templesinaidc, Author at Temple Sinai

March 9, 2021

Acknowledgements, Clergy Discretionary Funds

Rabbi Hannah Goldstein’s Fund

Donated By
Stephen Wolk & Frances Rothstein

In Appreciation Of	Donated By
Rabbi Goldstein	David & Cathy Goldwyn The Family of Carrol Kahn

In Honor Of	Donated By
the birth of Bella Miriam Friedman	Richard Bender & Laura Forman Samuel & Phyllis Blum Rita & David Brickman Ravelle Brickman Glenn & Michelle Engelmann Alan Korn & Claudia Simons Bruce Vinik & Virginia Levin Frank Liebermann Stephen & Helene Sacks David Stonner & Anne Schwartz TS-WRJ Alan & Kathe Tuttman
the Bat Mitzvah of Nina Julie Fernandez Fink	Susan Levine & Leon Fink
the Bar Mitzvah of Peter Goldstein	Jordan Goldstein & Hillary Davidson
the Bar Mitzvah of Aron Mallon	Jennifer & John Mallon Richard & Leslie Tunick

In Memory Of	Donated By
Erin Markowitz	George & Barbara Korengold
Sumner Myers	Phyllis Myers

*This listing includes all donations received between June 1, 2020 and February 1, 2021. Our apologies for anyone mistakenly omitted from this listing. Please reach out to Noah Benjamin at nbenjamin@templesinaidc.org with any questions or concerns.

March 9, 2021

Acknowledgements, Clergy Discretionary Funds

Cantorial Soloist Robyn Helzner’s Fund

Donated By
Raina Fishbane & Chuck Walker, Jack & Cindy Rayman

In Honor Of	Donated By
the 2nd Bar Mitzvah of David Reiss	Ravelle Brickman
Laura Steele, Tom Plotz, Steve Metalitz, & Scott Mezistrano	David & Jo Ann Reiss

In Memory Of	Donated By
Fred Nagel	David & Jo Ann Reiss

March 9, 2021

Acknowledgements, Clergy Discretionary Funds

Cantor Rebecca Robins’s Fund

In Honor Of	Donated By
the Bat Mitzvah of Hannah Brooker	Bradley & Stephanie Brooker

In Memory Of	Donated By
Erin Markowitz	George & Barbara Korengold

March 9, 2021

Acknowledgements, Clergy Discretionary Funds

Cantor Laura Croen’s Fund

Donated By
Raina Fishbane & Chuck Walker, Mark Matulef & Dolores Acquista

In Appreciation Of	Donated By
Cantor Croen	Jonathan & Andrea Berlowe Binder The Family of Carrol Kahn The Temple Sinai Music Committee Phyllis Myers
Virtual High Holy Days services	Elaine Greenstone

In Honor Of	Donated By
the Bat Mitzvah of Hannah Brickman	Rita & David Brickman
the Bat Mitzvah of Miriam Hakim	Jeffrey & Haya Hakim
the Marriage of Sam & Meghan	Edward & Stephanie Lebow
the Bat Mitzvah of Grace Schuham-Anders	Aaron Schuham & Christopher Anders
the Bat Mitzvah of Rose Sussmann	Michael & Apple Sussmann
the Bat Mitzvah of Rachel Tabeka	Ronny & Hannah Tabeka

In Memory Of	Donated By
Lenore Ehrenberg	Ellen & Jeffrey Agler
Ruth Mahler	Seth & Carolyn Himmelhoch
Dan Stoll	Janie Stoll

November 16, 2020

Cantor Robins, Religious School, Updates

Religious School Update from Cantor Rebecca Robins

Temple Sinai Religious School began the 5781 school year fully online in mid-October. As we considered how both to maintain and create a space where Significance, Belonging, and Fun were the top priorities, we also thought about:

What local and federal regulations were as it relates to COVID-19, and
What the Temple Sinai COVID Advisory Group suggested and supported as it relates to public health guidance and wisdom to keep our community safe,
What is developmentally responsive for our TSRS students at all ages, and
How our programming could best support and strengthen families during this unique time.

We wondered: what is it that children and teens need from their synagogue community during a crisis in the world? Religious education is important, and faith development is a lifelong endeavor, but how a religious community responds to an acute crisis had us asking: how do we create a ‘tiny temple’ for our kids? We knew that in cultivating programing for the 2020-2021 year, we needed to create a space that was a bet midrash (house of learning), but also a bet t’filah (house of prayer) and bet k’nesset (house of gathering).

Our 2^nd-10^th grade programs have adapted to be responsive to this moment and are enrolled at about 80%. Our traditional Kindergarten and 1^st grade programs are meeting this year through periodic “in-a-box” experiences (holidays for K, monthly for 1^st grade). These are curated by our educators and supported with prerecorded video and live Zoom content. Most of all, in the spirit of our ‘tiny temple’ for K-12 participants, worship and gathering are interwoven into our programs – in both religious school specific spaces and across Temple Sinai programming. Finally, TSRS continues to strive to support all Temple Sinai families with children in grades K-12 to connect, find meaning and access, and participate in their temple during these ongoing days of distance.

For more information about TSRS as the pandemic persists, visit our online school lobby, and connect to all of our classrooms and learning spaces. It’s a fun place to hang out for a bit – but you’ll need to bring your own coffee. 😊

November 16, 2020

Updates

Staff Update

All Temple Sinai staff will be furloughed for one week in order to reduce our expenses and position our finances for long term viability. The furlough will impact our administrative, building and security, clergy, and full time religious school staff. It will not impact our teachers in either nursery school or religious school as they have already enacted significant reductions in staff levels and decreased hours and salaries for remaining teachers.

Our last update included information and figures about the temple’s financial position. In the Spring as we created our budget and plans, we anticipated a dip in our membership and lower revenue both from member financial commitments and school tuition. Our experience so far is close to what we projected. The long-term nature of the pandemic, however, has created further uncertainty about temple finances that we could not foresee when we expected a quicker return to normal.

We need further expense savings in order to position the temple to weather the financial impact of the pandemic. Many programs and supply related costs have already been reduced or eliminated. Despite our efforts to avoid further impact on our staff, we must turn to personnel expenses for further savings. In trying to avoid more lay-offs and to be as equitable as possible, we are implementing a one-week furlough for all staff excluding religious school and nursery school teachers.

We greatly appreciate all the members of our exceptional team and understand the sacrifices they must make on behalf of the temple to endure the pandemic. Each staff member will choose one of two options: the week around Thanksgiving or the week around Christmas. You will see our temple operations impacted during those weeks when our staff are furloughed. They cannot work at all during their furlough week and we hope you will be patient and understanding when you do not receive a quick response to a request or experience a temporary cancellation or delay of a program you enjoy. One clergy member will remain on call for pastoral needs during this time as usual. So please do not hesitate to contact us regarding illnesses, deaths, or any urgent pastoral need.

November 16, 2020

Rabbi Roos, Updates

Temple Sinai Covid-19 Status and Update

Dear Sinai community,

TGIRH (Thank God it’s Rosh Hodesh)! Today is the last day of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan. This month is sometimes called “Mar Cheshvan” which means “bitter cheshvan” (mar is a cognate of the word maror that you may know from Passover’s bitter herbs). It’s bitter because it’s getting colder and darker and the month has no holidays – especially striking after the month with Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah. This past month has been bitter for us in non-religious terms too. We are happy to say goodbye to the month of election stress and unrest and dangerously spiking Covid-19 cases.

The new month, Kislev, represents future promise and better days. This month brings Thanksgiving and Hanukkah. Despite our return to stricter virus precautions, the good will and gratitude, the gifts, latkes, and bright candles symbolize a new boost to our spirits. Like the Hanukkah candles and the moon itself, however, the light does not shine immediately at its brightest. The moon waxes fourteen days before it’s full and the Hanukkiah takes eight days to fully shine. Patience and tenacity are more important than ever. Giving and receiving help are also critical for our community’s longevity and vitality. The shamash on the hanukkiah reminds us that light is kindled and grows steadily brighter only with the presence of “the helper” and each of us needs to give and receive more these days.

This update is meant to be a kind of helper – to keep you informed of the Temple’s status and important steps being taken for the community’s future. It is also a reminder that we face serious challenges ahead – including a furlough for our staff – and that we persevere the challenges by leaning on each other and supporting those who need it. Please, be careful and vigilant about virus spread prevention in the coming weeks as holidays return to our lives. Please, continue to lean on the temple community and the connections we are creating and supporting virtually even as our staff bear some extra burdens to ensure those connections can remain strong. I look forward to seeing your reflections on gratitude, your photos of good meals, and soon, the lights shining brightly in your windows. With blessings from my house to yours as we enter the month of Kislev, Rabbi Jonathan Roos

May 5, 2020

Care, Membership

Supporting Members as We Approach the New Fiscal Year June 1

We hope as you read this message that you and your loved ones are feeling well and staying safe. We want to assure you that we are sensitive to the ongoing insecurity and distress that we are all experiencing due to the extended impact of COVID-19 on our daily lives.

As you may recall, our membership year runs from June 1st – May 31st annually. If you have already submitted your member commitment pledge for 2020-21 – thank you. If not, we would really appreciate hearing from you by May 15. You can complete the form on-line HERE or by contacting membership coordinator Karen Auerbach or our executive director Ellen Agler.

We know that some members of our community are experiencing challenging financial circumstances due to the COVID crisis. Please contact Karen or Ellen to talk about any concerns you might have either about your current financial obligations or about next year’s membership pledge. For members who are able to give more generously, please consider an extra gift to help us meet the anticipated financial challenges we face due to COVID through this crisis period. Together as a community, we will weather this storm.

Staying connected with our members is critically important during this unprecedented time. Our SinaiCares team is reaching out to members who may be feeling isolated or in need of support. Our clergy and staff are just a phone call or e-mail away for anyone who might need us. We hope you have checked out Temple Sinai on-line! Enter our online community here. Our clergy team is leading services from their homes for Shabbat and life cycle events. Attendance at these virtual services has been heart-warming and has surpassed expectations, indicating the comfort that members are deriving from their continuing connection with the Temple community. From online gatherings for those in our nursery and religious school communities, to virtual challah baking, book groups, adult learning and Torah study, there is quite a lot going on at Sinai, even if it is not in-person! We hope that you have already enjoyed some of these many and diverse offerings.

Our strength as a Jewish community can help each of us get through these days of isolation and uncertainty just a little bit better. We look forward to the day when we can all be together again at the temple. Until then, we wish you good health and peace.

March 20, 2020

Care, Updates

A Letter from Our Clergy

Dear Temple Sinai community,

Since our founding in 1951, Temple Sinai has stood as a center for connecting with Jewish traditions and learning, a beacon for social justice, and a source of comfort and care to its members. We continue to stand on those principles as we redouble our efforts to support you during this unprecedented time with on-line offerings and digital person-to-person connections.

This week, we read the end of the book of Exodus. It is traditional when we finish reading a book of the Torah that the congregation joins together in saying, “chazak, chazak, v’nit’chazek” meaning “be strong, be strong, and let us strengthen one another.” During this period of uncertainty and instability, many of us are being called upon to be strong in different ways, to find our footing in a strange and unfamiliar reality. This can be taxing and we want to reiterate that the Sinai clergy team is here for you to chat, to check in, and to offer pastoral support. Sinai’s dedicated administrative staff team is working remotely and will help you schedule phone or video appointments with any member of the clergy.

In times like these, we are also called to take care of each other. Our Kathie Rabinovitz SinaiCares program helps clergy and members support one another. Although we cannot be with each other physically, we can continue to care for our members, especially those who are lonely, homebound, struggling, or sick. Our clergy and SinaiCares volunteers are already reaching out to vulnerable members and we invite you to join those efforts. If you are interested in joining the SinaiCares volunteer team or know of a member who could use some care, please contact Karen Auerbach, kauerbach@templesinaidc.org.

We know that this period of disruption will continue to impact many in our city and beyond. Our commitment to pursue justice and do our part to strengthen those around us does not diminish in the face of instability. With the help of our social action leaders, we have prepared a menu of ways for you to support local organizations that are meeting the urgency of this moment. Though our physical movement is limited, we continue to have capacity to help those in need. Please stay involved and redouble your own efforts to help the needy and care for the stranger.

As we enter Shabbat, we wish you all chazak, chazak, v’nitchazeik… be strong, and let us strengthen one another.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Jonathan Roos
Rabbi Hannah Goldstein
Rabbi Adam Rosenwasser
Cantor Laura Croen
Cantor Rebecca Robins

January 3, 2020

Sinai Stories

Developing Connections

For the past two years, I’ve been working to develop Connections, a program for preschool-aged kids on the autism spectrum. I started Connections because of my older brother, Matthew, who is on the autism spectrum. When he was young, there were very few social opportunities available, especially during the summer when most kids were at camp having fun. Recently, he commented on feeling as if he missed out on many regular childhood experiences. I started dreaming about a program that I thought he would have loved, to give more kids the chance to have fun, bond with peers, and step out of their comfort zone. This dream gradually became the reality of Connections.

After a lot of advice from mentors and careful planning, I received a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington to fund the program. Next, I had to find the right place to hold the program, and Temple Sinai was the ideal place to do so. I sat down with Rabbi Goldstein to brainstorm details about Connections, and at first it seemed like a crazy, far-fetched idea. With the help of an incredible Occupational Therapist, Speech Language Pathologist, and Special Education Teacher as well as the dedicated Temple Sinai staff, we brought this to life. The few programs that exist for children with autism are primarily therapeutic. Connections was made with a different focus: I wanted our kids to learn, connect, and grow through play and for the synagogue to become a safe and familiar place. We made sure it was free of charge so that it was accessible to any family that wanted to participate.

We held our first session in August, and it was a fantastic week. We had circle time, read books, sang songs, and ran through obstacle courses. We played in water, rice bins, and with paint. Throughout the week, I saw a tremendous shift in the kids: their faces lit up when they saw their new friends and they jumped straight into new and unfamiliar activities. By the end of the week, the kids were inseparable and were running around the synagogue as if they had been there forever, as well as engaging eagerly with all the kids in the Temple Sinai camps.
I want to thank the Connections families for trusting us with their wonderful kids during our inaugural year. Our team loved seeing the kids every day and excitedly looked forward to helping them navigate the challenges of a complex world in a nurturing, safe environment. I’m proud to report a huge transformation in everyone touched by this program, especially the temple. This program helped further Sinai’s mission of inclusion and acceptance. What unlocked this potential was a committed and experienced staff, a welcoming, open-minded atmosphere, and the children’s willingness to grow. It’s difficult to embrace a new idea and a new program, yet the children, their families, and Temple Sinai did so with grace and sensitivity.

Now I’m dreaming again, and this time about next summer. I hope to expand Connections to serve more kids. This will require hard work to secure funding and support from new sources. No matter what, it will be worth it. I can’t wait to see what will happen in the future.
Coordinator’s Note: This is the second in a series of Sinai Stories by or about Temple Sinai youth.

– Sophia Lager

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About templesinaidc

Posts by :

Rabbi Hannah Goldstein’s Fund

Rabbi Hannah Goldstein’s Fund

Cantorial Soloist Robyn Helzner’s Fund

Cantorial Soloist Robyn Helzner’s Fund

Cantor Rebecca Robins’s Fund

Cantor Rebecca Robins’s Fund

Cantor Laura Croen’s Fund

Cantor Laura Croen’s Fund

Religious School Update from Cantor Rebecca Robins

Staff Update

Temple Sinai Covid-19 Status and Update

Supporting Members as We Approach the New Fiscal Year June 1

A Letter from Our Clergy

Developing Connections