congregation sinai milwaukee newsletter--fall, 2015

Shabbat/Holiday Schedule 2

Reflections, Sinai @ 60 3

Sinai @ 60 Honors 4

Create a Jewish Legacy 5

Sinai Engagement 6

Lifelong Jewish Learning 7-11

Whats Happening 12-16

Women of Sinai,

Brit Nashim 17

Brotherhood 18

Social Action Committee 19-21

Chesed 22

Scene at Sinai 23

Library News 24

Supporting Sinai 25

Calendars 26-28

In the Sinai Family 29-30

Contributions 30-32

Those We Remember 33

SINAI NEWS

Rabbi David B. Cohen Cantor Lauren Phillips Rabbi Emeritus Jay R. Brickman Director of Youth Education Barb Shimansky, MSW Director of Administration Karen Lancina Program Coordinator Jen Friedman

Assistant to Rabbi and Cantor Karen Hintz School Administrator Jeri Danz Bookkeeper Ilene Wasserman 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

August, September, October 2015 Av 5775-Cheshvan 5776

In this issue

A quarterly publication Issue 22, Volume 1

Here I am again. President. Some 20+ years after I did it

before. Am I crazy? Is this a good idea? Why, you ask

would I be willing to do it again? For me the answer was

easy and clear. I saw Sinai at a turning point. With Rabbi

Cohen at my side I was willing to take the job again, to

take us to the next step in our maturation. Sinai is my

Jewish home. I hope most of you feel the same way. And,

because its our home, we need to support it to the best of our ability from a financial point of view and from a volun-

teering point of view. As we do these things, we will con-

tinue to make it the place we want to grow and live our

Jewish lives.

As I embarked upon this new role (again) as President, it seemed to me

that changes were imperative to ensuring the future of our Jewish home: Step One

was to change our fair share dues commitment structure to a voluntary pledge pro-

gram. As a result of this change, many of our families were incredibly generous and

increased their annual pledge. Others told us of hardship their families are current-

ly going through and told us that they needed to pay less. Being a part of our fami-

ly, we are happy to understand each familys needs and welcome them. We had a congregant tell us that they are snow birds for the winter and belonged to another

congregation for half of the year. Generously, they kept their Sinai pledge the

same. Our bottom line is that everyone's story is unique and everyone's contribu-

tion is meaningful and important to us. Thank you, thank you!

Step Two is to listen to you so that we can best meet the Jewish needs of

our Sinai family as a whole. To that end, we held some listening sessions this past

spring. To those that attended we learned a lot. To those who did not attend I am

available to listen to you. Our entire Board of Trustees is also available to lis-

ten. Please call or email any one of us.

Step Three has not yet been written. Helping me this year I have an incred-

ible group of Officers, Trustees and of course our professional staff. I am confident

and excited how "our" Sinai family is going to grow and flourish. Let's write this next

step and our future together.

Chip Mann

[email protected]

262-238-1535

Presidents Message

Outdoor Shabbat Continues Thru September at Sinai! Outdoor Shabbat Services continue thru September 25th at 6:00 pm. Join

us for Kabbalat Shabbat at 5:30 pm for wine & cheese.

Friday, September 18 Shabbat Shuva Services will be held lakeside at the

home of Moshe and Deb Katz.

See page 6 of the HHD section for more details.

Shabbat Vaetchanan

Deuteronomy 3:23 - 7:11

July 31 Kabbalat Shabbat 5:30 pm

Outdoor Shabbat Service 6 pm

August 1 Torah Study 8 am

Morning Minyan 9:30 am

Shabbat Eikev


August 7 Kabbalat Shabbat 5:30 pm




Shabbat Reeh Deuteronomy 11:26 - 16:17





Shabbat Shoftim






Shabbat Ki Teitzei



Outdoor Softball Shabbat 6 pm



Jordan Berger Bar Mitzvah 5 pm

Shabbat Ki Tavo


September 4 Kabbalat Shabbat 5:30 pm


September 5 Torah Study 8 am


Selichot

September 5 Dessert Reception 8 pm

Selichot Study Session 8:30 pm

Selichot Service 10 pm

Shabbat Nitzavim



Shabbat Service 6 pm



Erev Rosh Hashanah

September 13 Erev Rosh Hashanah Service 8 pm

Rosh Hashanah

September 14 Morning Service 9:30 am

Young Children & Family Service,

Tashlich & Shofar Blowing Contest 3 pm

Rosh Hashanah

September 15 2nd Day Service 9:30 am

Shabbat Vayeilech


September 18 Shabbat Shuva Service 6 pm (off site)



Erev Yom Kippur

September 23 Kol Nidre Service 8 pm

Yom Kippur

September 24 Morning Service 9:30 am

Afternoon Study Session 12:30 pm

Young Children & Family Service 2 pm

Afternoon Service 3 pm

Yizkor 4:30 pm

Nilah 5:30 pm

Shabbat Ha Azinu Deuteronomy 32:1 - 32:52


Shabbat Service 6 pm



Erev Sukkot

September 27 Erev Sukkot Service 6:15 pm

Sukkot

September 28 Sukkot Morning Service 9:30 am

Shabbat Vezot Haberakhah


October 2 Shabbat Service 6:15 pm

October 3 Torah Study 8 am


Miranda Lile Bat Mitzvah 10 am

Simchat Torah

October 4 Erev Simchat Torah Service 6:15 pm

October 5 Simchat Torah Morning Service w/Yizkor 9:30 am

Shabbat Bereshit

Genesis 1:1 - 6:8




Ethan Schlesinger Bar Mitzvah 10 am

Shabbat Noach

Genesis 6:9 - 11:32

October 16 Green Shabbat Service 6:15 pm



Shabbat Lech-Lecha

Genesis 12:1 - 17:27




Lauren Glusman Bat Mitzvah 10 am

Shabbat Vayera

Genesis 18:1 - 22:24

October 30 Friday Night Lights Family Shabbat: Unplugged Service 5:15 pm

Congregational Dinner 6 pm

Shabbat Service 7:30 pm



August-October Shabbat & Holiday Service Schedule

Page 2 August-October 2015

Now is the time to Share Sinai!

What is it that YOU love about Sinai?

Warm, inclusive & musical worship? Engaging, interesting and challenging learning? Nights at the theatre, the ballpark or on the hiking trail with your Sinai community?

Share what YOU love about Sinai with a friend!

We are proud to offer you the opportunity to bring your friends and families into the amazing community that is Congregation Sinai.

Know someone interested in checking us out?

Please contact our Program Coordinator, Jen Friedman at (414) 352-2970 or [email protected]. Shell give you a token to share with your unaffiliated friends or family. Good for a one-year membership at Sinai.*

Bring your friends & family into our congregational family! Share what you love!

*Religious School fees not included

Reflections

Certainty Unlike its daughter religions, Christianity and Islam, Judaism viewed certainty with suspicion. The ordinary populace AM HAARETS was assumed to have small capacity for understanding. Those indi-

viduals who were closest to God, and who were recipients of revelation in visions and dreams, were the

prophets. Of all of these, the one whose awareness of Gods word was most accurate, was Moses. The moment that Moses stood closest to God was atop Mt. Sinai when he was presented with the Ten Words. But even when the greatest prophet was afforded the greatest of revelations, Moses did not confront God face to face. The most perfect of men was only granted a vision of Gods back. Henry Slonimsky, beloved dean of my seminary, suggested that all that Moses saw was the knot of the Tephillin

on the back of Gods head. Our contemporary world is threatened by the rivalry of contending visions of what is correct. The continued existence

of the universe rests upon our capacity to devise compromise postures which prove partially satisfactory to each, and allow

rival dominions to live side by side in relative tranquility.

Rabbi Jay R. Brickman


Dear Sinai,

Thank you for your support of the Sinai@60 Brick Campaign.

We surpassed our goal of 115 bricks donated, and the order has been

submitted. We are hoping for a late August installation. The new medi-

tation space will be dedicated sometime in early fall. A date will be set

and announced in the future based on delivery and installation. The

brick campaign will continue throughout the next year or until we have

reached another 100 plus bricks on any order. (No shipping costs!).

Remember, any time you would like to honor someone or commemo-

rate a special event why not donate a brick? Make your mark and support your Sinai community!

Visit the website: www.congregationsinai.donationbricks.com Order

forms in the lobby at Sinai. Questions? Email [email protected]

Shelly Seesel or Terry Jacobs [email protected]

Sinai@60 Brick Campaign

Sinai@60 Honors...


Celebrating Sinai at 60!

LDor Va Dor - From Generation to Generation! Honoring Generations of Leadership at

Congregation Sinai

Saturday October 17, 2015 7:00 - 10:00 pm Dining, Honoring, Entertainment

Dr. Jay Larkey and Lois Malawsky KETTER TIKKUN OLAM The Crown of Social Action Award

In recognition of their lifelong passion and efforts in the areas of Social Action and

Repairing the World

Dr. Marvin and Marlene Lauwasser KETTER MALCHUT The Crown of Exemplary Leadership Award

In recognition of their vison, commitment, and devotion to the Congregation Sinai and

Milwaukee Jewish community.

Tedd and Julie Lookatch KETTER KEHILLAH The Crown of Community and Engagement Award

In recognition of their involvement and dedication in the areas of Community,

Engagement, and Volunteerism

Join us as we honor these couples who exemplify exceptional leadership and

dedication at Congregation Sinai and in the wider community. We honor their

passion and talents that they share with our congregation and the connections

they make in our community. They inspire us with their ruach (spirit)

enthusiasm and their wonderful ability to lead by example.

Save the

Date!

Invitation to follow

August-October 2015

As others may do, I

joined Congregation Sinai when

it came time for my son Noahs Bar Mitzvah preparations. I ex-

pected that Noah would receive

a fine education and have a

positive Bar Mitzvah experi-

ence. I did not expect that I

would find a second home.

A single mother, I had

become tired of coming solo to

group events. Even so, I be-gan popping into Shabbat ser-

vices. Despite my rusty prayer

book recollections, I was en-

tranced by the services sweet-ness, the Rabbis kindness and affirming spirit, and the comfort of my fellow worshippers. After a while, my Hebrew

school teachings returned, and I began to say or sing the

prayers in earnest. Shabbat services, when I could get to

them, became my favorite part of the week.

Later, on a whim, I emailed Idy Goodman about the

Social Action Committee. With her warm Welcome! I moved from passive congregant to active Sinaite. Shyly at

first, then brimming with energy, I found my place, and my

Sinai kindred spirits. From environmental Shabbats to Immi-

gration Seders to Pathfinders Barrels to Voting Rights

Speakers, we have the most active Social Action Committee

in the Milwaukee area, if not the state. Our immigration

work has been nationally honored by the RACs Irving J. Fain Award.

Along with committee involvement, I have begun

taking classes. Well, I took one class with Rabbi Cohen and

had to miss its last session. I am still determined to take

another, when schedules permit.

The point is, Sinai has so much to offer. But ser-

vices, classes, committees, and programs need more than

attendees to thrive. They need financial security.

When the Sinai eNews began promoting the Create

A Jewish Legacy program, I watched as the numbers of Leg-

acy Circle members grew each month. Surely, I thought, the

intended commitment would be too rigid, the financial in-

vestment too steep, for my circumstances. I am happy to

admit I was wrong.

The Create A Jewish Legacy program is my way to

thank Sinai for welcoming this lapsed and religiously igno-

rant woman into its family and reigniting my Jewish identity.

To thank Rabbi Cohen for focusing us all on our spiritual

obligation to make the world a better place for everyone,

Jew and non-Jew alike (and for not showing me the door

when my adolescent son blew off religious classes for car

rides with his friends). To thank Idy Goodman, Craig Johnson

and all the Social Action Committee members for their con-

tinued spirited, concrete work to fulfill that Jewish mission.

The Legacy program is my way to make sure that the Con-

gregation Sinai that I adore will continue for my son and

Create a Jewish Legacy

grandchildren (if I ever get to be a Bubbie). And for you and

yours.

Every Sinaite has his own favorite congregation pro-

gram, class or event. Yours may be the religious school, adult

education classes. Shabbat Congregational Dinners, the Broth-

erhood, Women of Sinai, Brit Nashim, or even Mah Jongg. Whatever is special to you, is special to other congregants.

Your Legacy will help it continue.

As for me, Ive missed services lately, but Ill get back to them. I even bought the Shabbat prayer book and sing

some prayers while I cook. When I joined Congregation Sinai

those years ago, I could not have imagined I would be doing

these things today. Who knew?

Diane Slomowitz

August-October 2015

Hello, my name is Larry Glusman, the self-denominated Engagement Czar of Congregation Sinai. I am one of your Vice Presidents and was previously a Board Member serving most recently on

the Executive Committee. My wife Caroline and I joined Sinai in 1996. We have two children, Jack (14)

and Lauren (12), who will celebrate her bat mitzvah in late October.

As part of Chip Manns new presidency, he has asked each of the officers to concentrate on one aspect of the synagogue such as membership or education. He wants us to try to function without

formal committees, in a more organic and independent manner. My concentration is engagement, and

I lightheartedly likened my position to that of a US-style czar.

During World War I, Woodrow Wilson appointed financier Bernard Baruch to head the War In-

dustries Board a position dubbed industry czar (this just one year after the final Russian czar, Nicholas II, was overthrown in the Russian Revolution). Franklin Roosevelt had czars during

World War II, overseeing such aspects of the war effort as shipping and synthetic-rubber pro-

duction. The term was then essentially retired until the presidency of Richard Nixon, who ap-

pointed the first drug czar and a well-regarded energy czar, to navigate the 1970s oil crisis. Most recently, weve had a green jobs czar and a car czar to deal with the auto bailout.

-A Brief History of White House Czars, Time Magazine, Randy Jones (9-23-2009)

Engagement is a very broad topic and essentially encompasses the entirety of the Sinai experience. How and when

and why each of us engages with Sinai or any institution in our lives is complicated and differs greatly from person to person.

Sinais goal is to provide avenues for engagement for everyone and to increase the frequency and depth of engagement. Cer-tain paths to engagement are clear worship services, adult learning, religious school, life-cycle events, sisterhood, brother-hood, committees. You will continue to hear about the many great opportunities available at Sinai, and I encourage you to

participate wholeheartedly.

Over the next several months, I will continue my dialogue with clergy, administration, board members, committee

chairs and congregants to gather views on engagement How do you define it? Whats working? What isnt? Why? My door is always open, and I encourage anyone who would like to talk to reach out to me by phone or e-mail, or we can meet in per-

son. It is vital that we hear from you.

I strongly believe that in order to increase and strengthen engagement, we have to look beyond the traditional ave-

nues. We must uncover the hidden paths to engagement, what I call our Inner Sinai. What hidden interests, skills and tal-ents exist within our Sinai community just waiting for us to tap into and connect with? Are you tech savvy? Are you a history

buff? Are you musical? Are you a great cook? Are you an educator? Are you a writer? Are you willing to share more about

yourself and your family to help inform new and existing programming and to help create opportunities for meaningful connec-

tions between congregants and Sinai itself? We will be designing some surveys later this fall to try to mine this data and then

put it to work forming new affinity groups and using our soon-to-be-introduced new website and social media to provide addi-

tional platforms to engage.

So please take me up on my offer to talk about engagement. I look forward to hearing from you soon and often. Lets discover our Inner Sinai and make the most of our warm and welcoming Sinai community.

Larry Glusman

[email protected] or (414-303-5853)

Hidden Path to Engagement: Getting in Touch with our Inner Sinai

Lifelong Jewish Learning


In the Rabbis Study Sunday, October 18 10:00 am Author and veteran Journalist Avi Lank and

Rabbi David Cohen discuss Avis book: The Man Who Painted the Universe: The Story

of a Planetarium in the Heart of the North

Woods by Ron Legro (Author), Avi

Lank (Author) As a young boy Frank Kovac Jr. fell deeply in love with star-

gazing, painting glow-in-the-dark constellations on his bedroom wall

and inviting friends to an observatory he built in his Chicago backyard.

As he reached adulthood, Kovac did not let go of his childhood

dreams of reaching the stars. He began scheming to bring the uni-

verse home. While working at a paper mill as a young man, Kovac

tirelessly built a 22-foot rotating globe planetarium in the woods. De-

spite failures and collapses, the amateur astronomer singlehandedly

built a North Woods treasure, painting more than 5,000 glowing

starsdot by dot in glowing paints. Today, Kovac and his unique plan-etarium take visitors to the stars every day.

The Man Who Painted the Universe: The Story of a Planetari-

um in the Heart of the North Woods introduces readers to the mild-

mannered astronomy enthusiast whose creativity, ingenuity, fervor,

and endurance realized a dream of galactic proportions. The story of

this stargazer from Wisconsins North Woods so inspired two newspa-permen, authors Ron Legro and Avi Lank, that they sought to docu-

ment the story of the Kovac Planetarium for a new generation of star-

gazers and dreamers.

Avi Lank is an essayist for Milwaukee Public Radio and panel-

ist on the Interchange public-affairs program on Milwaukee Public

Television. For almost 40 years he was an award-winning reporter,

columnist, and editor at the Milwaukee Sentinel and later the Journal

Sentinel. Born in Penn Yan in the Finger Lakes region of western New

York State, he grew up in Rochester, New York, and

holds degrees from Antioch College and the Medill

School of Journalism of Northwestern University. He

lives in Whitefish Bay,

Wisconsin, with his

wife, Dannette Lank.

Young-at-Hearts Senior Singles Group

Young-at-Hearts is a social group for those looking to connect and make new friends in a social setting. This is not a grief group, or matchmaking group, but a social group intended to bring together people who may be divorced, lost a spouse or just want to regain the fun in life! Young-at-Hearts conducts monthly meetings and then often go to lunch together at Maxfields. Out-ings and activities include: card games, lunches, dinners, sporting events, mah jongg, theater etc. Young-at-Hearts is open to all Jewish seniors in the community. Meetings are held at Congregation Shalom, 7630 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Fox Point.

Next meetings: Dates: Wednesday, September 9, Wednesday, October 14 Time: 10:00 - 11:30 am followed by lunch at Maxfields

To sign up for a meeting contact Jen Friedman at [email protected] or call 352-2970.

Rethinking Modern Judaism: The Role of

Ritual, Commandment and Community Session 1 Tuesday nights Oct. 6 Dec. 15 7:30 - 9:00 PM The story of modern Judaism often fea-

tures traditional beliefs being changed or discarded

because of the Enlightenment. Newer thinking plac-

es an emphasis on the role of the Emancipation

(new roles for Jews in non-Jewish society) as the

engine of Jewish transformation. How did the civil

rights, economic possibilities, and social challenges

that came with the Emancipa-

tion shape the Judaism we

know today? What new factors

have come into play to shape

the Jewish future of tomorrow?

Cost:

Members - free

Non-members - $36

Please register at:

http://rethinkingmodernjudaism.eventbrite.com

Kuzari: Arguments in Defense of Judaism

with Rabbi Jay Brickman Mondays, 4:00 5:15 pm The Kuzari is a defense of classical Jewsh

theology written by Judah HaLevi, an outstanding

poet-philosophy who lived in 12th Century Spain.

Class will read the Kuzari in Hebrew and in

English (Reading knowledge of Hebrew is re-

quired).

The class will meet at

the home of Rabbi & Mrs. Jay R

Brickman.

RSVP to Karen Hintz at

(414) 352-2970.

Ongoing Adult Learning



Lunch & Learn Rambams Shmoneh Perakim:

Maimonides

Day: Mondays, beginning October 19

Time: 12:00 PM

Facilitator: Rabbi David B. Cohen

RAMBAMs Shmoneh Perakim: Maimonides Commentary on Pirke Avot, Sayings of

our Ancestors

Join us on Mondays at noon for sixty

fast-paced minutes of learning. Our

text will be Maimonides commentary on Pirke Avot. Living in Cairo, Egypt in

the 12th century, RAMBAM reads the

rabbis collection of Wisdom Literature and aphorisms with

the eye of an Aristotelian philosopher,

endeavoring to find structure and a set of core

principles that comprise all of Judaism.

Cost: Members - free

Non-members - $54

To register: http://lunchandlearnrambam.eventbrite.com

A Modern Rabbis Approach to the Bible

Day: Wednesdays

Time: 9:30 AM

Facilitator: Rabbi Jay Brickman

Rabbi Brickman is a trained Jungian, a

philosopher, and a practitioner of Tai Chi.

If you havent studied with him now is the time!

Through the Eyes of Women

Day: Fridays

Time: 9:30 AM

Facilitator: Dr. Sherry Blumberg

Using the Torah: A Woman's

Commentary as a text, we are

discussing the Torah, verse by verse using critical

questions, feminist readings, modern midrash,

traditional commentaries and women's poetry.

Registration for this class will be open thru October 30th.

To register:

http://thrutheeyesofwomen2015.eventbrite.com

Cost: Members - free

Non-members - $54

Shabbat Morning Torah Study

Day: Saturdays

Time: 8:00 AM

Facilitator: Rabbi Jay Brickman

Verse by verse, line by line, word by word, the

Torah comes alive!

School News



In a recent class I took on Educational Leadership,

my colleagues and I were challenged with the question,

What is the point of Jewish education? Or, to put it another way, what is the fundamental human need that is derived

from Jewish education and by extension, Judaism? What evolved was a rich conversation

where we attempted to put into words the things

that we each, as Jewish educators, inherently felt.

There was talk about the communal as-

pects of Judaism. Namely, there is a need for peo-

ple to feel that they belong to a community, as

well as a desire to feel connected to something

larger than oneself. In our modern American

world, we often belong to multiple communities,

but it is the Jewish community that frequently

allows people to feel grounded among all the oth-

er things we have going on in our lives. Our con-

nections to friends in the Jewish community can

sometimes run far deeper than our connections with others;

this is mostly due to an underlying shared values system

that is rooted in Judaism. We are not only connected to oth-

er Jewish people locally and throughout the world, but also

to thousands of years of Jewish history before us, and to all

that will come after us. Seeing ourselves as a vital part of

the thread of Jewish continuity can serve as a powerful re-

minder of the role we each play in contributing to the Jewish

community and to making the world a better place.

But the majority of our discussion focused on indi-

vidual rather than communal needs. We mentioned the op-

portunity, through our work as Jewish educators, to help

people develop a moral compass and to work toward self-

actualization. What greater jobs do we each have in life than

these? And how fortunate we are to have Judaism as a guid-

ing force in this work! It was also mentioned that Judaism

provides a structure in which this work can take place. This

is largely done through the fulfillment of mitzvot the 613 commandments that we find in the Torah. Although many

can no longer be carried out (as they pertain specifically to

the Temple in Jerusalem, which no longer exists), and many

others may no longer be relevant in and of themselves,

there is moral intention behind all of them that we can use

as a framework for living as good people in the world.

Another aspect we identified is the human desire to

make a difference. This is such a fundamental part of Juda-

ism that we have a phrase for it Tikkun Olam, which literally means fixing the world. Through our teachings, we learn the

ways in which the world needs healing, and discover the gifts

we each have to contribute to that cause in our own corners

of the universe. Sometimes it may feel like our

efforts are not enough. But as Hillel said, It is not our task to complete the work, nor are we free to

desist from it. Anything we can do in the spirit of Gmilut Chasadim (acts of loving kindness) can help in improving our world. This is also a vital

way in which we can live out those mitzvot I men-

tioned earlier to walk through the world with the intention to make it better. As my long-time teach-

er Cantor Ellen Dreskin says, If it doesnt make a difference, what difference does it make? Toward the end of our discussion, some-

one quoted the wise sages John Lennon and Paul

McCartney by pointing out, All you need is love. Psycholo-gist Abraham Maslow would disagree that this is ALL we

need, though it is certainly the basis for being able to achieve

all of the other needs we encounter throughout our lives. And

if there is one fundamental truth that Judaism can offer, it is

love. We can find that throughout our tradition not always overtly, but it is there. In fact, when we complete the cycle of

Torah on Simchat Torah and immediately, without taking a

breath, begin again, we are connecting the last letter of the

Torah, a lamed, with the first letter, a bet, which can also be

read as a vet. The letters lamed-vet spells lev, the Hebrew

word for heart. This indicates that the Torah, Gods gift to the Jewish people, is wrapped in love, an essential need that can

be met through our teachings. Perhaps love is not ALL we

need, but so many of our fundamental human needs com-munity, developing a moral compass, self-actualization,

learning, and making a difference can be met through Jew-ish living.

So what is the point of Jewish education? Learning

gives us the tools to do all of this, and to do it well, and to

continue refining it throughout our lives.

Barb Shimansky, MSW

Director of Youth Education

Questions about any

of our youth group

programming?

Contact Barb Shimansky at:

[email protected]

Join us at an upcoming event with the North American Federation

of Temple Youth (NFTY)! All NFTY-Northern regional events are

open to Sinai members in grades 9-12.

NFTY-Northern Summer Kallah

(with the Chicago Area region):

August 12-16 at OSRUI, Oconomowoc, WI

NFTY-Northern Fall Kallah: October 9-11

in Duluth, MN

School News



"Tzedakah" is the Hebrew word for justice. One of the many ways that we create justice in the world is by contributing

money to organizations that help "lift up the fallen," thereby moving closer to a day when everyone will have what they need.

During this past school year, each class was assigned a month in which they determined the recipient of the school's

tzedakah funds. This proved to be a great way for our students to examine their values, learn about various organizations that

speak to those values, and then educate our Youth Education Program community about the importance of giving to their cho-

sen recipients. Here are some thank-you notes from the organizations that were chosen.

August-October 2015


School News

Kulanu begins on Tuesday, October 13 at 6:45 pm.

All 8th-12th grade Sinai members are encouraged to join us

for the second year of our combined learning program with

Congregations Beth Israel Ner Tamid and Emanu-El Bne Jeshurun. NEW THIS YEAR: We will begin later and will not

serve dinner; instead, we will have a longer break between

classes that includes a snack. We

are moving to a trimester system,

so you will choose three electives

throughout the year, and each con-

gregation will host Kulanu for a full

trimester. We are also planning

more collaborative programs with

BBYO. Our first trimester will be

hosted at Sinai! Not sure about

Kulanu? Join us for the opening

evening and check it out!

Save the Date!

Mark your calendars

for Sinai Mitzvah Day on

Sunday, October 25!

Projects for all ages! Lets come

together as a Sinai community

and make a difference!

Be sure to join us for our Youth Education Program

Open House on Sunday, September 20!

Stop in any time between 9:30 am and noon to meet the

teachers and Madrichim who will be working with your child

(ren) in the upcoming school year, and participate in some

fun family holiday activities! We look forward to seeing you!

BE A SINAI MADRICH(A)! Congregation Sinai Teen Counselor Program

* Earn money or community service hours

* Stand out on college applications

* Be a stronger candidate for summer jobs

* Make a positive impact upon Jewish kids

All 8th-12th grade post Bnei Mitzvah are eligible

Madrichim (assistants) help out

in Religious School classrooms

or the office on Sunday

mornings, and may have the

opportunity to help plan and

lead other events within the

Youth Education Program!

For an application, please contact Barb:

[email protected].

Applications are due by Friday, August 21, 2016.

Back-to-School Cereal Breakfast!

Sunday, September 27 at 9:30 am.

Bring your favorite box of cereal and

your excitement for another year of

learning in the Youth Education Program!

Midweek Mitkadem classes will begin on

Tuesday, September 29 and

Thursday, October 1.

CoSY Pizza in the Hut!

Families are invited to join

us for a Shabbat pizza

dinner in the Sukkah on Friday, October 2 at 5:30 pm.

More details to follow, but

mark your calendars now!

Sinai Family Retreat SAVE THE DATE!

Our Sinai Family Retreat will

be held this year from

November 20-22 at Olin-Sang-Ruby Union

Institute camp in Oconomowoc, WI.

Registration will open soon!!

August-October 2015

Whats Happening

We value every member at Congregation Sinai even our youngest! Our preschool age program (birth-3) is called Itsy Bitsy Sinai. It includes Sunday morning fun with the rabbi and the cantor.

We want to make coming to synagogue something that our youngest

children look forward to a place of joy and laughter and fun. We strive to help parents connect to others with similar aged children, to develop

bonds that will enable them to share their Jewish journeys together.

RSVP to: https://itsybitsysinaiseptember2015.eventbrite.com

(Birth - 3) Itsy Bitsy Sinai

Sunday, September 20th at 10:15 AM

Activities will include:

Songs

Stories

Instruments

Craft & holiday projects

Sinai in in the City What does it mean to be a young, professional Jewish adult in 2015? Are you

looking for a point of entry into metropolitan Jewry? Do you have a child or

know someone affiliated or unaffiliated - that is looking to meet other young Jewish professionals? Look no further.

Join Cantor Lauren Phillips for a unique alternative Shabbat and Holiday experience downtown for

young professionals. Well utilize media, music, current topics, and alternative venues to worship, share, and get to know each other. This is a chance to meet like-minded Jewish adults to

schmooze, eat, share in a little Torah and a lot of conversation! Come be a part of Judaism in a

meaningful way that is relevant to you and your life. Young adults and grad students 20s and 30s, singles, couples, married all are welcome!

Thursday, September 17th at 7:30 pm (location TBAwatch the eNews!) "Sin Before You Atone" - A chance to eat, drink, and schmooze before casting the sins of

the past year into the water. Bring flashlights for this moonlight gathering on Milwaukee's

lakefront. Please RSVP at: https://sinaiinthecityseptember2015.eventbrite.com

August-October 2015

Whats Happening

Dine at the Annual Sukkot BBQ!

Sunday, October 4th 5:00 PM - BBQ - rain or shine! Celebrate in the Sukkah with Rabbi Cohen and Cantor Phillips. Enjoy delicious food, socialize and shake the lulov!

Cost: Adults $10, Children 12 and under $7, Children 3 and under are free RSVP by September 29th at https://sinaisukkotbarbeque2015.eventbrite.com

Co-sponsored by Sinai Brotherhood, Israel Committee & Mitbach Sinai

Erev Simchat Torah! Sunday, October 4th at 6:15 PM

Come see the Torah completely unrolled!

Together we rejoice in the celebration of

Torah! Well sing, dance, and read Torah as we roll our scroll back to the beginning.

Caramel apples for all!

Who Wants to be in a Band?

Perform at Simchat Torah

Attention kids: Are you interested in being

in a band?

Playing music?

Singing?

Join the Sinai Youth Band!

*Thursday September 24: 6:00-7:30 pm

*Sunday September 20: 12:00-1:30 pm (right after religious school)

*Thursday October 1: 6:00-7:30 pm Please make sure that your child attends at least

two of the three rehearsals.

If your child would be interested in participating,

please e-mail Cantor Phillips at

[email protected] with your childs name and instrument (vocalists are welcome, of

course).

August-October 2015

Whats Happening

Shabbat for everyone at Sinai! Our community is comprised of young families, empty nesters, seniors, singles, couples, etc. Lets come together for a Shabbat dinner - you choose the service that fits your needs!

Friday, October 30th 5:15 PM: Family Shabbat Unplugged Service with Special Guests Marc & Wendy Cohen 6:00 PM: Shabbat Dinner - All welcome! 7:30 PM: Shabbat Service with Oneg to follow

Congregational Shabbat Dinner Cost: Adults: $10, Children 12 and under: $7, Children 3 and under: free

Please RSVP by Monday, October 26th at

https://sinaishabbatdinneroct2015.eventbrite.com

Sinai Mitzvah Day Interested in helping to plan the day and/or lead a site activity?

Sunday, October 25th

Please contact Julie Turetsky at [email protected].

Friday Night Lights!

August-October 2015

Whats Happening

Youth & Family Programming

Sinai Youth & Family Programming 2015-2016

Weekly Shabbat: We welcome everyone to experience Shabbat at Congregation Sinai. Family Friendly Friday Shabbat services

are at 6:15 PM weekly during the year and 6:00 PM during the summer months when we are outdoors. We have 5:15 PM

musical unplugged services and 6:15 PM Rockin services. All Shabbat services last approximately one hour please visit the website for updates.

Tefillah: All religious school Sunday mornings begin at 9:30 AM with a VERY family friendly 25 minute service, with song and a

Dvar of the weekly Torah portion. All ages are welcome to come experience this beautiful way to start the day. High Holy Days: Interested in sharing a holy day experience? Wed love for you to join us! Give us a call for some complimentary seats for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

August

Friday 7 6:00 PM Outdoor Shabbat (5:30 PM wine & cheese)



Friday 28 6:00 PM Outdoor Shabbat featuring the softball team recap followed by BBQ and Smores!

September


Friday 11 6:00 PM Final Outdoor Shabbat (5:30 PM wine & cheese)

Monday 14 3:00 PM Rosh Hashanah Childrens Services,Tashlich & Oneg & Shofar Blowing Contest Sunday 20 10:15 AM Itsy Bitsy Sinai - story, song, crafts - ages 0-4 Sunday 20 9:30 AM 1st day religious school

Wed. 23 2:00 PM Yom Kippur Childrens Service 6:30 PM Break-the-Fast (all welcome)

Sunday 27 9:30 AM Back to School Cereal breakfast

October

Sunday 4 5:00 PM Sukkot BBQ followed by Simchat Torah celebration, Dancing and Taffy Apples

Sunday 25 9:30 AM Sinai Mitzvah Day

Friday 30 5:15 PM Friday Night Lights Family Shabbat Unplugged Service with special guests Marc and Wendy Cohen

6:00 PM Congregational Dinner

November

Friday 13 6:15 PM Rockin Family Shabbat 7:15 PM Congregational Dinner

Sunday 15 10:15 AM Itsy Bitsy Sinai story, song, crafts ages 0-4

December

Friday 11 6:15-7:00 PM Channukah Shabbat Unplugged with school participation followed by

Sufganiot Oneg

Sunday 13 10:15 AM Itsy Bitsy Sinai story, song, crafts - ages 0-4 11:30 AM Consecration (families new to religious school)

12:00 PM Design-Your-Own Chanukiyah Contest, Mitzvah Menorah gift wrapping &

Latke Lunch

January

Sunday 10 9:30 AM Pancake Breakfast

10:15 AM Itsy Bitsy Sinai story, song, crafts - ages 0-4 Friday 22 6:15 PM Rockin Family Shabbat 7:15 PM Potluck Dinner

August-October 2015

Whats Happening

Youth & Family Programming

February



March

Friday 18 6:15 PM Rockin Family Shabbat Sunday 20 10:15 AM Itsy Bitsy Sinai story, song, crafts - ages 0-4 Wed. 23 4:30 PM Purim Carnival (come in costume!)

6:30 PM Family Megillah reading & Hamentashen

April



May

Friday 13 6:15 PM Shabbat Unplugged & Teacher Appreciation with school participation with guests

Marc and Wendy Cohen

Sunday 22 11:00 AM Itsy Bitsy Sinai story, song, crafts-ages 0-4 12:00 PM Year End Family Picnic

For information on any of our programming or to RSVP for an event at Congregation Sinai, please contact:

Jen Friedman Program Coordinator 414-352-2970 or [email protected] Visit our website at www.congregationsinai.org

Mitbach Sinai (Sinai Cooks!)

October 26th at 6:00 PM Do you enjoy cooking for fun with friends? Or do you

find yourself in the kitchen at every party? Come have a

glass of wine with Sinai Cooks! We gather in the Sinai kitchen (Mitbach) to cook and bake

for the Sinai community and our own fun.

Projects include Sinai events, soup for our congregants who need a little TLC, classes,

onegs, and whatever we want to plan. We promise laughter, great conversation and

friendship! Please look to your eNews for cooking dates and times. Looking forward to

seeing many new faces!

Have a great Sinai Cooks! Idea? RSVP to Jill Weinshel @ [email protected]

August-October 2015

Women of Sinai

Break-the-Fast with Sinai Each year, on Yom Kippur, as N'ilah draws to

a close, our Sinai family comes together for a warm

and delicious break fast meal that is sponsored by

the Women of Sinai.

How can you help make this community

building meal a success?

Make a plan to attend and join your Sinai family as we welcome a new year. Don't miss the N'ilah

service right before the meal, as it is one of the

most spiritually uplifting services of the High

Holiday season.

Bake for our dessert table. Cookies, bars and other individually portioned bakery items are needed.

Make a donation to Women of Sinai to help offset the cost of the caterer. Donations can be sent to or

dropped off at the Sinai office.

Join Women of Sinai Once we begin 5776, look for your Women

of Sinai membership letter to arrive in the mail. All

women of the congregation are welcome and encour-

aged to join, no matter where you are on life's jour-

ney. Women of Sinai supports all aspects of congre-

gational life, and we need our members to help us

make that happen. If you have not yet found our Fa-

cebook page, be sure to "like" us at facebook.com/

womenofsinai in order to receive event information

and updates. Have a question or idea? Contact us at

[email protected]. We are looking for-

ward to a fun year of sisterhood!

Sinai Committees

Break-the-Fast Kugels & Desserts

If you are able to bake a kugel or dessert, please let us know by contacting Judy Shor at [email protected] or https://bakingbreakthefast2015.eventbrite.com. If you are unable to bake, monetary donations are also appreciated.

Please make checks payable to Women of Sinai. Drop off at the synagogue office or mail to Sinai.

Needed!

Brit Nashim

Join Us: Become a Member of B'rit Nashim in 5776 B'rit Nashim (Covenant of Women) is a group of

Sinai women who meet once a month for programs of per-

sonal interest and Jewish content. The purposes of the

group are: to build a community of women within the larger

community of Congregation Sinai, to share interests, and

to strengthen our connections to Judaism.

Some highlights from last year included:

Making lasagnas and donating them to Pathfinders Youth Homeless Shelter.

Creating and leading the Erev Sukkot Service for Con-gregation Sinai.

An Evening with Cantor Lauren Phillips discussing The History of The Bat Mitzvah.

A speaker from the local organization: "Common Ground".

A Presentation by B'rit Nashim member Phyllis Wiggins describing her experiences as a Red Cross Volunteer.

Discussion of the Book: "Once We Were Brothers by Ronald Balson.

A fabulous offsite Shabbat retreat with the topic of "Happiness and Judaism"

Most important of all, we have the opportunity to

make connections with other women at Sinai.

Each fall, Brit Nashim welcomes new mem-bers. This brings wonderful new energy and input to our

covenant. We invite you to join us. We meet the second Monday of most months. Potential members are invited to

one or both of our Membership Recruitment meetings on:

Monday, October 12th at 7:15 PM

Monday, November 9th at 7:15 PM Watch for additional details as the dates ap-

proach. Please be sure to join us as we lead Congregation

Sinai's Erev Sukkot Service on Sunday, September 27th.

If you have any questions or want additional infor-

mation AND/OR have an interest, but cannot attend either

Membership Recruitment meeting, be sure to let one of us

know: Toby Colton at 351-5205 or [email protected]

or Joanne Roberts at 351-6486 or [email protected]

August-October 2015

Sinai Committees

Brotherhood

Softball Shabbat And BBQ

Friday, August 28th Sinai Brotherhood will sponsor our Annual Softball Shabbat. Kosher hot dogs

and other appropriate "ballpark-style food" will be served directly following

Shabbat Services and the awesome annual "sermon from the mound"!

The Sinai softball team will all be there to sign autographs! Don't miss it.

RSVP by August 24th at: http://sinaibbqsoftballshabbat2015.eventbrite.com

Come Help Build the Sukkah!

Join us at 9:00 AM on September 20th as we construct the new sukkah. Please contact

Terry Jacobs at [email protected]

Acheinu (Mens Spirituality Group)

Day: Sunday: September 20th

Time: 8:30 - 10:00 AM

With: Joe Glassman, Mitch Colton, &

Rabbi David B. Cohen Acheinu is sponsored by Sinais Brotherhood. Share nosh & discuss spiritual & practical matters

concerning God, work, family & more.

Congregation Sinai received the prestigious Irving

J. Fain Award at the Religious Action Center of

Reform Judaisms (RAC) 2015 Consultation on Conscience, held in Washington, D.C.

The RACs Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism (CSA) honored Congregation Sinai for its Social Ac-

tion Committees initiative MIKLAT Spaces of Refuge: Congregation Sinai Engages the New Sanctuary Movement. The CSA noted the Social Action Committees outstanding initiative, which caused the CSA to be inspired by your congregations sense of community re-sponsibility. Rabbi David Cohen, along with Social Action Com-

mittee members Edith Gilman and Diane Slomowitz, attend-

ed the Consultation and accepted the award on the Congre-

gations behalf. They also shared and discussed the Com-mittees Initiative during a Conference breakout session. A video recognition of Congregation Sinais initia-tive, along with those of the other winners, is available at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reBU5cs99Kw.

Something for Everyone Social Action at Sinai offers a wide variety of ways

you can become engaged in the social & economic justice

issues of the day: Shabbat services with a speaker, topical

films, Sunday morning or weekday evening speakers and dis-

cussion, interactive events, opportunities for you and/or your

family to volunteer.

Check out what we highlight in this newsletter and in

the weekly Sinai E-News.

Volunteer Opportunities: Become a member of the Social Action Committee

Help plan, organize and imagine (We also need a PR per-

son!!! ) - Contacts - Idy Goodman ([email protected])

& Craig Johnson ([email protected]).

Contribute to the Sinai Tzedakah Fund to make all this possible.

All-Synagogue Mitzvah Day plan, organize, participate Contact - Julie Turetsky ([email protected]).

Sinai School Maven volunteer to share your Social Jus-tice, environmental expertise with our students Con-tacts - Rabbi Cohen ([email protected]), Nao-

mi Cobb ([email protected]), Naomi Soifer

([email protected]), Idy Goodman

([email protected]).

Pathfinders (Homeless Youth) Drop-In Center Serve Meals; Donate designated items to our collection barrel

Contacts - Shana Harvey ([email protected]), Craig Johnson ([email protected]).

MICAH (Milwaukee Inner City Congregations Allied for Hope) support MICAH & serve on one of the following committees: 11X15 Campaign for Prison Reform, 53206

Initiative, Jobs and Economic Development Task Force,

Westlawn Sub-committee, AODA Issues committee - Con-

tact - Lois Malowsky ([email protected]).

Mother Scott Meal Program Help purchase food; help deliver food - Contact - Donna Neubauer


Immigration Issues/New Sanctuary movement - Partici-pate in Vigils; Drive people to court; attend programs,

marches and rallies; support Voces de la Fronteras Contacts - Rachel Buff ([email protected]), Shana

Harvey ([email protected]), Edith Gilman


Environmental Projects - Contacts - Deborah Schermer, Naomi Cobb ([email protected]), Jenni Goldbaum


Jewish Community Organizations JCRC committees (Jewish Community Relations

Council) - Contact Naomi Soifer

([email protected])

Tikkun Ha-Ir multiple volunteer opportunities - Contact - Donna Neubauer


Social Action Committee


Sinai Committees

From left to right: Barbara Weinstein, Director of the

Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism, Edith

Gilman and Diane Slomowitz, Congregation Sinai Social

Action Committee, Susan Freidberg Kalson, Chair, Fain

Committee, Isaac Nuell, RAC Manager of Congregational

Social Action

Save the Date!

New Sanctuary Prayer Vigil at Congregation Sinai

Tuesday, December 1, 2015



Sinai Committees

Protest and Nosh! As part of our ongoing

participation in the New Sanc-

tuary Movement, the portion of Voces de la Frontera that sup-

ports immigrants contending with deportation for themselves

or their families, the Social Action Committee plans to have a

presence at regular protest/ vigils at the Immigration Customs

Enforcement (ICE) building on 310 E Knapp Street. The vigils

take place at noon. Afterwards, we will adjourn to a local lunch

venue for conversation. All are welcome to join us!

The dates for the vigils are as follows:

August 6th

September 3rd

October 8th

November 5th

December 3rd

Our Sinai entry hall barrel holds items collected for Pathfinders.

Social Action Survey Results As part of its continuing effort to provide social

action programs of interest to all congregants and to

increase Committee participation, Congregation Sinais Social Action Committee issued an email survey to con-

gregants in the spring of 2015.

The surveys over 75 responses confirmed con-gregants interest in, among others, issues of the envi-ronment, economic justice and social justice. Of note,

congregants expressed interests in various specific sub-issues, including the following:

Environment:

Preserving environmental resources

Maintaining safe food and water

Climate change

Public/private gardens

Economic justice:

Hunger

Homeless

Economic inequality

Social justice:

Racism

Human trafficking

Health care disparities

Immigration

Threats to all religious freedoms

LGBT issues

The Committee thanks those congregants re-

sponding to the survey, including those expressing an

interest in participating in the Committee and/or its pro-

grams.

The Committee will apply the survey results to

provide activities and programs serving members inter-ests and Reform Judaisms dictate to do social justice. After all, and like Congregation Sinai itself, the Commit-

tees effectiveness is dependent on the strength of its relationship with all members.

Help Nourish Homeless Youth On Tuesday, June 23, over 25 young people (including

some tiny tots) enjoyed first and second helpings of lasagna,

chicken, bread, salad, cookies, festive vegan mini cupcakes,

and took trail mix to go, courtesy of a devoted group of Sinai

members.

A small but vital way you and your family can alleviate

young peoples daily struggle with hunger is to provide meals at Pathfinders drop-in center. Meals can be pre-made or cooked on site in Pathfinders state-of-the-art kitchen, and volunteers are always invited to break bread with visiting youth. What a

delicious activity to strengthen ties within our congregation and

feed our citys most vulnerable. If you are interested in engaging in this culinary mitz-

vah in August, please email Shana Harvey:

[email protected].

Donations of gently-used

youth-appropriate clothing,

shoes, and new (unused)

hygiene products are al-

ways welcome additions to

our Pathfinders barrel.

Please donate!

*Toiletries

*Gently used or new clothing



Sinai Committees

Mayim: Green Shabbat Service, Pot Luck Dinner, Night Walk to the Lake October 16, 2015 at Congregation Sinai

Join us for our 4th annual Green Shabbat Dinner, a time we reflect upon our role in caring for the earth

and water, share food from our gardens or local markets, and relish in the beauty of the night with a

night walk to the lake.

6:15 PM: Service and speaker: Ann Brummitt Co-Director Milwaukee Water Commons

7:15 PM: Dairy potluck dinner using locally grown foods, our local harvest meal

8:15 PM: Night Walk to the lake led by Naomi Cobb

Please register at https://greenshabbatpotluck2015.eventbrite.com

by October 12th.

BRING THE FOLLOWING:

1. Potluck dinner: First letter of last name, bring the following vegetarian/

dairy foods: A-F (main dish) G-O (dessert or fruit) P-Z (side dish or salad)

Please bring a Vegetarian/Dairy dish to share that is made using as many

local foods as possible. This is Wisconsin's harvest season and between our

gardens, local markets and CSA's, we can cook from our own land.

2. Bring a dining tablecloth for our Shabbat tables.

3. Bring shoes that are comfortable for walking on paths for the night walk to the lake and a flashlight if you want to use one.

4. Please pre-register to insure your place for the night hike, and to have children participate in art project by October 12th.

Sponsored by the Social Action Committee

Ann Brummitt is the Co-Director of the Milwaukee Water Commons, a cross-city network that fosters con-

nection, collaboration and broad community involvement on behalf of our waters with 3 program areas:

Water City, producing a series of recommendations and action steps we can take to catalyze a bold water

future for Milwaukee, Water School, which cultivates neighborhood water leadership throughout the city

to cement the value of water stewardship in all our participants, and We Are

Water, supports art infused water activities. Learn more at www.milwaukeewatercommons.org

Your contributions make a

difference: Much of the

financial support for our

efforts comes through the

Sinai Tzedakah Fund

Please consider

this Fund when

making your next

contribution in

honor or memory

of someone.

Idea for Greening your Sinai Event

Did you know that Sinai owns six, re-usable, vinyl, white, rectangular

table cloths? They are a year old now and are

holding up beautifully. If you are planning an event

at Sinai and will be using rectangular tables for

serving food - either for a buffet, or to eat on -

please be sure to request the vinyl table cloths

instead of using disposable plastic covers!

Lets work together to keep the Sinais landfill contributions to a minimum!

August-October 2015

Sinai Committees

Chesed

Chesed has opportunities to connect with our Sinai community in small and

easy ways. Please consider including your name on our:

*Funeral House Watch

When there is a death in the Sinai

community, we offer house watching

during the funeral. We will email our list of

house watching volunteers to see if some-

one is available to help. Interested?

Please contact Karen Lancina at

[email protected]

*Making Soup and Delivery

When Sinai is notified of an illness, we like to bring soup

to our congregant. We are always appreciative of

members who come to Sinai to pick up our new quart

containers, fill with soup, and bring the quarts back to the

synagogue freezer, ready to deliver to a congregant in

need. Would you like to make or deliver some soup?

Contact Jill Weinshel at [email protected].

*Sacred Aging

Sally Moskol is using her skills,

knowledge and experience to

create meaningful programs for

our older congregants.

Please contact her at

[email protected] if you

would like to be a part of this

engaging group.

*Caring Connections

Consider adding your name to this

group of members. When we are

notified of a member needing a

phone call, a connection, or a

helping hand, we will email the

request to see if someone is

available to make that contact.

Would you like to get more involved at Sinai?

Give back with your time, energy and ideas to other congregants?

We are looking for members to step in and run with our Chesed initiatives. Help us

take our existing running programs (soup delivery, Chesed phone calls and notes of

thought, caring visits) and make it your own. You could add new programs you

always wanted, change how we run the current ones, invite friends or members to

offer new services for our congregants through Acts of Loving Kindness.

Please contact Karen Lancina at [email protected] or

(414) 352-2970 if you'd be interested.

August-October 2015

Scene at Sinai

Donna Neubauer and Sam Golding

receive Volunteer of the Year awards at

Sinais Annual Meeting

Itsy Bitsy Sinai Shabbat! Sinai Affirmation 2015

Legacy Dinner

Outdoor Shabbat

Building the Sukkah Garden

Wine and cheese Kabbalat Shabbat!

August-October 2015

psychological motives. The Collaborator of Bethlehem by

Matt Beynon Rees (F Ree) begins with the murder of a

leader of the Palestinian Martyrs Brigade.

Arrested is a Palestinian Christian who is accused of col-

laborating with the Israelis. This book sheds light on the

conditions in the Palestinian territories while being a deep-

ly moving story.

Beside the popular fiction books, described above,

the Sinai library also has excellent literature by world re-

nowned authors. Amos Ozs A Tale of Love and Darkness (B OZ) is an extraordinary memoir of his family saga. In-

cluded in this self-portrait is 120 years of family history

from Russia, Poland, Lithuania and the Ukraine to Tel Aviv

and Kibbutz Hulda. It is more than his story; it is the birth

of a nation.

It is hard to believe, but September will be here

soon. Id like to recommend a few books to prepare for the New Year. Beginning Anew (242 Rei) by Gail Twersky

Reimer is an anthology of womens spiritual writing for the High Holidays. The editors have included new interpreta-

tions of Biblical texts by many preeminent authors, schol-

ars, and educators. Kol Nidrei (242 Ger) by Stuart Wein-

berg Gershon explores the synagogue service which inau-

gurates Yom Kippur. This part of the service is known by

many Jews, but widely misunderstood. Rabbi Gershon

explains that Kol Nidrei functions as a remedy for the prob-

lem of unfulfilled vows to God, others, and to our-

selves. Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Survival Kit (242 Api)

by Shimon Apisdorf answers the questions you would like

to ask during the middle of the service. He helps us under-

stand the prayers we are saying as well as gain insights

into opportunities for personal growth. Please remember,

there are lots of books on the Holidays for young and not

so young children. The call numbers for the High Holidays

are 242 and 242.1 We also have a nice cookbook sec-

tion. The call number for cookbooks is 641.5. The cook-

books are then arranged by type of cooking, i.e. appetizers,

holiday, Passover.

Happy Reading!

-Jayne Butlein

The World to Come (F Hor) by Dara Horn has on its

cover, a Chagall like picture and in fact, Chagall is a cen-tral character in this novel. A few years ago there was a

theft of a Chagall painting from a museum and this event

became the inspiration for this novel. The world to come means different things to different people. To some, it is life

after death, to others, it implies an age of redemption, and

for someone else, it hints at the future in everyday life. This

book suggests all these may be possibilities. Horn has stud-

ied Hebrew and Yiddish and interweaves Yiddish folktales

very deftly in the story. Surprisingly, she was only 28 when

she wrote this.

Love and Treasure ( F Wal) by Ayelet Waldman is a

tale about the fascinating true history of the Hungarian Gold

Train after World War II. American soldiers have captured

the train filled with heirlooms taken from the Jewish popula-

tion of Hungary on their way to concentration and death

camps. A soldier is tasked with guarding the contents of this

train when he meets a survivor, ravaged by the holo-

caust. The story begins seventy years later when this soldier

gives his grand-daughter a necklace from the train and asks

her to return it to the rightful owner. The characters are

marvelous and stunningly described.

If you are a Faye Kellerman fan, her newest book,

The Beast (F KEL) is a bizarre case about a murdered man

who kept a pet tiger and other dangerous animals in his

small apartment. It is a Detective Decker novel but one in

which as Kellerman has continued this series has become

less and less Jewish. But, since we have most of her books

and many of us enjoy them, this is in our library. An older

Faye Kellerman book is Blindmans Bluff (F KEL) is about a murder which Decker is trying to solve, while his wife is serv-

ing on a jury. Decker is relieved not to have to worry about

Rina while he is working. But she encounters a court trans-

lator who needs her help and Rina lands in the middle of the

murder investigation.

More mystery novels by Batya Gur are good summer

reads. Saturday Morning Murder (F Gur) and Murder on a

Kibbutz (F Gur) take place in Israel and are Michael Ohayon

mysteries. Gur lives in Jerusalem and her depictions of the

scenery is as interesting as her intellectually challenging

Check out Sinais library

Shop & Support Sinai!

Support Sinai whenever you shop on-line at amazon.com.

Go to the Sinai homepage: www.congregationsinai.org. Click on the amazon.com banner. Youll be linked directly to amazon.com.

By using the website link, your purchase will support Congregation Sinai.

If you are looking for a wonderful way to honor or

remember someone, or recognize a special occasion, you

can do so by sponsoring an Oneg Shabbat after a Friday

night service

Congregation Sinai typically provides these items for

Friday evenings when there is no Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Simply

let us know that you would like to sponsor and we will do the

rest. All sponsorships will be acknowledged in the Sinai

Shabbat Pamphlet and the Sinai News. We will also send a

Sponsor an Oneg or Bima Flowers

note of congratulations or thanks to the

honorees. The cost of sponsoring Bima

flowers is $80.00 and an Oneg Shabbat is

$260.00.

Please email Jen Friedman at

[email protected] or call

(414) 352-2970.


Supporting Sinai

Support Sinai While Shopping at SENDIKS!

Purchase your Scrip card at times that are convenient!

Scrip cards can ALWAYS be

purchased during regular Sinai office hours. What is Scrip? Scrip means substitute money. Through Sendiks Food Market Scrip program 5% of what you pay for your Scrip card is donated to Sinai.

Shaina Shops!

Such gorgeous Shofarot, challah plates, mezuzahs, Bnei Mitzvah gifts, Kiddush cups and jewelry! Im telling you there is no better place to shop for that perfect piece of Judaica (as if you would go anywhere else knowing your purchase is a mitzvah at Congregation Sinai)! Come by and see what my Shaina has done! Oh, and if you know any nice boysmy Shaina is quite the catch!

-Your Bubbe

Gift Shop

Au

gu

st 2

015

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August-October 2015

In the Sinai Family

Bnei Mitzvah Bios

Life Cycle Events

If you learn of any events - births, engagements, marriages, ordinations - that should be included in

our In the Sinai Family page, please notify the Sinai office at [email protected] or (414) 352-2970.

When there is a death in our immediate family, please notify the synagogue office, even if the

funeral is out of town. The clergy and the Sinai community would like the opportunity to express

sympathy for your loss.

Miranda Ruth Lile Miranda Ruth Lile will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on October 3, 2015. She is the

daughter of Sandra Saltzstein and Darr

congregation sinai milwaukee newsletter--fall, 2015

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