Rabbi’s Corner,Seniors Havurah2Cantor’s Notes 3Lifelong Jewish Learning 4School News, Adult Learning 5September Calendar 6October Calendar 7Greening of Sinai,Social Action Group8High Holy Day Schedule,Women of Sinai News9President’s Message 10S’lichot Weekend 11Donations 12Rummage Sale 13Sukkot BBQ 14 Yahrzeits,Personals15

Shabbat & Holiday Schedule

SINAI NEWS

Rabbi David B. Cohen • Cantor Rebecca Robins • Rabbi Emeritus Jay R. BrickmanDirector of Lifelong Jewish Learning Sherry H. Blumberg, Ph.D., R.J.E.Director of Administration Karen Lancina • Program Coordinator Jen Friedman • Sinai News Nicole SetherCongregation Sinai • 8223 N. Port Washington Road• Fox Point, WI 53217414.352.2970• 414.352.0944 (fax)• www.congregationsinai.org

Shabbat

Ki Tavo

Deuteronomy 26:1 - 29:8

Sept 4 Outdoor Family Shabbat Service 7 pmSept 5 Torah Study 8 amMorning Minyan 9:30 amBen Davre Bar Mitzvah 10 am

Shabbat

Nitzavim-Vayeilech

Deuteronomy 29:9 - 31:30

Sept 11 Shabbat Service 6:15 pmSept 12 Torah Study 8 amMorning Minyan 9:30 amS’lichot (see page 11 for details)

Shabbat

Sept 18 Erev Rosh Hashanah Service 8 pm

Rosh Hashanah

Sept 19 Morning Service 9:30 am

Family Service 2:30 pm

ashlich & Oneg 3:15 pmSofar Blowing Contest 4 pmSept 20 Second Day Service 10:30 amCongregational Lunch followingservices 12 pm

Shabbat Ha’Azinu

Deuteronomy 32:1 - 32:52

Sept 25 Shabbat Service 6:15 pmSept 26 Torah Study 8 amMorning Minyan 9:30 am

Yom Kippur

Sept 27 Kol Nidre Service 8 pmSept 28 Morning Service 9:30 amAdult Study Session 12:30 pmFamily Service 2 pm

September/October 2009 • Elul-Cheshvan 5769-5770

Yom Kippur continued

Sept 28 Afternoon Service 3 pmYizkor Service 4:30 pmNeilah Service 5:30 pmBreak-the-fast 6:30 pm

Sukkot

Oct. 2 Shabbat Service &Sing-a-long 5:30 pmDinner and Oneg 6:15 pmOct. 3 Torah Study 8 amSukkot Service 9:30 am

Simchat Torah

Oct. 9 Consecration Dinner 6 pmSimchat Torah Service 7 pm

Oct. 10 Torah Study 8 amMorning Minyan w/ Yizkor 9:30 am

Shabbat

Bereshit

Genesis 1:1 - 6:8

Oct. 16 Shabbat Service 6:15 pmOct. 17 Torah Study 8 amMorning Minyan 9:30 am

Shabbat

Noach

Genesis 6:9 - 11:32

Oct. 23 Shabbat Service 6:15 pmOct. 24 Torah Study 8 amMorning Minyan 9:30 amNaomi Arenzon Bat Mitzvah 10 am

Shabbat

Lech-Lecha

Genesis 12:1 - 17:27

Oct . 30 Music Shabbat Service 6:15 pmOct. 31 Torah Study 8amMorning Minyan 9:30 am

In this issue

Rosh HaShanah is just a few weeks away; theseweeks of the Hebrew month of Elul are punctuated by thesound of the Shofar. Twelfth century Jewish philosopher (andphysician!) Maimonides translated the call of the shofar intohuman words: “Awake, awake, ye slumberers…consider yourdeeds that you might make Teshuvah – repentance.” Maimon-ides knew that repentance was good for the body as it was for the soul. And our annual day of soul-accounting is drawing near.Repentance is a dynamic process that involves threesteps: first, identifying the wrongs we’ve done; sec-ond, approaching those we’ve hurt, our friends, ourfamilies, and asking forgiveness; and third, resolv-ing never to repeat the wrongs.Repentance doesn’t mean forgetting orburying the past. It means confronting the past,and, in so doing, preparing our way to the future.Like Moses’s broken tablets that became the basefor the second set of Ten Commandments, our past transgressions can become a source of wisdom andinspiration. We cannot forget or bury the past. Butwe can overlay it with new and better choices. Or, as one of my teachers once said: we ought not to confuse our mistakes with the life we are building.Teshuvah also means extending forgiveness to thosewho have hurt us. This is difficult but necessary. For until wehave reached a point of letting go of our anger and pain, how-ever justified, we cannot, with a full heart, ask others to forgiveus. Again, forgiving others does not mean forgetting. It meansputting those hurts we so often carry with us down on the

Rabbi’s Corner

Page 2 September/October 2009

ground, that we might climb upon them and, through oursouls, embrace God.To enable us to participate more fully in the work of this season, we will be sharing Selichot – the Saturday eve-ning before Rosh HaShanah (September 12), with Milwau-kee’s other reform and conservative congregations. Congre-gation Emanuel B’ne Jeshurun will host us in their new sanc- tuary. Our teacher will be Rabbi Levi Weiman Kelman, rabbiof Congregation Kol HaNeshama, in Jerusalem. Americanborn and trained at the Jewish Theological Seminary (of theConservative movement), Weiman Kelman servesJerusalem’s most popular reform congregation.His openness, erudition, and innate sense of spirituality, should make for an inspiring evening.For more details on where Weiman Kelman willbe teaching in the Jewish community Friday night,Saturday morning and Sunday, check the J.C.C.website, www.jccmilwaukee.org or contact theJ.C.C. Judaica director, Jodi Hirsh, jhirsh@jccmilwaukee.org . A special thank you toJodi Hirsh for arranging Weiman Kelman’s visitand securing funding, that our entire community night bene-fit!I hope that these weeks preceding the Holy Dayswill allow for introspection and self-examination. I hope wehave the courage to forgive others and ourselves. And Ihope that our souls emerge refreshed and renewed, andrededicated to the holy purposes to which we all aspire.

Rabbi David B. Cohen

Seniors Havurah

Join Rabbi Cohen for the

October

Seniors Havurahmeeting (September’s falls in the midst of the High HolyDays) on Tuesday afternoon, October 27, from 1:00 pm until2:30 pm for a discussion of Pulitzer Prize winning author,Dexter Filkins’ book, The Forever War. Winner of the NationalBook Critics Circle Award, as well as the New York times BookReview, Best Book of the Year, The Forever War documents the experience of LA Times and New York Times correspon-dent Dexter Filkins, the only overseas correspondent to havewitnessed the breadth of Middle East history, from the Tali-ban takeover of Afghanistan in the late nineties, through theIraq War, beginning in 2003. The Forever War has been com-pared to Michael Herr’s Dispatches

, a 1977 book of war re-porting on Vietnam Herr originally penned for Esquire Maga-zine. Dispatches is held as one of the finest examples of war time reportage ever written. The Forever War joins that list,with, as they say, a bullet.A question often asked about the Senior Havurah?Exactly who is a senior? It depends, of course, on who youask: AARP considers anyone of fifty to be a senior. Otherswould say sixty-five.We, on the other hand, refuse to label. Instead weuse the following definition:

A Senior can be anyone, of any age, who values the wisdom that accrues over decades of living.

If that describes you, and you appreciate good conver-sation, peppered with penetrating insights, the Senior Ha-vurah is for you!

High Holy Day Ushers Needed!

Sinai is looking for men and women to usher for our High Holy Day Services.If you are interested, please contact Michael Hool at 414-352-0418.

Recently, I found myself in an unexpected conversa- tion about prayer. During an afternoon with a friend, a mel-ody from

t’fillah

popped into his head. The question then?Just what is the whole purpose of that prayer, “Adonai, openup my lips that my mouth may declare Your praise.”It is the shortest, yet most significant of requests.Recited before the

Amida

, it is a personal petition. We eachpray for the ability to fulfill our responsibility of praying through the next eighteen blessings(seven on Shabbat.) It is a

kavannah

, an inten- tion, recited day after day, week after week.Before the central part of the worship service, this line of text provides us with an oftenneeded reminder to focus (or refocus) our-selves on the essential task at hand: directing our prayer towards God, and praising God forall that God makes possible.Often times, the tension between hav-ing a deeply personal prayer experience in themidst of communal prayer is a challenge for anindividual worshipper to embrace or overcome.This, too, is a consideration when preparing ourselves for theHigh Holy Days. The joy and power of coming together as acommunity is exciting and fulfilling. But what is the personalresponsibility unique to each worshipper during this espe-cially community prayer experience?

Adonai sfatai tiftach

, Adonai open my lips, is one of only a small sprinkling of liturgical texts written in the firstperson. We especially notice this on the holidays as we reciteas a community OurFather, Our King. We are aware of ourcommunity as we confess our communal sins:

Al cheyt

, for

Page 3

September/October 2009

the sins we have committed against You.For many of us, the month of Elul, and the

asseret y’mei tshuvah

, the ten days of repentance between RoshHashanah and Yom Kippur are rich with personal reflectionand

tshuvah

. With a sense of gratitude, renewal and joy, wewill come together on erev Rosh Hashanah, and through theHigh Holy Days to learn, pray, celebrate, repent and reflect together. Let us take a few moments to consider the many ways that we can prepare ourselvesand take moments of personal celebration,confession, reflection and prayer during ourholiday worship services.The

kavannah

Adonai open up mylips… can prepare us to focus ourselves in ourown reflections and prayer while we supportone another, celebrate with one another, andshare with one another by praying as a com-munity. Our own thoughts and feelings arestrengthened by sharing the experience, andknowing that, in some way, we are all in themidst of the preparation and experience of thenew year.God, as we come together to celebrate and wel-come 5770, and as we turn our hearts in reflection and con-fession, may you help us to sing Your songs, Your praises,and to strengthen one another by lending our own uniquevoice to our services. Amen.And may 5770 be a year of health, happiness andabundant blessing for you and your families.

Shana tovah!

Cantor Rebecca Robins

Cantor’s Notes

Praying Alone, Prayer Together

The Women of Sinai invite you to break-the-fast at the conclusion of Yom Kippur serviceson Monday, September 28, 2009.

Shanah Tovah

We look forward to breakingthe fast with you!

Break-the-fast!

If you are able to help by cooking a kugel or baking adessert, please contact Laura Waisbren at (414) 352-4213 by Monday, September 14.Monetary donations are also greatly appreciated. Makechecks payable to Women of Sinai. Drop off at thesynagogue office or mail to:Laura Waisbren8172 N. Gray Log LaneFox Point, WI 53217