Program Guide 2019–2020 / 5780 Table of Contents About Us Holidays and Special Events ....................... 4 emple Sinai is the center of a dynamic and caring Sisterhood ........................................................ 11 community of Reform Jews in eastern Bergen Brotherhood .................................................... 18 County, New Jersey. We are a welcoming home Tfor spirituality and learning, where members celebrate Renaissance ..................................................... 19 Jewish living through deeply meaningful religious, Adult Learning ............................................... 20 educational and social experiences. Family Programming ..................................... 21 Established in 1952, Temple Sinai is the largest Reform ...................................... Temple in Bergen County and the flagship synagogue Youth Programming 22 for Reform Jews in northern New Jersey. We affirm the B’nei Mitzvah .................................................. 24 central tenets of Judaism — God, Torah and Israel — and, consistent with the principles of Reform Judaism, we Early Childhood Center ............................... 26 accept and encourage diverse thought within our beliefs Tzedakah .......................................................... 27 and prayers. Together, we discover our connection to prayer, spiritual renewal, and the inherent strength of a A Message from Our Chairs ........................ 33 supportive Jewish community. Financial Report ............................................. 34 Join with us to deepen our shared experiences. Be Staff .................................................................... 36 moved by our worship services. Explore our weekly ....................................................... Torah study. Gain new perspective through the words Leadership 39 of our guest speakers. Find a sense of belonging in a Standing Committees ................................... 40 warm and inclusive setting. Work with us to help repair our larger communities. Celebrate life’s journey with us. Whatever you might be looking for, find it here at Temple Sinai. Holidays and Special Events Erev Rosh Hashanah Sukkot Festival Service SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 MONDAY, OCTOBER 14 | 10:30 AM Come and shake the lulav at this festival service! Rosh Hashanah Hosted by Temple Emeth in Teaneck. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 Sangrias in the Sukkah 2nd Day, Rosh Hashanah MONDAY, OCTOBER 14 | 7:30 PM TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 Community Service project helping women in need of basic hygiene supplies that most of us take for granted. We will help pack supplies Kol Nidre and drink Sangrias in our beautiful Sukkah. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 Schach & Scotch Yom Kippur THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17 | 7:30 PM WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9 Join the Temple Sinai Brotherhood for an evening in the sukkah! Schach is the material covering the roof of a sukkah and Scotch . is Scotch, and alliterates. Come fulfill the mitzvah of dwelling in the sukkah and have a good time doing it! Sukkot SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13 Erev Sukkot Celebration Tot Simchat Torah & Dinner SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20 | 5 PM Join the entire Temple community as we celebrate the harvest Festival of Sukkot! The Brotherhood will raise the roof of the Sukkah Sunday Our Simchat Torah celebration begins with our Tot Service (ages 2–6) morning at 10am; join Early Childhood & Religious School families in at 5:00pm, and continues with our Tot Dinner at 5:30pm. decorating the Sukkah at 5pm; participate in our Young Family Sukkot service at 5:30; and partake of our Sukkot supper at 6:15pm, Simchat Torah & Consecration & 40th Celebration with “The Sukkah as Sacred Space: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20 | PRE-SERVICE COCKTAILS AND DINNER, Opening Your Mind and Spirit Through 5:30 PM | SIMCHAT TORAH SERVICE, 7 PM Meditation” at 7:30. Join Tania Gold of Sacred Space Meditation and Rabbi Celebratory oneg to follow Millstein for a special spiritual evening This Simchat Torah, join us for the Passing of the Scrolls and the Passing of in the Temple Sinai Sukkah. the Years. Honoring Members of Temple Sinai for 40 years or more. $36 suggested donation per person. Space is limited. Honorees are invited as our guests. RSVP: Please include the names and addresses of all guests when you respond by email to [email protected] 4 | TEMPLE SINAI OF BERGEN COUNTY 2019-2020 PROGRAM GUIDE, 5780 | 5 Sh’mini Atzeret Sisterhood Brunch MONDAY, OCTOBER 21 | 10:30 AM SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24 (see p. 15) Join us for the festival service with Yizkor memorial observance. Rock Shabbat Renaissance Luncheon FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6 | 6:30 PM SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27 | 12–2 PM Join us for our Rock Shabbat service, with Congregational Dinner at 6:30! Join your fellow Renaissance members for the annual Fall Luncheon at Temple Sinai! URJ Biennial, Chicago IL WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11— SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15 Scholar in Residence Join thousands of Jews from across North America and SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3 — TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5 around the world to learn, pray, share ideas, dance and sing, hear from inspiring speakers and the leaders of our Friday night’s talk: 49 versus 49: How to Disagree Constructively Movement; reunite with old friends, create new connections, Shabbat morning: Breaking the Tablets: Uncovering the Meaning and make decisions about the policies of the Reform of Jewish Life (text study) Movement. For more information, visit urj.org/urj-biennial Sunday lecture on Israel and Diaspora Rabbi Leon Morris is the President of Pardes. Leon Renaissance Chanukah Dinner came to Pardes from the Shalom Hartman Institute where he was Vice President for North American SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22 | 5–7 PM programs in Israel and was on the faculty of Hebrew Join your fellow Renaissance members for the annual Chanukah Dinner Union College — Jewish Institute of Religion. Leon and outdoor Menorah lighting at Temple Sinai! made aliyah with his wife Dasee Berkowitz (Pardes Year Program alumna 1994–95) and their three children in June 2014, after serving as the rabbi of Temple Trivia Night Adas Israel in Sag Harbor, NY. He was the founding director of the Skirball SATURDAY, JANUARY 11 Center for Adult Jewish Learning at Temple Emanu-El (now the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center) in Manhattan. Ordained from Hebrew Union Put on your thinking cap, grab some friends, and come play trivia! All College in 1997 where he was a Wexner Graduate Fellow, he has worked funds raised support youth activities at Temple Sinai. RSVP required— extensively with the Jewish community of India, beginning in 1990 when contact the office for details ([email protected]). he served as a Jewish Service Corps volunteer for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. He was also a Mandel Jerusalem Fellow. Leon has taught at Orthodox, Conservative and Reform institutions and is Sisterhood Cooking Class a regular contributor to the Jewish, US and Israeli press. He is an editor of TUESDAY, JANUARY 14 (see p. 15) the new Reform High Holy Day machzor, Mishkan HaNefesh. Rock Shabbat Shirah Sinai Sessions FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7 | 7:30 PM SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16 | 8 PM Bring your friends, some drinks, and your dancing Rock Shabbat Shirah (Sabbath of Song) celebrating the miraculous shoes! For one night only, the Temple Sinai Rock redemption of our people at the Red Sea. Led by singer/songwriter Shabbat band puts on a concert you won’t want to Dan Nichols. Tot service at 6 will be followed by a congregational miss. Doors open at 8pm—no charge, BYOB! dinner (RSVP required) and Rock Shabbat. 6 | TEMPLE SINAI OF BERGEN COUNTY 2019-2020 PROGRAM GUIDE, 5780 | 7 L’taken Social Justice Seminar Rock Shabbat FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7 – MONDAY, FRIDAY, MARCH 20 | 7:30 PM FEBRUARY 10 Join us for our Rock Shabbat service, with Congregational Dinner at 6:30! This annual trip is designed to help teens gain a unique understanding of the political process and see how Jewish Gala values are relevant in today’s world. Participants learn about issues that are relevant SATURDAY, MARCH 28 to us personally and collectively, as Jews and as Please save the date for our Spring Gala! Americans. The trip culminates with meetings in congressional and senatorial offices on Capitol Hill where we will personally lobby for the issues of our choice. Passover Festival Service Please contact Rabbi Millstein for more information THURSDAY, APRIL 9 | 10:30 AM ([email protected]). Passover Festival Service with Yizkor WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15 | 10:30 AM Brotherhood’s Annual Guys Night Out THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13 Rock Shabbat Join the Temple Sinai Brotherhood for our annual evening of FRIDAY, APRIL 24 | 7:30 PM socialization! As in the past, Brotherhood will be raising money for a worthy cause. Rock Shabbat FRIDAY, MAY 15 | 7:30 PM Purim MONDAY, MARCH 9 Join us for erev Purim as we celebrate with events for all ages! Teen Foundation Car Wash Tot Purim is at 5:30, with community dinner for everyone at 6:15, SUNDAY, MAY 17 | 9 AM – NOON and adult Megillah reading & spiel at 7:30pm. Support the Teen Foundation’s charitable giving by participating in their car was on the last day of Religious School, Sunday, May 17! The car wash will be open 9am–noon. Dr. Jeffrey Rubenstein SATURDAY, MARCH 14 | 9 AM Join us for Torah study lead by Dr. Rubenstein. Erev Shavuot & Confirmation Making the rich narrative world of Talmud tales fully THURSDAY, MAY 28 accessible to modern readers, renowned Talmud scholar Dr. Rubenstein popularizes both well-known and unknown stories, analyzes the tales in their Shavuot Festival Service original Talmudic context, explores their