Rabbi’s Corner,President’s Message
2
Cantor’s Notes
3Lifelong Jewish Learning 4-5
What’s Happening
6-7
“Scene” at Sinai
8Sinai Committees 9-10Social Action 11-12My Sinai 13-15Supporting Sinai 16-17Sinai Directory 18-19May/June Calendars 20-21In the Sinai Family 22 Those We Remember 23My Sinai Summer 24-26High Holy Days 27 July/August Calendars 28-29Contributions 30-31
SINAI NEWS
Rabbi David B. Cohen • Cantor Rebecca Robins • Rabbi Emeritus Jay R. Brickman
Director of Lifelong Jewish Learning Sherry H. Blumberg, Ph.D., R.J.E.
Director of Administration Karen Lancina • Program Coordinator Jen Friedman • Sinai News Nicole Sether
Congregation Sinai • 8223 N. Port Washington Road• Fox Point, WI 53217
414.352.2970• 414.352.0944 (fax)• www.congregationsinai.org
Shabbat
Behar
May 7 Minyan Katan 5:30 pmK4-2nd Grade & CongregationalDinner 6 pmFamily Shabbat Service 7 pmMay 8 Torah Study 8 amMorning Minyan 9:30 am
Shabbat
Bamidbar
May 14 Shabbat Service 6:15 pmMay 15 Torah Study 8 amMorning Minyan 9:30 am
Erev ShavuotExodus 19:1 - 20:23 & Numbers 28:26 - 28:31
May 18 Shavuot and Affirmation Service 7 pmStudy into the Night begins at 9:30 pmMay 19 Shavuot and Yizkor Service 9 am
Shabbat
Nasso
May 21 Shabbat Service 6:15 pmSpecial Oneg honoring Dr. BlumbergMay 22 Torah Study 8 amMorning Minyan 9:30 am
Shabbat
Beha’alotcha
Spring-
Summer Edition 2010 • Iyyar
-Elul 5770
In this issue
May 29 Torah Study 8 amMorning Minyan 9:30 am
Shabbat Sh’lach
June 4 Family Shabbat Service 7 pmJune 5 Torah Study 8 amMorning Minyan 9:30 amRebecca Klippel Bat Mitzvah 10 am
Shabbat
Korach
June 11 Shabbat Service 6:15 pmJune 12 Torah Study 8 amMorning Minyan 9:30 am
Shabbat
Chukat
June 18 Shabbat Limud 6:15 pmJune 19 Torah Study 8 amMorning Minyan 9:30 am
Shabbat
Balak
June 25 Wine and Cheese 5:30 pmOutdoor Shabbat Service 6:00 pmJune 26 Torah Study 8 amMorning Minyan 9:30 am
Spring Shabbat & Holiday Schedule
Shavuot Holiday Schedule
Erev Shavuot and AffirmationCome join us Tuesday, May 18, at 7:00 pm as we celebrate the holiday of Shavuot and Affirmationof our 10th grade students. The ceremony of Affirmation is a time when our oldest students in theschool affirm their identities as Jews, a process that was started when they were consecrated andcontinued past their Bar or Bat Mitzvah. It is a group ceremony that affirms the importance of the"peoplehood of Israel." Come and celebrate with our students as they affirm their participation inboth the people of Israel and our Congregation Sinai. Oneg to follow service. And then...Study into the night!9:30 pm Chassidic Texts and Stories with Rabbi David Cohen10:15 pm Yummy dairy snack break10:30 pm Women's Poetry with Dr. Sherry BlumbergShavuot Service (with Yizkor) on Wednesday, May 19 at 9:00 am.
Why do synagogues matter? Simply put, they providea place to meet three intrinsic human needs: the need to be-long; the need to believe; and the need to become.
It’s been said we Jews are a hopelessly communal
people. We want to belong, to feel noticed and needed. Unfor- tunately, we participate in so many communities,we feel only an attenuated sense of allegiance toany one group. The soccer team, the civic group,professional associations, the boy scouts andbrownies, each of these lays partial claim to ourattention, based on a limited set of mutual inter-ests.We relate to each as a consumer. The
synagogue is different; it’s a community of cove-
nant. Relating to a community as a consumer isdifferent than relating to it as a covenantal part-ner. Where the consumer approach to communityis transactional, the covenantal approach is relational. Where the consumer approach is contingent, the covenantal ap-proach is committed. Where the consumer approach is indi-vidualistic, the covenantal approach is communal.In contrast to the consumer approach, synagoguesare intended to be a covenantal community of caring, a placewhere each person is noticed and valued, his accomplish-ments communally celebrated, her losses collectivelymourned. Reform synagogues, in particular, present a radicallyinclusive approach to community, embracing Jews irrespectiveof color, sex, status as an interfaith family, age, or sexual ori-entation. Such diversity not only strengthens our community; it
models Judaism’s most central and enduring values.
An important caveat: as every volunteer knows, the
laws of physics don’t apply, as we know them –
when we getinvolved in the synagogue, we often get back much more thanwe give.
The synagogue is also a place to explore one’s beliefs.
As Jews, we tend to stress the importance of action over be-
lief, but it’s in a reform synagogue that you would be morelikely to encounter a conversation about one’s relationship
Rabbi’s Corner
Page 2 May-August 2010
with God. The spiritual quest is alive and well and openlyembraced.
Today’s challenge to belief centers less on the nature of God, and more on the truth of the Torah’s moral message. Inour multicultural society, we are taught that what’s right for
you may be right for you and wrong for me. Whensubjected to the caveat of relativity, the Ten Com-mandments can be reduced to the ten sugges- tions.
It’s become impolitic to express the belief that
the Torah speaks clearly and universally about
what’s right and wrong. Indeed, I feel the Torahdidn’t get it right every time, e.g. the death pen-
alty for Sabbath desecrators or homosexual rela- tions, but Jewish law provided a corrective whenscience overtook ancient erroneous assumptions.Occasional errors aside, the Torah provides a
framework for justice that is True with a capital ―T‖ and
ought not be marginalized through the lens of multicultural-ism. To assert there is an ultimate right and wrong might notbe politically correct, but it is the irreducible essence of Pro-phetic Judaism, and if we consider that message seriously,
we’ll be doubly motivated to act on our beliefs, to bring jus-
tice and compassion to the world.Last, the synagogue provides not only a place tobelong and act on our beliefs
–
it also is a place to become.Just as Judaism is not a static set of beliefs and behavior,but rather is constantly evolving, each of us is somewhere
on our ―Jewish Journey.‖ No matter where you are on that
journey
–
even if you’re at the beginning!
- the synagogueprovides a place to experiment, to learn, to reflect, exploreand discover, to be empowered, and to experience life en-riched with a sense of meaning and a sense of purpose.Belonging. Believing. Becoming; three intrinsic hu-man needs, each of which can be met through involvementin the synagogue. Think about it. The S.S. Sinai sets sail
soon and we’d love to have you aboard!
Rabbi David Cohen
WHY BELONG TO A SYNAGOGUE?
From the President
I have learned from being president of Sinai thateach day I have a lot to learn. "I'velearned that people will forget what youhave said, people will forgetwhat you have done, but people willnever forget how you made them feel."And that speaks to our warm and caring congregation.Sinai is a blessing. We need tocare for it and nurture it. We need toexperience our personal mitzvah mo-ments by volunteering. The power of ONE resonates for each of us. We want to have our precious
time commitments to have purpose. Let’s make that happen
by being an active participant in synagogue life. This lastmonth I helped with the Purim festivities. I am always grati-fied when I see the tireless dedication of volunteers. Jill,
Bobbi, the Brotherhood, Jenni, Annie………the list is endless.
It reminds me that our synagogue is a place where commu-nity is created and strengthened. Our volunteers come in allshapes and sizes. Some are retired and choosing to devote time to the synagogue, others are working and raising chil-dren; yet all manage to find ways to give back to the commu-
Continued on page 3
In college, I drove a four-door Honda Civic. It wasblack, and the New York State license plate on the back read
QTPIE24. No I’m not kidding, and yes, I am slightly embar-
rassed to admit this to you all. Nevertheless, Potsdam wasabout eight hours from Long Island, and every time it came tobreak, my friend Philly Greco and I would get into my Civic(with whomever needed a ride), and Philly - always proudly in
the front seat, would announce: ―here we go Becca
- its all
about makin’ time.‖ Sometimes this went to an
extreme. A voice chimed from the back seat
―hey Becca, can we stop so I can use the bath-room?‖ ―Hold it for 20 miles,‖ Philly chimed in.―We’ve gotta make time.‖ To this day, I cannotget in a car for a road trip without thinking, ―OK
-
we gotta make time.‖
In 2010, we often find ourselves strug-
gling to ―make time.‖ ―Take this route to Chi-cago...we’ll make better time.‖ ―I would love tohave coffee with you! Let’s see when we canmake some time.‖ ―Yes! Let’s take our kids on that bike ride. When can we make time?‖
For some of us, making ―Jewish time‖ is an added
challenge. Can we fit in lighting Shabbat candles this week?What about going to temple to celebrate this holiday or that
holiday? But looking around here at Sinai, I can’t help but
see just how much time we all are making to be one dynamiccommunity. Whatever you like to do, wherever your passions
lie, there’s a way to get involved in your Jewish community
here at Sinai. Like to hike? Call Bobbi Rector and put some- thing together with Sinai Outside! Theatre junkie? SarahHwang can help you put an event together for Culture Con-
Page 3May-August 2010
nection. Love to explore new recipes? Jill Weinshel can’t
wait to welcome you to Sinai Cooks to cook and chat! Ready to start training for that 5K? Call Carrie Ellerbrock, and shecan help you set up a group here at Sinai to train with.Under the leadership of Program Coordinator JenFriedman, Membership Committee chairpersons, Elyse Cohnand Carrie Ellerbrock, a dynamic environment of diverse andinteresting opportunities is emerging at Sinai. Look right here
in this edition of the Sinai news...the ―My Sinai‖
page will direct you to countless activities, eventsand opportunities that can connect you to this
kehillah kedoshah
- this holy community.At Sinai, community is our cornerstone,and the opportunity for you to connect comeswherever you want it to be; in song with our volun- teer choir; in prayer at Friday night services; ourSaturday morning minyan; in learning in our BeitMidrash on Tuesday evenings; at the theatre; innature; on the river; in the kitchen...you name it.
If you’re making time for it, we can help you make
that time in your Sinai community.We look forward to seeing you around the building
and around town with your Sinai community...and we can’twait to hear what you’d like to see! Your passion has a placein our community, and we can’t wait to ―make time.‖ You can
reach Carrie with your ideas atsellerbrock@wi.rr.com.And
check out what’s going on around here in May, June and
through the summer -
I know there’s something you just don’t
want to pass up!Cantor Rebecca Robins
Cantor’s Notes
Congregation Sinai is on Facebook!
Become a fan and join our Congregation Sinai Facebook page. Stay connected to other Sinai members andget up to date information on events. Find us atwww.facebook.com.
From the President (continued)
nity they feel has given them personal growth and meaning.
I also helped with the Chaverim Seder. The upcoming B’nei
Mitzvah families participated by making a special dish for this special Seder. We welcomed challenged adults into oursynagogue and we became a family. Cantor Robins led theseder with her musical talents and her ruach (spirit). When Ilooked at all of the faces around the table, I knew I was thebeneficiary; I was fortunate to be there that day and be help-ing. I was in the right place.Become involved. You are a proud member of aspecial synagogue that helps you learn more about yourJewish connection. Avail yourself to take advantage of whatSinai has to offer. Join us in prayer, take a class, participatein social action, consider a family volunteer project like thefamily garden, help with a meaningful program. Make adifference; fulfill the mitzvah of tikuun olam (repairing theworld.) You can create the Jewish memories that sustain us, those memories that we instill in our children as hope for fu- ture generations, and we can join together to sustain a com-mitment to our shared future.Personally, I always remind myself that Sinai is home to me. I come here when I need to find peace, I come herelooking for an answer to the prayers of my heart. Together wecan all celebrate the beauty of our Jewish traditions.Our family has shared many special simchas with ourcongregation. In June my husband Michael and I are celebrat-ing our 40
th
wedding anniversary. We want to celebrate onceagain with our synagogue family. Please join us for an outdoorShabbat service and oneg on July 2
nd
.Judi Ketten
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