SCRIBE June-July-August 2024

“If you don’t know what you’re living for, you haven’t yet lived.”

JUNE

• JULY • AUGUST

JUNE

Saturday, June 1 • 9:00am

Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan

Saturday, June 1 • 10:30am

Bar Mitzvah Service - Ethan Weiss

Thursday, June 6• 10:30am

Bat Mitzvah Service - Leni Montalbano

Friday, June 7• 6:45pm

Shabbat Service/Normandy Shabbat

Saturday, June 8 • 9:00am

Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan

Saturday, June 8 • 10:30am

Bar Mitzvah Service - Zach Goldman

Tuesday, June 11 • 6:00pm

Yizkor Service in the Sanctuary

Thursday, June 13• 10:30am

Bat Mitzvah Service - Brooke Szerencsy

Friday, June 14 • 6:45pm

Shabbat Service/Board Installation

Saturday, June 15 • 9:00am

Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan

Saturday, June 15 • 6:00pm

Havdallah Bar Mitzvah ServiceDylan Mashaal

Friday, June 21 • 6:45pm

Shabbat Service/Pride Shabbat

Saturday, June 22 • 9:00am Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan

Friday, June 28• 6:30pm

Shabbat Under the Awning

Saturday, June 29 • 9:00am Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan

JULY

Friday, July 5 • 6:30pm

Shabbat Under the Awning

Saturday, July 6 • 9:00am

Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan

Friday, July 12 • 6:30pm

Shabbat Under the Awning

Saturday, July 13 • 9:00am

Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan

Friday, July 19 • 6:30pm

Shabbat Under the Awning

Saturday, July 20 • 9:00am

Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan

Friday, July 26 • 6:30pm

Shabbat Under the Awning

Saturday, July 27 • 9:00am

Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan

Yizkor Service in the Sanctuary Tuesday, June 11 6:00pm

NORMANDY

SHABBAT SERVICE

Friday, June 7 • 6:45pm

During the service, we will say Kaddish for the brave Jewish soldiers who gave their lives defending our freedoms during the Normandy invasion in 1944.

AUGUST

Friday, August 2 • 6:30pm

Shabbat Under the Awning

Saturday, August 3 • 9:00am

Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan

Friday, August 9 • 6:30pm

Shabbat Under the Awning

Saturday, August 10 • 9:00am

Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan

Friday, August 16 • 6:30pm

Shabbat Under the Awning

Saturday, August 17 • 9:00am

Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan

Friday, August 23 • 6:30pm

Shabbat Under the Awning

Saturday, August 24 • 9:00am

Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan

Friday, August 30 • 6:30pm

Shabbat Under the Awning

Saturday, August 31 • 9:00am

Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan

Saturday, August 31• 7:00pm

Havdallah B’not Mitzvah ServiceBrooke & Lindsay Rand

Sinai’s own, Alan Weinschel, will talk about his photographic essay, Jewish Heroes of Normandy, about the 149 Jewish servicemen buried in the Omaha Beach cemetery. Board

Friday, June 14 6:45pm

Welcome the 2024-25 Temple Sinai Board of Trustees at this Shabbat service in their honor.

Friday, June 21 • 6:45pm

featuring our very special guest speaker

TODD GLICKMAN

followed by the Brotherhood/ Friend of a Friend BBQ

Summer Fridays at 6:30pm

June 28 thru September 1 RAIN

LAY LEADERSHI P 2024-2025

Vice President

President Allen Geller

Liz Wiener Neale

Vice President

Adam Weinschel

Lauryn Berger

Richard Blatt

Rachel Bloom

Lauren Borkon

Jacqueline Covey

Frank D’Ambrosio

Lynne Falkowitz

Charles Berman

Howard Berrent

Amy Braunstein

Irwin A. Cantor

Jonathan Cheris

Richard Evans

A special thank you to our outgoing Board Members

Steve Halpern, Ginny Jordan, Bert Kraus, and Adam Mesh for their dedication and service to Temple Sinai

Officers

EVP/Treasurer

Jeffrey Sklar

Vice President

Scott Nussbaum

Secretary

Tammy Szerencsy

Board of Trustees

Adam Gass

Deborah Glennon

Jana Grotas

Charlotte Hollander

Norm Hollander

Maribeth Kraus

Julie Krystal

Honorary Trustees

Michelle Golden

Dr. Steven Goodman

Barbara M. Kessler

Richard C. Laskey

Martin Marlowe

Daniel S. Reich

Vice President

Amy Pepper

Legal Counsel

Charles Weiss

Rob Kuppersmith

Daniel Marvin

Danielle Massari

Anne Niesenbaum

Gil Vilkas

Leslie Wollin

Tracy Zimmerman

David Schwartz

Michael Shaffet (Past Treasurer)

Sandra Tankoos

Carol B. Weinstock

Howard J. Weisler

Toni Wiener

We Celebrate our 2024 Confirmation Class

Our Confirmation service will take place on Wednesday, June 12 at 6:45pm

Adam Cohen son of Jennifer & Brian Cohen

Spencer Gerson son of Susan & Colin Gerson

Jake Greenberg son of Allison & Jonathan Greenberg

Asher Hirsch son of Diane & Leonard Hirsch

Gavin Leipzig son of Inna & David Leipzig

Daniel Levine son of Kimberly & David Levine

Alex Newman son of Stacey & Seth Newman

Annabel Nussbaum daughter of Emily & Scott Nussbaum

Brandon Reed son of Elisabeth Frankel Reed & Colin Reed

Jordan Roth son of Lindsay & Jarrett Roth

Jordan Siegel son of Gail & Aaron Siegel

Sidney Steir daughter of Carrie & Marc Steir

Micah Zarin son of Jill & David Zarin

Harris Zimmerman son of Tracy & Robert Zimmerman

Saturday Morning Minyan with Rabbi Ilana Schachter 9:00-11:00am

Rabbi Schachter invites you to a reflective experience filled with prayer and learning. No previous knowledge of Hebrew, liturgy, or text required - join us as we learn from our tradition and one another.

In-person & via livestream OR via ZOOMcheck your email for details.

High Holy Days 2024

Selichot Saturday, September 28

Erev Rosh Hashanah

Wednesday, October 2 Rosh Hashanah

Thursday, October 3 & Friday, October 4

Erev Yom Kippur

Friday, October 11 Yom Kippur

Saturday, October 12

TEMPLE SINAI MEMORIAL BOOK 2024

You have been sent (and may have already received) cards for the Temple Sinai Memorial Book for Yom Kippur. If you had a listing in a prior Memorial Book, those names appear on the back of the card. If the information is correct, simply put a check mark where indicated and check your donation amount. If you have new names, or did not have a listing last year, print the name(s) clearly on the front of the card and check the donation amount. Please return the card with your check payable to Temple Sinai in the return envelope provided. Submissions must be received by August 30, 2024

A reminder mailing will be sent to you in mid-July. If you are a new member and did not receive the information, or if you have any questions, please contact Betty Brandel in the temple office.

Cantor Amy Levy REFORM

KENESETH ISRAEL

Elkins Park, PA.

Cantor Pavel Roytman

BETH HILLEL B”NAI EMUNAH Wilmette, IL.

Cantor Marina Shemech TEMPLE SINAI Summit, N.J.

from RABBI WHITE’S study

Rabbi Michael A. White rabbiwhite@mysinai.org

Dear Friends,

My Address from Temple Sinai’s 2024 Annual Meeting

Some years go by quickly. Some go by slowly, and others are a whirlwind. This has been one of those years. If you can remember back to last High Holy Days, our sanctuary was filled just like the pre-pandemic days; they were full of energy and a reaffirmation of Temple Sinai’s vitality. We held amazing family services led by Rabbi Schachter, with so many young families, so many new families. Simchat Torah was also filled with joy. I love the way we celebrate Simchat Torah here at Temple Sinai.It’s relaxed and accessible; we unroll the entire Torah scroll so everyone can see its beauty. We sing with our cantors and klezmer band. We dance. We give out candy. All in an hour. Then, as they did in ancient days, we scarf down pasta and pizza!

The next morning, we awakened to a nightmare. As many of you know, Rebecca works for UJA and most of her colleagues are Sabbath observant. Unheard of on Shabbat, her phone was exploding and we could not believe what we were hearing. Soon, members of our own congregation were hearing about their Israeli loved ones’ tragic fates. Two cousins murdered. The fiancé of a nephew, kidnapped. A hurricane of murder and savagery.

In just a few hours, everything changed. Everything. Then, just as we were beginning to absorb the magnitude of the carnage, unbelievably, we saw protests, large protests suddenly pop up against Israel and really, against Jews in general - in Manhattan, on college campuses, and elsewhere. Student groups were declaring that Israel got what it deserved. Condemnations were coming fast and furious---not of Hamas, not of the rapists and murderers and butchers, but of their victims.

At first, it was hard to believe, impossible to believe. Israel was attacked with a viciousness and a sadism we couldn’t fathom. And bubbling up was a hatred for us that would

poison every arena of power in this country. One day one of our college kids would tell me how she was accosted and called a racist and genocide-lover, and then I’d read an opinion piece in the Times applauding the very protestors who attacked her. Or the student who was all but locked out of her campus by kids wearing kufiyahs and masks, who assigned themselves the right to decide who was a good Jew—a Jew who hated Israel was a good Jew, and who was a bad Jew—a Zionist was a bad Jew.

It was all very unsettling to say the least, and all the while, our hearts were in our throats because the hostages and their families still suffer horribly. Because the griefstricken are still grief-stricken. Because Israel is fighting a war on three fronts. Because Israel, alone among the family of nations, is told it isn’t allowed to defeat its enemy when attacked.

We here at Temple Sinai are half a world away from our beloved Israel, and yet again, we demonstrated that love and solidarity know no geography. We snapped to attention, as you all know. In this most difficult year, Temple Sinai shined with sacrifice, with generosity, and with a steely resolve. If we needed any evidence of Temple Sinai’s essential role in our community, this year taught us. How it is vital to teach our children the importance of Jewish peoplehood. How Temple Sinai must be a refuge, a place for Jews to gather and know we are family especially in tough times, and know our collective strength. A place to learn and seek counsel; to discuss how to respond to the vitriol, how to protect our kids, how all Jews are responsible for one another, and how proud we should be, even now.

If this year has taught us anything relevant, it is this: The Jewish community here in Nassau County, our children of today and tomorrow, are counting on us.

Last week, prompted by my friend Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, I turned to a beautiful piece by Mark Twain. It’s called Concerning the Jews, and it was written in 1899 in response to this question, posed by a Jewish lawyer:

Will a Jew be permitted to live honestly, decently, and peaceably like the rest of mankind?

Here is a small taste of Mark Twain’s answer, especially comforting and inspiring for us post-October 7th Jews.

The Jew has made a marvelous fight in this world, in all the ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him…The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains.

May it always be. And may we here at Temple Sinai always do our part.

Rabbi Michael A. White May 15, 2024

March with Temple Sinai of Roslyn (as part of a Long Island Cluster Group) at the annual Celebrate Israel Parade in NYC.

Register at mysinai.org/form/celebrateisraelparade2024

The Impact of the

War in Israel on

American

Jews

with Rabbis Michael White & Ilana Schachter

MONDAY, JUNE 3 • 7:30pm

We’ve been overwhelmed by the news about the war in Israel and the unsettling reports of antisemitism in our country (especially on college campuses). Join the rabbis as they discuss these unfolding current events and help us navigate their impact on us as American Jews.

REGISTER AT

The View from the President’s Chair

Allen Geller ageller@mysinai.org

WHO ARE WE? Really?

I know that you, like me, want to be a good person - thoughtful, considerate, and well thought of - but how do we do that?

I think it starts with the idea of treating others as you would want them to treat you.

Unfortunately, many of us focus on ourselves, before or without thinking of others. Recently, I visited a “big box” store. Of course, the parking lot was crowded and most people were concerned about finding a close parking space. I spied one, and as I began to enter the space, I realized why the space was open. The drivers of the cars on either side of the space had decided to ignore the lines and make their own spaces. Too close for comfort, I retreated and continued to look for a space. Shortly thereafter I spied another space but as I commenced my turn, guess what? Someone with a lack of caring about others left their “used” cart in the spot and drove off. Maybe they were in a hurry, but that lack of concern for others does not bode well for society. What are we teaching our children? That it is ok to focus on ourselves and not others?

When was the last time you let another driver turn into the road you were on in front of you? Do you block the intersection or exit from a shopping area? Would you let someone in if you knew them? Why not show a stranger the same kindness? The idea at Passover is to be hospitable and inclusive, to the best of a household’s ability. One of the best-known lines of the traditional Haggadah is, Let all who are hungry, come and eat. While it’s not so easy to just throw your front door open, call out those words, and then get ready for whomever might walk in the door, there

are still lots of ways people can act on the spirit of these words. Being honest, kind and thoughtful are ways to act in the spirit of those words.

Our lives would be better if we thought of others before ourselves. Isn’t that what religion is about? I believe one of the primary tenants of Judaism is community. Being part of a community is important for many reasons. In the olden days, it meant protection for others. Today, it means joining with others of similar viewpoint, in pursuit of a cause or a thought or religion. Being with like-minded people can be very soothing and enlightening. Community builds on those ideas.

In the early 2000s, there was a movie called Pay It Forward The movie is known for its moral lesson - that small acts of kindness can have a huge impact and influence social change. We should all try to be that way. I am not speaking about bringing a homeless person into your house, but rather trying to help someone - even in the smallest way. The Temple Sinai Social Action Committee offers so many opportunities for us to help, through hands-on projects, collections, and monetary donations. Try it, you might like it!

Enjoy your summer!

Allen Geller

For more information, contact Social Action at socialaction@mysinai.org

We could not do what we do without you! The Social Action Committee practices tikkun olam, repairing the world. Thank you to everyone who supports our efforts. Together, we create a strong sense of a Temple Sinai giving community that reaches near and far. You are why we make a difference. You share your time, tzedakah, and talents.

HOW YOU CAN HELP THIS SUMMER

As Anne Frank taught us, how wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.

THE LONG ISLAND COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS is committed to taking care of those who are homeless and supporting them until they have permanent housing. Sadly, more than half of these people have children, so please remember the children along with your contributions for women and men.

DURING JUNE, JULY, & AUGUST please bring your donations of NEW UNDERWEAR and SOCKS for men, women, and children to the bins in the temple lobby or use the Amazon link in our email to have items shipped directly to the temple.

LET’S LOOK AHEAD

CLEAN YOUR CLOSETS, BUT KEEP YOUR COATS! As the weather warms, we put our skis away and take down our bikes. We shed winter clothing to open up our pools and outdoor furniture. We are happy to forget about heavy clothing, such as coats. But in a few short months, when the cold comes, winds will return, and too many people will suffer the painful effects of not having warm clothing to protect them.

PLEASE SAVE YOUR COATS FOR OUR OCTOBER COAT DRIVE

Show those in need that they are not invisible, that they are cared about, that Temple Sinai members care.

Your donations of items and tzedakah make a difference we witness first hand. Tikkun olam is about repairing the world, and Social Action does that - one person at a time, one meal at a time, one jacket at a time, one book at a time, one heart to another - every time.

We thank you deeply and wish you a happiness-filled summer.

Friend of a Friend/Chaverot

The first half of 2024 Friend of a Friend programs have been engaging and enjoyable!

We started our season with a ZOOM lecture on heart health by a well-known Northwell cardiologist who spoke about empowering ourselves to take control of our health through plant based eating,

Our ZOOM Bingo in February continues to be a fun annual event with great prizes. This was run by our former President Tammy Szerencsy and her two engaging teenagers.

Our FOF Shabbat, coincided with International Women’s Day. It was led by our members and we had 27 volunteers who helped to manage our Shabbat service. This was a very special and interactive evening and we look forward to continuing this special service for years to come.

Our annual Purim Mishloach Manot was a big success thanks to our Purim Chairperson, Barbara Blatte. FOF members purchased Purim cards and the proceeds from the sale of the cards went towards a generous donation to Magen David Adom. FOF members helped to buy the goodies for the bags and over 20 women helped deliver them. The gratitude and smiles from the recipients was a sight to behold!

Also in March, 20 women from FOF participated in Social Action’s Cooking for a Cause, preparing and delivering a meal to locally food insecure families.

Our March Wine, Women, and Wisdom, hosted by our own gracious hostess, Margie Berrent, was very successful, with over 27 participants. There were multiple baked goodies from our talented bakers and we schmoozed, drank wine, and listened to Cantor Elena. She shared details about her recent mission to Israel organized by The World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ). Highlights of her trip included a tour of the Knesset and interviews with two female Knesset members, a stop at Tel HaShomer Hospital, where she met with wounded IDF soldiers and their families, and a visit to a thriving new Reform congregation, Kehillat Shoham. While in Israel, Cantor Elena spread joy by surprising off-duty uniformed soldiers she encountered in the streets by passing out Misloach Manot filled with candies. Attached to the treats were handwritten notes penned by members of Friend of a Friend with Happy Purim and good luck wishes. We concluded our meeting with a Prayer For The State of Israel and a Blessing for Those Serving in the Israel Defense Forces. We also left with good feelings after coming together for an important educational evening.

Our second Writers Workshop in March was led by our talented member, Carolyn Lituchy, who calls creative writing “yoga for the brain.” We meditated, brainstormed, and got our creative juices going. It was so much fun to learn about each other through our wonderful stories!

Our Intergenerational Women’s Seder was a big hit. As always, it was led by Cantor Elena Schwartz and organized by the tireless trio Leslie Wollin, Charlotte Hollander, and Robyn Schreiber. We ate, read the Women’s Haggadah (created by Sinai women), danced and sang. We had a total of 85 participants from ages 5-95! We sold many items from our former gift shop and some of the proceeds went to female student reservists from Tel Aviv University. A very meaningful, special evening!

On Thursday, April 11, FOF hosted our annual games day in the Simcha Room with 44 women in attendance. Canasta and Mah Jong were the games of choice. There were raffles with many prizes and delicious sushi, salads, wraps, and homemade delicious desserts made by our many talented bakers! In addition to having fun, the Women of FOF gave back! A generous amount of money was donated to the Temple Social Action Committee. Additional money was donated to the Women of Tel Aviv University who are serving in the IDF. Thank you to our wonderful volunteers, Diane Hirsch and Pam Osit, under the guidance of our former president, Tammy Szerencsy.

Happy Purim!

Most recently, we co-hosted a fantastic Comedy Night with Brotherhood - dinner, raffles, and laughs galore! We want to thank Elyssa Zodicoff for opening her home and hosting a plantbased eating demonstration where we learned so much about improving our diets!

Our final event before summer is our always fabulous end-of-year-brunch on Friday, June 14. This year, we are thrilled to welcome professionally-trained Israeli Folk Dancer Danny Pollock back to Temple Sinai. Danny will have us up and dancing for what is sure to be an uplifting and fun morning and the end of an amazing program year!

Enjoy your summer!

Charlotte Hollander and Leslie Wollin Friend of a Friend Co-Presidents

Visit us at mysinai.org/fof, email us at fof@mysinai.org and follow us on Instagram @mysinai_fof

MOVING?

BROTHERHOOD

Brotherhood continues to be a very energetic and solid service arm for Temple Sinai.

We just concluded a winter/early spring series of events which have added to the special enjoyment of being an active member of Brotherhood. One of these special events was the Brotherhood Shabbat service held on Friday, March 22. Twenty Brotherhood members participated in a variety of ways - ark openings, readings, and leading prayers. We are excited about making this an annual event. In addition to the Shabbat service, we held two separate Scotch and Sacred Text evenings with Rabbi White, enjoyed a dinner at Ben’s with Cantor Sergei Schwartz, and returned to Ben’s for our annual pre-Passover Seder with Rabbi Schachter. CONNECT Networking Meetings, led by Richard Blatt, continue to be a great success.

The fun and festivities continued throughout the month of May. On May 5, many of our members took part in our annual planting in the Temple Sinai section of the New Montefiore Cemetery (see the article below). On the 19th, we manned the barbecue at the annual ECC Summer Jam, an event we were also proud to have co-sponsored. We joined Friend of a Friend to co-sponsor a very successful Comedy Night on May 16, featuring comedians Joe DeVito and Talia Reese. The night was filled with delicious food, raffles, and plenty of laughs!

We hope you will join Brotherhood and Friend of a Friend for our annual barbecue immediately following PRIDE Shabbat on June 21.

There are so many reasons to become part of our outstanding organization. We look forward to another year of growth for 2024-2025.

Project Zoysia - Completed!

The Brotherhood of Temple Sinai found a strange way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year, with the planting of zoysia grass plugs at the New Montefiore Cemetery in Pinelawn, NY!

Throwing caution to the wind, members of Brotherhood, ignored the threatening forecast of rain and met at Temple Sinai on Sunday morning, May 5, to plan the final segment of Project Zoysia. This activity consisted of the introduction of zoysia grass at the sections of the cemetery under the aegis of Temple Sinai. They met to get assignments, distribute gardening tools, and carpool to the cemetery. At the cemetery, under the direction of Andy Kraus, a member of both the Temple’s Brotherhood and Cemetery Committee, they separated into teams to plant the zoysia plugs in Section 4, the last of the three cemetery sections owned by the Temple.

The planting of zoysia grass, a hearty, low-maintenance, drought-resistant grass that should spread to eventually provide a beautiful green carpet, is an initiative of the Temple’s Cemetery Committee to improve the appearance of the cemetery plots. This type of grass, that will spread to choke out weeds, is ideal in areas without an irrigation system such as the cemetery. This project, started in 2022 as a Mitzvah Day activity, is considered a mitzvah of the highest order, one where the participants cannot expect to receive thanks or comparable reward in return from those whom they are serving.

The Brotherhood members completed the activity before the forecast rain, which occurred later in the afternoon and was taken as a sign of approval from a higher order. The success of the project is now in the hands of nature!

- Larry Krasnoff

Norm Hollander, Brotherhood President

Mazel tov to our B’nei Mitzvah

Ethan Weiss

June 1

Parents: Donna & Brian Weiss

Siblings: Kate-11

Grandparents:

Josefa & Jeff Hirsch

Robyn & Herbert Weiss

School: Roslyn Middle School - 7th Grade

Parsha: Bechukotai

Zachary Goldman

June 8

Parents: Sari Weinstein & Brett Goldman

Siblings: Nina-14

Grandparents:

Debra & Mark Weinstein

the late Susan Rosen

School: Roslyn Middle School - 7th grade

Parsha: Bemidbar

Dylan Mashaal

June 15

Parents: Jill & Steven Mashaal

Siblings: Jake-11, Brooke-7

Grandparents:

Nava & Michael Slavin

Edna & Ezra Mashaal

School: Roslyn Middle School - 7th grade

Parsha: Naso

Leni Montalbano

June 6

Parents: Erica Montalbano

Siblings: Max-20

Grandparents:

the late Stanley & Barbara Slavin

School: Roslyn Middle School - 6th Grade

Parsha: Bemidbar

Brooke Szerencsy

June 13

Parents: Lori & Adam Szerencsy

Siblings: Ella-18. Ashley-16

Grandparents:

Eileen & Jerry Schneider, Stuart Heier

Anna & Jay Szerencsy

School: Roslyn Middle School - 7th grade

Parsha: Naso

Temple Sinai Religious School

Our children, our future

Cantor-Educator Elena Schwartz cantorelenaschwartz@mysinai.org

An Incredible Year in Review!

It’s hard to believe that it is June! How is it that nine months have passed since we welcomed your children back to Temple Sinai Religious School after the summer break?

Here’s a look back at this whirlwind of a school year - so much learning, celebrating, growing, and fun! We can’t wait to do it all again come September!

Curriculum

The current political landscape and conflict in Israel posed unprecedented challenges to the world of Jewish Education. Our Religious School worked to provide support to both students and faculty while strengthening the curriculum and adapting to unpredictable circumstances. Our faculty and staff worked tirelessly to make sure that all students, including families, were provided with necessary resources and learning opportunities, including a new Israel Education Curriculum

ShalomLearning and Hebrew Reading

The Religious School entered its fourth year using the ShalomLearning platform to enhance the classroom experience. The platform engages educators and students in meaningful discussions about Jewish values. In addition to online Hebrew tutorials, we welcomed a new Hebrew Specialist, Cantor Moshe Weiss. Cantor Weiss spent one-on-one time with several students, providing additional support.

Prayer Tutorials

During the 2023-2024 school year, the Religious School began providing 30-minute prayer tutorials to students two months prior to their initial B’nei Mitzvah meeting. These tutorials were designed help students starting their B’nei Mitzvah lessons feel more comfortable and to have additional time to complete all requirements. It will also reinforce their Hebrew reading skills, which is paramount as they prepare to read from the Torah during their service.

ShinShin in Partnership with the Center for Israel (RCFI) at SJJCC and the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) Shira Yaron, the ShinShin assigned to our Religious School by the Center for Israel at SJJCC, worked with our students this year to introduce Israeli culture and language. We were especially grateful to RCFI, JAFI, and SJJCC for bringing Shira to us, as we worked tirelessly to provide our students with the context and tools to grow their relationship with Israel and its people and history.

Holidays at Religious School

This year, our Religious School continued its longstanding tradition of celebrating Jewish holidays in the most festive way! We created special digital content to celebrate Simchat Torah and celebrated Sukkot with dinner and crafts for all ages. We were blessed to once again have Friend of a Friend host their annual Chanukah Boutique and provide our students with latkes. We have spent the last few weeks of the school year preparing our students for their Passover Seders, including creating digital content of the Four Questions to share with the congregation.

Parsha of the Week Study

Our faculty received a binder with each Torah portion of the week, with text and prompts created by the Jonathan Sacks Legacy Foundation. Each class began with 15 minutes of Torah study, creating a foundation for our students as they approach their B’nei Mitzvah. This program was utilized for Kindergarten through sixth grade, and each educator was able to adapt the materials based on the age group.

Israel Education

We at Temple Sinai Religious School have always made it a priority to share our Zionist pride and love for Israel with our students and families. This past summer, we partnered with the online platform IsraelLINK, which is a comprehensive and interactive curriculum that promotes and elevates Israel education within Jewish day schools and supplementary middle school programs across North America

Our wonderful faculty worked incredibly hard, preparing themselves to make this an unforgettable experience. On February 5, 2024, our entire Religious School began working on this new and exciting curriculum. For six weeks, our students explored a different unit and experienced the rich and wonderful culture that Israel has to offer. They learned about Israeli geography, diversity, Zionism, modern Hebrew, and more!

BMitzvah and Family Education

The Family Education and BMitzvah programs for 2023-2024 sought to re-imagine previous iterations of the curriculum and turn it into one that integrates the entire family into the learning process. The purpose of the programs is to engage families through both traditional pedagogy and the application of a new creative arts approach, which allows families to create specific projects depending on the grade.

To develop this program, Cantor-Educator Elena Schwartz and Pam Alcala, Family Educator and Artist-in-Residence, met regularly to ensure that the curriculum included a multidisciplinary approach that would address all aspects of both the educational piece as well as the mental, emotional, spiritual, and social health aspects of the journey towards their B’nei Mitzvah service. This allows us to connect in a manner that encourages families to not only learn the basic aspects and requirements for the B’nei Mitzvah service, but to also engage and motivate life-long learning based on the ideals of l’dor v’dor, from generation to generation.

This year, our approach to Family Education focused heavily on the specific details that would enhance family engagement and the overall experience. In addition to an increase in Social Media engagement, we continued our electronic correspondence as well as additional face-to-face engagement with families and individual outreach. We also analyzed current trends in experiential education and applied this as an added layer to our programming, including specific Israeli music playlists during events and video footage of the projects in action.

By moving from a front-facing classroom approach to an experiential education approach, we discovered a measurable increase in program engagement, including complete families attending rather than just one caregiver and the student.

Milestone Services

This year, we had three wonderful Milestone Services:

Torah Explorers (K-2)

27 students attended our Torah Explorers Chanukah Milestone Service, which was held on December 8, 2023 with our Sharing Shabbat families.

Third Grade & Fourth Grades

73 students attended our 3rd & 4th Grade Blue & White Milestone Service which was held on May 10.

Fifth Grade

39 students attended our 5th Grade Mitzvah Milestone Shabbat which was held on February 9. As a special mitzvah project, our students collected items for Baby BIRTHday Bundles. Students also brought home Shabbat candles to light in solidarity with the IDF soldiers from the Gimmel Unit who were unable to light candles themselves.

Have a wonderful summer!

Cantor-Educator Elena Schwartz

opens the week of June 3.

Felice & Eric Kobrick on the marriage of their daughter Allison to Bradley Pearl

Karen & Joel Lamm on the marriage of their daughter Jenna to Will Gillespie

Donna & Dan Levine on the birth of their grandson Brody Grant Levine

Sherri & Jay Eisenstadt on the engagement of their son Michael Marx to Tessa Rabinowitz

Danny Reich on the birth of his granddaughter Zoe Mikayla Reich

Jamie Reich-Freedman & Dr. Howard Freedman on the birth of their granddaughter Zoe Mikayla Reich

Ilissa & Scott Reich on the birth of their niece Zoe Mikayla Reich

Annie & Jay Gilbert on the marriage of their son Josh to Alexis Heller

Cynthia & Ronald Katz on the marriage of their daughter Leslie to Nick Kelapire

Felice & Eric Kobrick on the engagement of their son Michael to Alexis Asch

Karen & Bill Brickner on the marriage of their daughter Fara to Matthew Samuels

Sheri & Perry Schorr on the marriage of their daughter Julie to Kyle Hoberman

Danielle & Todd Lenson on the marriage of their nephew Kyle Hoberman to Julie Schorr

Robyn & Warren Schreiber on the engagement of their daughter Perri to Robert Rydstrom

Tina & Lawrence Cohen on the marriage of their daughter Elani to Adam Haber

with deepest sympathy

Pam Alcala on the loss of her grandmother Nancy Malchuk

Joel Kornblau on the loss of his sister Michelle Cohen

Lawrence Lefcort on the loss of his mother Ilene Silverman

Jason Fernbach on the loss of his mother Frances Fernbach

Diane Kletz on the loss of her mother Joan Spiro

Peter Levy on the loss of his mother Evelyn Levy

Michael Sirowitz on the loss of his father Leonard Sirowitz

Scott Frishman on the loss of his wife Linda Frishman

Jeremy ArbitalJacoby on the loss of his mother Doris Jacoby

Hillary Breit on the loss of her mother Gloria Werner

Vicki Freedman on the loss of her mother Lillian Bernstein

Gregg Donnenfeld on the loss of his mother Judith Donnenfeld

Leonard Feinstein on the loss of his brother Robert Michael Feinstein

Karen Levine on the loss of her father Michael Pordy

We record with sorrow the death of these temple members

Linda Frishman

Hilda Yohalem

With deepest sympathy to their families; May their memories be for a blessing.

DONATIONS ARE ONLY INCLUDED IN THE PRINT EDITION OF THE SCRIBE

DONATIONS ARE ONLY INCLUDED IN THE PRINT EDITION OF THE SCRIBE

DONATIONS ARE ONLY INCLUDED IN THE PRINT EDITION OF THE SCRIBE

DONATIONS ARE ONLY INCLUDED IN THE PRINT EDITION OF THE SCRIBE

9:00am Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan 10:30am Bar Mitzvah ServiceEthan Weiss 9:00am Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan 10:30am Bar Mitzvah ServiceZach Goldman 9:00am Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan 6:45pm Shabbat Service/ Normandy Shabbat Service with Alan Weinschel/Birthday Blessings 9:30am FOF Closing Meeting/ Spring Brunch/Israeli Dancing 6:45pm Shabbat Service/ Board Installation BUILDING CLOSED JUNETEENTH 9:00am Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan 9:00am Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan 6:00pm Havdallah Bar Mitzvah ServiceDylan Mashaal 6:45pm Shabbat Service/ Pride Shabbat 7:45pm Barbecue sponsored by Brotherhood & Friend of a Friend Dates and times are current as of May 15, 2024 and are subject to change. Online calendars will be updated on a regular basis; please visit our website at mysinai.org for all other program and event information.

Adult Education with Rabbi Ilana Schachter: Antisemitism on Stage 10:30am Bat Mitzvah ServiceBrooke Szerencsy 7:30pm Brotherhood Meeting in the Library

6:00pm Yizkor Service in the Sanctury 6:30pm Board of Trustees Dinner 6:30pm Shabbat Under the Awning 6:45pm Confirmation Service in the Sanctuary 7:45pm Confirmation Dinner 12:30pm Sinai Stitches in the Library

9:00am Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan

9:00am Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan 9:00am Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan 6:30pm Shabbat Under the Awning 6:30pm Shabbat Under the Awning 9:00am Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan 7:00pm Havdallah B’not Mitzvah ServiceBrooke & Lindsay Rand 9:00am Pray. Eat. Love. Morning Minyan 6:30pm Shabbat Under the Awning

the

Shabbat

Dates and times are current as of May 15, 2024 and are subject to change. Online calendars will be updated on a regular basis; please visit our website at mysinai.org for all other program and event information.

Temple Sinai of Roslyn

425 Roslyn Road Roslyn Heights, NY 11577

516.621.6800 mysinai.org

TEMPLE SINAI

Main Office: 516.621.6800

Early Childhood Center: 516.621.8708

Religious School: 516.621.8016

Rabbi Michael White rabbiwhite@mysinai.org

Rabbi Ilana Schachter rabbischachter@mysinai.org

Cantor Sergei Schwartz cantorsergeischwartz@mysinai.org

Cantor-Educator Elena Schwartz cantorelenaschwartz@mysinai.org

Cantor Emeritus

Cantor Andrew H. Edison

President

Allen Geller

Executive Vice President/Treasurer

Jeffrey Sklar

Vice Presidents

Liz Wiener Neale

Scott Nussbaum

Amy Pepper

Adam Weinschel

Secretary Tammy Szerencsy

Legal Counsel

Charles Weiss

Executive Director

Lee Mirrer lmirrer@mysinai.org

Director of Operations & Technology

Heather Murray hmurray@mysinai.org

Marketing & Communications Manager

Kathy Diamond kdiamond@mysinai.org

Member Services Manager

Betty Brandel bbrandel@mysinai.org

Financial Manager Mara Rosenwasser mrosenwasser@mysinai.org

Accounting Specialist Michael Gamba mgamba@mysinai.org

Brotherhood President Norman Hollander brotherhood@mysinai.org

Friend of a Friend/Chaverot Co-Presidents

Charlotte Hollander Leslie Wollin fof@mysinai.org

Director of Membership & Engagement

Adrianne Rubin, PhD arubin@mysinai.org

Director of Youth & Teen Engagement

Dina Kwasnicki dkwasnicki@mysinai.org

Asst. Dir. of Youth & Teen Engagement

Paige Kenis pkenis@mysinai.org

Early Childhood Center Director

Lindsay Dayan ldayan@mysinai.org

Executive Assistant to the Rabbis/ B’nei Mitzvah Coordinator

Dafna Weintraub dweintraub@mysinai.org

Religious School Coordinator/ Cantors Assistant

Debra Hollander dhollander@mysinai.org

V&Z Caterers info@vandzcaterers.com

516.484.4300