Mordechai tells Esther of Haman’s evil plot to get rid of the Jews. Esther then bravely spoke to her husband, the king, in order to save her and to save the Jewish people. Mordechai and Esther, in the face of impending darkness, cared enough to stand up for justice to save us. In fact, the rabbis teach us that in the world to come, Purim will be one of the only holidays that we will continue to celebrate because of its message that we are responsible for our own salvation, no one else.

The Passover story follows a similar plot. After over four hundred years of slavery, Exodus teaches us that God heard our cries. God then approached Moses which sets into motion the narrative of liberation which we celebrate year after year. The seder, with its special foods, is an educational tool to help us relive the greatest journey in the history of our people. But while you are enjoying your delicious matzoh ball soup and charoset, try to remember that this whole thing only came about because, in this case, God cared enough to redeem us.

Spring, our beautiful season of cherry blossoms and warming weather, is also the perfect time of year to ask yourself, "What do I care about? How can I renew my commitment to Temple Sinai?" We have many ways here of showing we care. Our Kathie Rabinovitz SinaiCares initiative is getting off the ground. We are looking for volunteers who want to visit others in our community. We need drivers to deliver cards and challah to those who are struggling. And we also want to know if you or someone you know is having a difficult time. It is hard to ask for help. We like to think of ourselves as self-reliant independent beings. But each of us needs some support sometimes. So please, don't hesitate to ask. We can help you. We want to help you. We really do care.

You can also show that you care by supporting like-minded communities in Israel. Right now, we have an important opportunity to support the growing number of liberal and reform Jews in Israel. If you haven't already done so, please vote for the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA) to represent us and our values in the World Zionist Organization (WZO). The more votes we cast, the more we show that we care about an Israel which is pluralistic, diverse, democratic, and open. Please go to www.reformjews4israel.org for more information and to cast your vote.

SinaiCares. We care about you and we care about strengthening this wonderful place. May this season of miracles and redemption inspire us in our continuing work to build and better ourselves and this world.