Renovation

The demolition portion of the renovation & expansion project is almost complete and we will be ready to move on to construction in the next week or so! Here you can see the visible yellow painted outline where the borders of the new South Addition will be, as well as the demolition of the side of the current building that will connect to the South Addition. Progress has also been made to clear the way for the boardwalk path that will lead from Jocelyn Street to the new South Addition entrance and where trees will be planted to create a healthy tree canopy for years to come. Keep an eye out for more updates in the coming weeks as new concrete footers are poured and other foundation work begins!

View of construction area from above

The Nursery School year has started and the building is filled with new and returning students! Students can now explore the completed the Outdoor Classroom, located between the Bet Am and the upstairs classrooms, and watch as construction workers work on the renovation. The demolition and removal of the south entrance concrete walkway and brick siding of the construction site is underway as the building is prepared for the expanded south addition. The site is also fully fenced off and noise barriers have been erected in the building to minimize disruptions to events, services, and classes going on inside the temple.

Work is well underway on improvements to the playground, including the addition of a creative, new Outdoor Classroom for the Nursery School children being developed in the garden area outside the Bet Am. Meanwhile, our General Contractor has begun the preparatory and demolition work for the South Addition.  Throughout the month of August we will see the fencing go up that will create a safe separation for the construction zone, tree clearing, and significant demolition necessary for the new 2-story addition.  Stay tuned for updated information and pictures as this transformational project progresses.

In late June, the Temple Sinai community joined together for a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the commencement of this once-in-a-generation project. The ceremony included music from our talented clergy, remarks from our campaign leaders, and prayer honoring this occasion. The South Addition and Phase 2 expansion marks the next step in the long growth of our spiritual home: From our community’s early history operating out of a church in the 1950s, to buying the land the temple currently stands on and building the initial temple, to expanding with the Library & school-wing construction in the 1970s, to building the Bet Am in the 1990s, we continue to grow to meet the needs of our community and enrich the religious lives of our members.

The new accessible bimah is taking shape. With the new, flexible seating, our Sanctuary will be a comfortable space for a variety of worship and life cycle events. New light fixtures will be added to the ceiling, improving the experience for worshippers in the Sanctuary and those who connect virtually.

The temple’s clergy and administrative office suite was renovated to create a safer work environment. With simple changes, individual work spaces were created as well as wider passageways for an improved flow of staff, members and guests.

The new accessible bimah is taking shape.

The storage space behind stage left of the stage in our Social Hall has been removed and is being prepared for the construction of two new accessible bathrooms. Brackets and support for the new Social Hall storage closets have been erected on either side of the Social Hall. The tracks for our new recessed Sanctuary lighting have been cut. The new Sanctuary lighting will increase visibility and enhance the beauty of our newly renovated Sanctuary.

The storage space behind stage left of the stage in our Social Hall has been removed and is being prepared for the construction of two new accessible bathrooms

Now a little over two weeks into the sanctuary renovation, the demolition and preparations for the new design continues. Base-boarding and flooring in the sanctuary and social hall have been removed, as has the retractable wall separating the social hall from the foyer. The removal of some pieces of the bimah concrete has begun to prepare the bimah for its new accessible ramp and extension.