Sinai Newsletter - Nov-Dec 2009

Rabbi’s Corner, Young Families

2

Cantor’s Notes, Reflections 3

Lifelong Jewish Learning 4

School Events, Adult Learning

5

President’s Message 6

Brit Nashim, ACC Campership Concert

7

November Calendar 8

December Calendar 9

What’s Greening at Sinai 10

Brotherhood, Women of Sinai

11

Social Action, Bar Mitzvah 12

Mitbach Sinai, Personals, Chanukah Dinner

13

News from Emet VeShalom 14

Mah Jongg Friend’zy 15

Donations 18

Seniors Havurah 19

Meet the Sinai Staff 20

Yahrzeits 21

Rachel Baum 16

Sinai Make a Difference 17

Shabbat & Holiday Schedule

SINAI NEWS

Rabbi David B. Cohen • Cantor Rebecca Robins • Rabbi Emeritus Jay R. Brickman Director of Lifelong Jewish Learning Sherry H. Blumberg, Ph.D., R.J.E.

Director of Administration Karen Lancina • Program Coordinator Jen Friedman • Sinai News Nicole Sether Congregation Sinai • 8223 N. Port Washington Road• Fox Point, WI 53217

414.352.2970• 414.352.0944 (fax)• www.congregationsinai.org

Shabbat Vayera Genesis 18:1 - 22:24 Nov 6 Minyan Katan 5:30 pm 6th Grade Dinner 6 pm Family Shabbat Service 7 pm

Nov 7 Torah Study 8 am Morning Minyan 9:30 am Shabbat Chayei Sara Genesis 23:1 - 25:18 Nov 13 Shabbat Service Celebrating Israel 6:15 pm

Nov 14 Torah Study 8 am Morning Minyan 9:30 am Justin Weil Bar Mitzvah 10 am Shabbat Toldot Genesis 25:19 - 28:9 Nov 20 Shabbat Service w/ Scholar in Residence 6:15 pm

Nov 21 Torah Study 8 am Morning Minyan 9:30 am Young Families Havdalah & Potluck 5:00 pm Shabbat Vayetzei Genesis 28:10 - 32:3 Nov 27 Shabbat Service & Sanctuary/ Social Hall Door Dedication 6:15 pm

November/December 2009 • Cheshvan - Tevet 5770

In this issue

Nov 28 Torah Study 8 am Morning Minyan 9:30 am Shabbat Vayishlach Genesis 32:4 - 36:43 Dec 4 Shabbat Service 6:15 pm

Dec 5 Torah Study 8 am Morning Minyan 9:30 am Shabbat Vayeshev Genesis 37:1 - 40:23 Dec 11 Minyan Katan 5:30 pm Chanukah Dinner 6 pm Chanukah Service 7 pm

Dec 12 Torah Study 8 am Morning Minyan 9:30 am Shabbat Miketz Genesis 41:1 - 44:17 Dec 18 Shabbat Service 6:15 pm Dec 19 Torah Study 8 am Morning Minyan 9:30 am Shabbat Vayigash Genesis 44:18 - 47:27 Dec 25 Shabbat Service 6:15 pm Chinese Food Dinner 7:30 pm Dec 26 Torah Study 8 am Morning Minyan 9:30 am

Friday night, November 27th, a set of new doors for the sanctuary and social hall will be dedicated. This last phase of the renovation and addition project will be dedicated to the memories of Jay Lieberman and his son Larry Lieberman, may their memories be for a blessing. The beautiful stained glass

doors were made possible by a gener-ous gift from Joan Lieberman. The door’s crea-tion was the result of a long process of collabora-tion with internationally known stained glass art-ists, David and Michelle Plachte-Zuieback. Resi-dents of Northern Califor-

nia, David and Michelle vis-ited Sinai three years ago to

meet with the design committee for the renova-tion and expansion. Over the past year, Susan Solvang, Anne Ghory Goodman, Patti Levy and Chip Mann have worked closely with the artists and with the donor to achieve an artistic outcome in keeping with the unique feeling of our foyer. The doors were chosen because the current doors, when closed, are nearly invisible. If you do happen to see that there are doors there, there is no sense of what might lay be-hind them – in one case the sanctuary and the other the so-cial hall. We wanted to find a way to subtly signal the differ-ence between the two rooms, one of which is the center of our prayer life, the other the focus of our celebrations.

Rabbi’s Corner

November/December 2009

In addition to the stained glass, the artists and de-sign group chose a number of scriptural citations for the doors. The social hall doors feature the words from the third chapter of Kohellet (Ecclesiastes), “To everything there is a purpose and a time for every experience under heaven.” The

sanctuary doors include, among other quotes, the Ara-maic phrase from the Talmud, “Where heaven and earth touch.” The doors will be mag-nificent, they will function as a way to designate the purpose of the sanctuary and social hall. What’s more, the symbolic stained glass and the words from our sacred writings will make them a most compelling teaching tool. We look forward to celebrating the dedi-

cation of the doors with you at Shabbat ser-vices, Thanksgiving weekend.

Rabbi David Cohen

The Young Families Committee (with children through second grade) invites you (and older siblings) to join us for a Fun-filled Potluck "Schtick" Dinner, Havdallah, Songs and Crafts on

Saturday, November 21, 5-7 pm at Congregation Sinai.

RSVP at http://youngfamilieshavdallahpotluck.eventbrite.com

Questions?? Call Mark or Carmel Sweet, 962-8196 or [email protected].

A-F please bring pasta * G-K side dish * L-Z dessert

Larry Lieberman

Jay Leiberman

Artists: David and Michelle Plachte Zuieback

Come with a family "Schtick" (song, craft, humorous skit, or other idea) to share with

the group.

Following the month of Tishrei, packed with the joyful holidays of Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot and Simchat Torah, and the introspective observances of S'lichot and Yom Kippur, comes the month of Cheshvan. Our sages refer to the month of Cheshvan as Mar Chesh-van, or 'bitter' Cheshvan because it is absolutely free of holidays. While for synaoguge leaders across the world, perhaps the bit-terness of Cheshvan is sweetened with a bit of rest from holiday planning, preparing, leading and celebrating - for all of us, Cheshvan can provide an opportunity to look again to Shabbat as a measure of peace and comfort, joy and sweetness. For every person, Shabbat is rich with opportunity. Opportunities to pray, to eat, to study, to dance, to sing, to relax, to refresh...the possibilities of what Shabbat can bring to our lives are endless, as we can each make Shabbat the experience we want it to be for our-selves and our families. At Sinai, we're taking a new look at Shabbat prayer, and providing a variety of Shabbat wor-ship opportunities each month, to help you find an easy way to make Shabbat prayer a meaningful part of your Shab-bat experience. Each month, on the first Friday of the month (check the Sinai News and the website for a few exceptions), we'll gather for a festive evening of family Shabbat worship. At 5:30, we'll gather for Minyan Katan. This short and lively Shabbat experience is for our youngest congregants, through 1st grade. Bring your parents or grandparents and sing


and play with us as we welcome Shabbat in story and song. At 6:00, we'll gather our families for Shabbat dinner with their children of similar ages, followed by our 7:00 PM service. This family-friendly ser-vice is great for children, their grandpar-ents, parents, and friends. Join us in

prayer, song and story for a fun and energy filled Kabba-lat Shabbat. On the third Shabbat of the month, join us for Shabbat Limud, A Shabbat of Learn-ing. Come worship and learn with us at 6:15 PM. Each of these services will feature a speaker, sermon, text study or other learning experience to help enhance our Shab-bat prayer with the gift of learning. Check out our cal-

endar for topics! On the fourth Shabbat of the month, at 6:15 PM, join us for Shabbat Tikkun haNefesh, A Sabbath of Healing the Soul. While our weeks can be filled with the hectic goings on of everyday life, Shabbat is an opportunity for us to rest, be refreshed, and reflect on the quiet and calm that we can find in Shabbat. Take an opportunity to find a few mo-ments of quiet and reflection with us through music, meditation and reflection. Through our Shabbat prayer, we will seek, together, some healing of our souls. Perhaps one of these worship frameworks will enable you to enhance your Shabbat experience, and find a bit of sweetness in the month of Cheshvan. We so look forward to celebrating Shab-bat with you, and praying together. Shab-bat Shalom!

Cantor Rebecca Robins

Cantor’s Notes Shabbat at Sinai Ashkenazim do not eat rice

on Passover. Although Biblical law prohibits only the eating of leaven, rabbis interpreted the swelling of rice and beans as similar to the leavening process. This s c r u p u l o u s interpretation of the law was provoked by historic perse-cution suf-fered at the instigation of the Church. Being stricter in observance would hopefully en-courage God’s intervention on our behalf. In the more liberal world of medieval Islam, there was fruitful in-teraction with Arab poets, which led to beautiful new hymns for our liturgy. Dialogue between Maimonides and Arab philosophers provoked creation of his masterpiece work, Guide to the Perplexed. Sephardim are generally less strict in the observance of Jewish law. With resurgence of traditional practice in Reform Synagogues, we are well advised not to go overboard in detail, but be guided by the exam-ple of our more casual Sephardic forebears.

Rabbi Jay Brickman

Reflections

Minyan Katan We Sing Shabbat,

We Sing Shalom!

November 6, 5:30 PM December 11, 5:30 PM followed by

the Chanukah Dinner!

Join us for a short & lively Shabbat experience for our youngest

congregants, through 1st grade. Bring your parents or grand-parents & sing & play with us as we welcome Shabbat in story & song!

Next Date – December 11, 5:30 PM, followed by the Chanukah Dinner!

Sinai Office Holiday Hours

November 26 closed November 27 closed

December 24 closing at noon December 25 closed

December 31 closing at noon January 1 closed

Adults In several places in our Psalms and prayers we ask God not to forget us when we are old. For me, that has always been a re-minder that I should not forget my parents as they aged. Keeping in touch, whether weekly or monthly, reaching out to them, learn-ing about them as people, not just parents was a way of honoring them. With the death of each parent our chance to learn his or her stories is lost. So asking and listening to their per-ceptions about their lives is a way of honoring them.

Adults can grow by comparing the story of the parent to their memories of the event. And when the roles reverse, finding ways of calling them “my mother or my father” and remembering that when we were helpless, they did try to care for us in the best way they knew how is a way to honor them. As they listened to our needs and wants when we were little, so too, we can listen, and find patience.


Lifelong Jewish Learning Primary Grades

Young children can learn to honor their parents, especially the father, by not sitting in his place at the table

in the home, nor in the synagogue, if the father has a special place he likes to sit. (Yoreh Derech 240:2) In addi-tion, the n a m e s t h a t children call par-e n t s c a n s h o w respect a n d

honor. Our sages suggest that “my mother” or “my fa-ther” is appropriate when speaking about the parent. To show honor by naming the role is one way to keep honoring a parent, even when they are old.

Elementary Grades While the fifth commandment does not clarify how we are to honor our parents, Jewish commentators suggest that if a person carries out the first four commandments, the fifth commandment will follow naturally. In the Talmud discussion centers on how a child honors the parents, and

the major thrust is that the child act in a manor to please the parent by fulfill-ing the Mitzvot, honoring God, not cursing, a n d c e l e -b ra t ing S h a b -b a t . Children this age o f t e n like to p l e a s e parents, so the discussion is appropriate for today.

Teens During this age, when teens and young adults are separating from the parent and establishing their own identity, it is espe-cially important for the com-mandment to be considered. And this is the time when contrasting the other men-tion of honoring parents can be explored. In Leviticus 19 the commandment reads “You shall fear/be in awe of your mother and father.” First, the mother is men-tioned before the father, sec-ondly, the word Kaf, Bet Daled is changed to Yud Resh Alef, to fear or be in awe of. Perhaps there are different times to place mothers and fathers first. Perhaps, it is the Torah teaching us that both roles are important. In addition, today’s preference is usu-ally to translate Yud, Resh Alef as “awe.” As a person strives to separate, they will learn how much the parent has done for them, and then usually they can be in awe of the parent.

To HONOR our parents

As some of you may know, my Mother has been really declining in health and her ability to cope with time, money and living in general. It is a problem that many of us who are Baby Boomers face. As she is less and less able to cope, she depends more and more on me; the parent and child roles become confused and sometimes reversed. A fellow congregant at Sinai is facing a similar situation, and she suggested that we have a course or learning session on the Jewish texts that might give us a Jewish way to handle

what we, the children acting like par-ents, could use to “honor” our par-ents who are now like our children. I was very moved by the thought and have chosen to incorporate the ques-tion into this bi-monthly article. The initial commandment is in Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and mother that you may long en-dure on the land that the Eternal has assigned you.” There are many dis-cussions about what it means “to

honor.” There are no easy answers, honor may vary with the individual who honors and the one who will receive the honor. We do know that the Hebrew root of honor is Kaf Bet Dalet, and it can mean honor, and “heavy.” It can be a heavy burden “ to honor” someone. Conversely, struggling to maintain an elderly parent’s dignity and honor can be a great teacher and a great gift. I hope that these reflections here, and the sugges-tions for educating our children and ourselves will prove useful and thought provoking. These are only a beginning in the short space of an article. I invite you to write and to add your ideas and suggestions.

Dr. Sherry Blumberg


Adult Education The goals of Congregation Sinai’s adult learning programs are: To encourage learners to experience a wide variety of Jewish topics; to deepen and intensify a Jewish adult’s knowledge, skill, value and interest in Judaism; and to challenge the adult learner to think and feel deeply about Jewish life and learning. We strive to be a learning congregation that in-spires the learning of our young by modeling the learning of their parents and grandparents. When you study as an adult it is of your own choice. Congregation Sinai offers a wide variety of courses. And, because of the many require-ments on adults (work, family, com-munity) some of the courses are of short duration. Other courses are on-going. We encourage you to choose the courses that fit your time and in-terest. We hope you will stretch your mind and soul and try things that may surprise you.

November’s courses are: “I hope you have children just like you: the Torah’s Take on Judaism’s

First Families” with Rabbi David Cohen

November 3, 10, 17, 24, 7:30 pm

Sunday Mornings Ethics Discussions: “Jewish Business Ethics”

Sunday, November 8, 10:30 am with Rabbi Cohen, David Cobb and others

Scholar in Residence: Dr. Rachel Baum “Jewish Identity in a Time of

Mixed Marriage: Are We Still a Tribe?”

November 20-22

December’s courses are: “Our Covenant, Our Life Cycle and Our People” with Cantor Rebecca Robins

December 1, 8, 22, 7:30 pm

The December Dilemma: “Parenting Jewish Children in December”

Sunday, December 6, 10:30 am

Sunday Morning Ethics Discussion: “War and Peace” with Dr. Blumberg

and special guests December 20, 10:30 am

Don’t miss the ongoing Senior’s Havurah: November 23

To sign up: http://www.eventbrite.com/rss organ-izer_list_events/266742216

Exciting Programming in Addition to our Regular Sunday/Thursday program-ming includes: Sunday, November 15, 10:00 a.m. –12:00 p.m. K4-2nd Grade Family Education Program: L’Dor Va Dor A multigenerational exploration of honoring our parents, grandparents and children. Thursday, December 3, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 6th Grade Family B’nei Mitzvah Program Sunday, December 6, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 3rd Grade Parents Education Program: Siddureinu (Our Siddur) Sunday, December 13 Whole School Chanukah Play More details to follow…

Upcoming School Events

Mazal Tov… To our Consecration Students and Families of 2009!

Harrison Gollin, son of Patricia and Andrew Gollin

Elijah Laber, son of Elaine Palmer-Laber and Eron Laber

Malcolm Lile, son of Sandy Saltzstein and Darrin Lile

Gabriel Newman, son of Amy and Dan Newman

Cecilia Parkes, daughter of Monica and Joshua Parkes

Alexander Stelzer, son of Brenda and Marc Stelzer

You are invited to join us for our Family Shabbat Service on Friday, November 6th at 7 p.m.

Our Sixth Graders will lead their leadership. Our young people bring a

special energy and excitement that you should not miss!

This family friendly service is GREAT for all ages! Join us at 5:30 p.m for Minyan Katan.


President’s Message: Message from Rosh Hashanah

Shabbat Shalom. I am Judi Ket-ten and I am honored to stand before you this evening as president of Congre-gation Sinai. When Rabbi Cohen told me that I was to speak tonight, I knew this could be my most important opportunity to reach a large part of our community who may not often come to synagogue throughout the year. Well, my hope is, that after tonight, you will want to come back more often. So I sat and thought, hoping that my words would inspire, motivate, maybe entertain and defi-nitely move you to action and personal change. Then the Rabbi tells me, Judi, not to cause you any undue stress, but many of the congregants who do not know you, might judge the job that you are doing by your words tonight. So, I want to re-mind you, I am not the Rabbi, and I am no compe-tition for his ability to teach and to move people as he does so beautifully with his words. For those of you who do know me, you know that stepping forward to accept responsibil-ity is part of my being AND I cannot separate my Judaism from who I am. So I stand here tonight to speak from my heart and share with you my dream for Sinai In May I began my first term as president, chairing a Search Committee that successfully completed its mis-sion. We have officially split the job of Synagogue Administrator into two very strong part-time positions, director of administration, and program coordina-tor. If you have met our two new professionals, Karen Lancina and Jen Friedman, you already understand how fortunate we are to have such compe-tent, experienced and energetic staff. Karen utilizes her excellent tech-nical business administration skills, as well as her leadership, communication and interpersonal skills that the position requires. Jen exudes enthusiasm, and she will be primarily responsible for co-

ordinating simchas, membership en-gagement, public relations and facilities usage. What an outstanding team! Not to boast, but the innovative staffing ar-rangement has attracted the attention of other area synagogues, who, rumor has it, refer to us as the successful “Sinai model.” Following the rabbi’s sermon on health care, I want to speak about the health of our synagogue. I want to reassure everyone that our congrega-tional future is in good hands and that our Board can be counted on to bring the vitality and quality of Jewish life for-ward at Congregation Sinai. Our staff

and our Board of Trustees are working together so we don't lose sight of our shared mission and purpose. We create and initiate as indi-viduals, but we collaborate and reflect as a team. Yes we do have a creative, tenacious board of Directors. I am continually grateful to them for sharing their precious time and tal-

ents. We have had the unenviable task of struggling to maintain a fiscally re-sponsible budget in these unforeseen and terribly trying times. We appreciate each of you who continue to support our congregation. As Rabbi Cohen has re-minded us, we are a covenantal com-munity, not a contingent one; we sup-port our synagogue even at times we may not personally need it, just as oth-ers supported it when we have needed it. And this is even more important when the economy is as challenging as it is currently. The Board of Directors does more than worry about finances; they also help maintain the momentum of congregational life. Here are a couple of examples of our current projects. We recently approved a creative pro-posal to bring young members, under the age of 35, into our congregation to insure a strong future. We are continu-ally looking for innovative ideas to bring new families to our congregation. We need each of you to be a personal emis-sary for our Sinai. New membership is critical, and, as always, we warmly wel-

come all new members into our spiri-tual community; we are an intimate congregation that can extend its warm embrace to all. For several years our congre-gation has been working on creating a user-friendly, exciting web site. It be-gan with the dedication of Jim Sa-linsky, and this year Sandy Saltzstein made it all happen. I have to thank her for her tenacity and her genuinely hard work. The new congregational web site is launched and improve-ments are still being made. This was all accomplished with a generous grant by the Bader Foundation. Please check out our new fresh look at www.congregationsinai.org. We all know these are excep-tionally challenging times. We are fo-cusing on renewing energy through our many exceptional volunteers. We need each and every one of you. I am pas-sionate. I work to be organized. I need each of you. There are opportunities for one-time volunteer efforts to help plan a congregational program, as well as the chance to serve on committees, committees that go beyond just talk, to actually accomplishing. Our social ac-tion committee is following up on its amazing past year with new programs and volunteer opportunities in the wider Milwaukee community. My own experience has taught me that Sinai is open to anyone, on any level, anyone who wants to help out. We are unusually inclusive. I’ve also learned that the deeper your in-volvement, the more meaningful and even spiritually uplifting. Call me. I want my phone ringing off the hook and my inbox to be full! The more con-gregants that are involved, the stronger the tapestry of our synagogue life. Whether Judaism is a legacy you inherited from your parents and grandparents, or something you’ve come to later in life; no matter where you might be in your Jewish journey, we want to extend a hand and em-brace you. There is a special place for each of you in our diverse and inclu-sive Sinai family. As the Ner Tamid, the eternal light, shines brightly over the


President’s Message: Message from Rosh Hashanah continued

ark, we commit to keeping the light on for each of you. I am sure I speak for everyone here when I express our thanks and gratitude to Rabbi Cohen and Cantor Robins along with our melodic choir for an eloquent and beautiful service. Also, a huge thank you to Dr. Sherry Blumberg, Jeni Goldbaum, Annie Gold-ing and the school volunteers, as well as, staff, and our volunteers who have worked so hard to make these High Holy Day services possible; especially

my dear friend Stacy Schwab, who con-tinues to lend her organizational skills to make sure all is where it should be, when it should be. It is an amazing amount of shared work to orchestrate everything that needs to be done. We all appreciate every volunteer’s dedication. We all look forward to the fu-ture of the coming year and to ensuring the vitality of our community. In my heart, I feel the challenge to maintain and strengthen this generation and the next generation’s connection and com-

mitment to the Jewish people and the Jewish State. I invite each of you to be part of my dream. On behalf of the entire Sinai Board of Directors, Michael and I wish you Shanah Tovah. May we all be re-newed for a good year; a year of health, happiness and shalom throughout Is-rael and the rest of our world. Shabbat Shalom and Shanah Tovah!

Judi Ketten

B ’ r i t N a s h i m m e a n s “Covenant of Women.” We are a group of women who meet one evening each month, for programs of Jewish and personal content. We also have an annual Shabbat retreat during the win-ter. Our group, which started about 14 years ago, was formed as a Jewish women's spirituality group, designed to be a forum for women to gather to share common interests and to build the foundation of a community of women within the larger community of Congregation Sinai. We have, in fact, formed close personal bonds and grown into a true "covenant" of women who support each other in all areas of our lives. The only requirements to join B’rit Nashim are that you are a woman, a member of Congregation Sinai, and that you are looking for a group of

women who are committed to each other. There is no cost to be a member except for any expenses that might in-cur from the projects we undertake. Our members take turns lead-ing or planning the meetings; sharing our diverse talents, interests, ideas and experiences with one an-other. From time to time, we also bring in outside presenters. Some examples of our past activities include sessions on: Jewish artists and writers, ecology and its relationship to Judaism, cooking sessions, including making rugela, ge-filte fish, and sushi; book discussions; crafts, such as making our own books, dream catchers and felted purses; and putting together the congregation’s Cha-nukah packages for Sinai’s college stu-dents and blankets for SDC. And of course, we always have food! One high-light in our experience as a group, is our

annual winter Shabbat retreat. This is a time when we get away from our daily routines to rejoice together. We always plan meaningful and enjoyable activities however, we find that it is really not the activity that we are doing, but rather the fact that we are together that mat-ters. For, most importantly, we have become trusted friends. Each fall, B’rit Nashim is open to new members. We find that this is a great opportunity to get to know addi-tional women, who bring wonderful new e n e r g y a n d i n p u t t o our "covenant." We invite you to join us. Potential members can come to our open meeting Monday, November 9th. For further information, please call Toby Colton at 351-5205 or Joanne Roberts at 351-6486.

Brit Nashim

ACC Campership Concert There's nothing like a Camp-fire Sing-A-Long! Do you love camp? Do you love to sing? How about singing at camp?? Join the Cantors of Wiscon-sin, Rabbi Cohen and all your friends for an amaz-ing night of Shirah! On December 5, at 5:30 PM we'll gather at Congrega-tion Sinai to bid farewell to Shabbat, and raise some money for kids to have

a chance to spend the summer at Jew-ish Camp. This evening is FREE for you to

come and rock at! All ages are welcome - camper or camper-at-heart! Won't you con-sider bringing a small con-tribution to help send an-other kid to Jewish camp this summer and to give

them the camping experience you love? COW will divide all monies raised

between JCC Camp In-terlaken, Ramah Wis-consin and the ACC (American Conference of Cantors) URJ Camp-ing Initiative. For more infor-mation, call or email Cantor Robins. Can't wait to sing with u s ? R S V P a t h t t p : / /campsingalong.eventbrite.com See you there!

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Our six-sided Sukkah Garden achieved its goal of beautifying Sinai’s Sukkah. Despite an attack of a rather nasty tomato blight that wiped out our gorgeous tomato plants in literally one night, we had gourds aplenty for the students in grades 3-6 to harvest and string up inside the Sukkah. We also were able to use the corn stalks for “schach” on the roof. A heartfelt thank you to all who hauled dirt, planted seeds, and weeded and watered through the spring and summer. A special thank you goes out to Naomi Cobb for her vision and amazing gardening talents. We look forward to sharing this process together as a community next spring. In other Greening of Sinai Committee news, the com-mittee presented stainless steel, reusable water bottles to Rabbi Cohen and Cantor Robins on the first day of Sunday school to use on the bimah in place of plastic water bottles. We hope the Rabbi and Cantor use them in good health! We are continuing to work on ways to reduce garbage and insure that all rooms at the synagogue have recycling bins. If you have an idea for a Greening project, want to join the Sukkah garden project next year, or be a part of the Greening of Sinai Committee, please contact Deb Schermer @ [email protected]. The Greening of Sinai Committee is charged with raising awareness of environmental issues and helping Sinai become as “green” as possible. We want to hear your ideas, interests and musings. Tip of the month: How Do I Junk Junk Mail? A few facts and figures to consider:

· 100 million trees and 28 billion gallons of water were used to produce U.S. mail for just one year

· In 2005 over 114 billion pieces of bulk advertising mail were sent out in the U.S. (a 15% increase from 2000)

· The average adult spends 70 hours a year dealing with junk mail.

· 50% of all U.S. mail is discarded unopened. How can I get off those lists?

1. Contact the Direct Marketing Association to be re-moved from many companies' mass marketing mailing lists for up to five years. Learn how at www.dmachoice.org/MPS/proto1.php.

2. Call the following companies directly to ask to be removed from their mailing lists: Val-Pak Coupons (1-800-676-6878), America Online Discs (1-800-827-6364), and Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweep-stakes (1-800-645-9242).

3. Every loose-leaf bundle of business or supermarket fliers must be delivered along with an address post-card. Locate this address card - the cards usually have an advertisement and a photograph of a miss-ing child (ADVO is the most common). Mail the ad-dress card to the address printed on the card and ask to be removed from their mailing list. Your letter carrier's routine is to give each house a bundle of fliers so, once you stop receiving the address card(s), tape a "No Bulk Mail" sign inside your mailbox. You can also opt-out online at www.advo.com/consumersupport.html.

Deb Schermer and Karen Schudson The Greening of Sinai Committee

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people

happy amidst the simple beauty of nature. ...I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.” Anne Frank

What’s Greening at Sinai

Naomi Cobb helps a 3rd grader harvest a gourd. A 5th grader hangs his gourd in the Sukkah.

On October 14th I attended a luncheon for the organi-zation Planned Parenthood. I felt proud to be a Jewish woman that afternoon. I was surrounded by two of Sinai’s past Presidents, two former administrators, a fellow yoga student, our current President and many congregants. It felt like a true community. There were 400 women who attended this luncheon and so many came from Milwaukee’s Jewish Community and specifically Congregation Sinai. Again, I felt proud to be amongst such a group of strong women. This past month, our weight watchers group had its first potluck dinner. Members brought either an entrée or a dessert to share. There was a huge bowl of butternut squash soup (2 points/serving), two styles of vegetable quesadillas, portabella mushroom sandwiches, stuffed mushrooms, and pumpkin fluff. (The pumpkin fluff was to die for). We shared recipes and enjoyed a social evening together. Our group donated food to a local food pantry as part of the National Lose for Good Campaign thus making our group weight loss a tzedukah project. The weight watchers group will be starting a new session on November 10th, come join this healthy lifestyle. Yoga continues in the sun filled Worship and Learn-ing Space on Tuesday mornings at 8:30. At a recent session, Susan shared a variety of stretches that could be used while traveling. During this upcoming holiday and travel season, consider coming to yoga and learning the neck, back and leg

Women of Sinai News

Brotherhood Coffees


stretches to make travel on cramped airplanes more comfort-able. Mah Jongg usually meets on the last Wednesday of the month but due to Thanksgiving and the winter break schedule we will be meeting on November 18th and Decem-ber 16th at 7:00. New members are always welcome. There will be a second community Mah Jongg Friendzy on December 6th. Please see the attached flyer for information and registration material. The new membership letters are out with an en-closed dues envelope. Please consider joining the Women of Sinai at either the Chai level of $36.00 or as a Woman of Valor which is a $72.00 contribution. Your dues continue to support many activities for our B’nei Mitzvah students as well as our younger students. We also support Ritual events throughout the year including the Break the Fast, (this year we fed over 240 congregants), Koach, where we feed 150 retirees and other events. Your dues also helped to purchase the beautiful Ner Tamid which hangs in our new Worship and Learning Space.

Stay well and warm, Laura Waisbren

Just in......don’t miss the first brotherhood coffee of the season....Sunday, November 15th, 10:30 am-Noon. Join us for "Dinner on a dime". Four of Sinai's frugal spend-ers will present their list of "10 favorite restaurants!” Each list will focus on cost, quality of food, and general atmos-phere of their favorite dining spots in the Milwaukee area. Expect a diverse list of choices and good discussion from Damien Jaques, Michael Waxman, Marc Kartman, and a surprise female participant who will extol the virtues of "eating green". Free coffee, bagels, juice, coffee cake, etc. will be served. Come early, stay late, and enjoy some mouth watering , pocket friendly discussion on "Dinner on a dime" ! No RSVP needed. See you Sunday morning No-vember 15th! And don’t miss December’s brotherhood coffee "Why Big Bird is a Mensch", Sunday, December 6 at 10:30-Noon. Milwaukee Public Television General Manager Ellis Bromberg tells us how MPTV's programs and related ser-vices reflect the station's unique mission and values state-

ments. Ellis has been General Manager of Milwaukee Public Television, which operates Channels 10 and 36, since 2000. He has a joint appointment at MATC, which is licensee of the stations, as the college’s Dean of Television and Video Production. Ellis has spent more than 30 years in public broad-casting, 10 years as Station Manager of WILL-TV in Cham-paign, Illinois, and before that in programming and news man-agement positions at the PBS stations in Albany and Bingham-ton, New York. Early in his career he was also editor of the Binghamton Jewish community’s weekly newspaper. A native of New York City, Ellis earned his M.A. in Jour-nalism from the Ohio State University, and his B.A. from the State University of New York at Binghamton. His wife, Mel, is the principal of her own consulting company, WaterShed Inter-national. Their daughter, Kyra, is an actress in New York City. The Brombergs live in Glendale.

Thank you to all who baked or contributed to this year’s Break the Fast. Over 240 hungry congregants enjoyed a traditional Kiddush with homemade kugels and desserts. Nobody went hungry.

The tables were plentiful thanks to all of your hard work. Laura

Justin Weil Justin Jerome Weil will become a Bar Mitzvah on November 14th, 2009. Justin is the son of Monica and Jeffrey Weil, older brother to Jessica and grandson of Judi z”l and Richard Kahn. Justin attends 7th grade at the Whitefish Bay Middle School. Justin is a self pro-claimed “sport nut”. He plays Whitefish Bay soccer, Junior Dukes Basketball, runs cross country, and plays Whitefish Bay Little League baseball. Some more of Justin’s hobbies are: skiing, video games, fantasy sports, watching T.V., playing trumpet, being with friends, and riding his bike/scooter. Justin is looking forward to spending his special day with his family and friends. He wishes

his “Gumma” could be here as well, but he knows she was very proud of him and his accomplishments. Justin and his parents would like to give special thanks to Rabbi Cohen, Cantor Robins and Linda Ross for their sup-port and guidance as we prepared for this special day.


Join Social Action at Congregation Sinai

Congregation Sinai has a long and extensive history of Social Action. • Over the years, congregants have been providing meals to the Interfaith Meal Program. • The Synagogue and Tzedakah fund have been providing paper goods and support for the Bethesda summer meal program which serves several thousand people during the summer months. • Congregants have participated in the Solar Cooker Project in Darfur. http://www.jewishworldwatch.org/donate/solarcookerproject.htm • B’nai Mitzvah students and Religious school classes have held food drives, clothing collections, toy and sports equip-ment drives, and much more for their favorite causes and have gone on school-organized social action activities into the community. • Our Rabbis have spoken on a myriad of topics from the Bimah. • Panels, workshops and lectures have been held. Last year and this, the Social action committee is continuing this tradition of engagement in community and the furthering of social justice causes in Milwaukee. • Our collaboration with the Social Development Commis-sion’s Family Shelter has resulted in 4 interactive events at

the Shelter, including this past October 18th. Look to our website and e-news for photos. Congregants have also led numerous knitting, beading and dance sessions at the Shel-ter. • Congregants have donated clothing, diapers, bed linens, winter coats, hats & gloves, back packs & school supplies, art supplies & coloring books, toys & games and toiletries to the Family Shelter in our monthly barrel drives. Thank you all for your donations. • The Greening committee spearheaded a Sukkah garden, harvested it for decorating the sukkah, has reviewed clean-ing supply use in the Temple, explored ways of reducing our footprint…and more • The Social Action pages of Sinai’s Web site is expanding – and will contain more ways to learn about what we are doing and what you can do. • We are planning our first panel of the year – news to follow in future newsletters. So, join us and help determine Sinai’s path into So-cial Action. Just contact Idy Goodman at [email protected]/ 414-351-3386 or Tom St. John at [email protected] /414/964-8537.

Bar Mitzvah

SOCIAL ACTION COMMITTEE MAGNETS ARE HERE!

The magnet enclosed with this newsletter lists the items that Congregation Sinai will be collecting monthly for donation to the SDC Family Shelter. We

hope that this magnet will help your family remember what to collect for the shelter each month. Your participation and donations are greatly

appreciated by the residents of the shelter.

Welcome to New Members: Lynn & Mike Falender, Lisa Farber, Patricia & Andrew

Gollin, Pip & David Lowe, Susan & Trip Stern

Mazel Tov to: Steve and Anne Kravit on the marriage of their

daughter Alison to Tim O'Brien

Condolences to: Janet Fishman on the death of her husband Marvin

Fishman. And Leslie, Susan and Mark on the death of their

father. Dr. Larry Polacheck on the death of his mother,

Dorothy Polocheck

Mitbach Sinai brings a group of congregants together at 6 p.m. on the third Monday evening of each month to socialize and cre-ate in the kitchen. Under the expert guidance of congregant Jill Wein-shel, a professional, culinary school-trained chef, food-loving adults — from teens to 70-somethings — craft delicacies for Congregation Sinai events. Launched recently, this group is poised to grow in number and direction and your ideas are welcome. Join us soon for an eve-ning of connection and conviviality in the kitchen. Check synagogue calendar to confirm Mitbach Sinai dates, in case of holiday or other conflicts. Please bring a donation of $5-$10 to cover the cost of ingredients. For more information contact Jill Weinshel at [email protected]

Mitbach Sinai


Chanukah Dinner & New Member Blessing Friday, December 11, 2009

Join us to celebrate the first night of Chanukah with dinner & dreidels, menorahs &

music and & lots of latkes!

6:00 PM Congregational Chanukah Dinner $12 adults, $10 children under 12, $5 children 4 and under

Maximum $45 per family

7:00 PM Family Shabbat & Chanukah Service

RSVP at http://chanukah2009.eventbrite.com

Design-Your-Own Chanukiyah Contest!

Don’t Forget the Design-Your-Own Chanukiyah Contest! Bring your homemade Chanukiyot (Chanukah menorahs) with you to dinner, and the winning families will be announced at the end of services. A spe-cial prize will be awarded. Don’t forget: A chanukiyah has eight candle holders for each night of chanu-kah and one shamash, or helper candle that is higher than all the other candles. (That’s 9 candles to-

tal!) Be as creative as possible!

Personals

Mark your calendars for a family learning adventure you will not forget!

Sinai Family Retreat at OSRUI Camp January 15-17, 2010

“Will the real Freedom Fighters please stand!” Reserve your place now, space is limited

Call or email [email protected]


News from our sister congregation in Israel

For Congregation Emet veShalom Nahariya Kehillat Emet VeShalom, the only Progressive synagogue in Nahariya and the Western Galilee, is pleased to send you this update on what we have been doing as well as a High Holy Day message from Rabbi Horowitz. Kabbalat Shabbat Our Kabbalat Shabbat services continue each week at 6:30 pm, with a large and engaged congregation. We invite you to join with Rabbi Horowitz and our congregation when you are next in Israel – help us welcome the Sabbath Bride! New *Betty Sokolovsky Memorial Video Library Betty Sokolovsky, her husband and three children left Argentina and made aliyah to Israel in 2002. A beloved member of Emet veShalom, she struggled with cancer, and unfortunately died in 2007. In her memory, a gift was made to create the Betty Sokolovsky Memorial Video Library. This will allow our congregation to stock videos that assist us in learning Hebrew, share interesting movies at our movie nights in multiple languages, and enrich the learning opportu-nities for our children. To celebrate the opening of the library, a movie night was held in Betty’s honor on September 12. As is our custom for all social events, each participant was asked to bring an item of nonperishable food, such as flour, rice, or honey, that can be included in a gift basket of holiday food for the needy. Youth Our Youth have been very active, sending children of many ages to camping programs and Israeli Progressive Movement Youth Activities. We look forward to another suc-cessful year of growing our programs for the young members of our congregation. Community Programs and Activities Many participants in our community programs and activities enjoyed the end of the Year Party at 108 Weizman Street. Many activities were held during last year, many of which were made possible with the generous funding of the Federation of Northern New Jersey. Message from Rabbi Horowitz: The Beginning of the Year Now the Days of Awe, Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur are approaching. These are days of renewal and re-pentance.During Rosh HaShanna we listen to the shofar. Eve-ryone perceives its calls with his ears, but those who really listen to it listen with their hearts. The difference between listening with the ears and listening with the heart is clear. The one who listens only with his ears is like a person who hears the noise of a plane flying overhead, or the voice of a street vendor selling goods he doesn’t need. These sounds go in one ear and out the other. This is not the way the heart listens. The Mishnah says, “If someone happens to be behind the temple and lis-tens to the shofar and his heart is focuses on it, he has ful-

filled the mitzvah." Often during the year our conscience tries to pre-vent us from acting negatively, but we ignore its dictates. Now at Rosh Hashannah, we have the opportunity to say to our conscience, “Here we are!” Man is born pure, and the purpose of his life is to remain thus, but life takes us in other directions. Teshuva tries to return us to the state in which we were before we turned away. The first day of Rosh Hashannah is the first of the New Year, of a new account that we open, of new behavior that is much better than the way we conducted ourselves during the past year. This day is the beginning of the ten days of repentance which conclude with Yom Kippur. Only a person who follows the commands of Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur can have faith that he is cele-brating these two festivals correctly and that the Days of Awe will not pass in a normal routine. We are grateful that our congregation, the only Re-form synagogue in Nahariya and the Western Galilee, is flourishing and going from strength to strength! We offer the community an opportunity to participate in an egalitarian and pluralistic Judaism and the freedom to express Judaism as one chooses. We extend an invitation to you to visit us when you are in Israel. Celebrate Shabbat and holidays with us! Visits to our community and contact and support from our friends abroad are very meaningful to us. On behalf of the leadership and members of Emet veShalom, we would like to wish you a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year. May you, your family and friends have a year of goodness and may Israel and the entire world find peace.

Rabbi Israel Horowitz Sharon Mann

For Congregation Emet veShalom Nahariya

Sunday December 6, 2009 1:00 PM- 4:00 PM

Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun Surlow Community Hall

2020 W. Brown Deer Road Cost $15

~Join us for an afternoon of social play and sisterhood~

Community Wide Mah Jongg Event and Raffle

Co-Sponsored by the Sisterhoods of Beth El Ner Tamid Synagogue, Congregation Beth Israel, Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun, Congregation Shalom, Congregation Sinai, Temple Menorah,

Congregation Emanu-El of Waukesha and KOACH

Bring non-perishable food donation for the Jewish Community Food Pantry. Proceeds of this event will benefit KOACH- an education and social program for adults.

Please direct any questions to one of our sponsors

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Send your reservation and $15 payment made out to

Mah Jongg Friend’zy by December 1st to:

Mah Jongg Friend’zy CEEBJ, 2020 W. Brown Deer Rd.

Milwaukee WI, 53217 Name- ______________________________________________________________________ Phone-______________________________________________________________________ Address/ZIP_________________________________________________________________ Please make a table for me. I am a ____Beginner _____Intermediate _____Fast player I have a foursome, please seat me with _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____ Check ___MasterCard ____VISA Credit Card # ________________________________________ Exp. Date _____________ Signature____________________________________________ Three digit code_______ Total amount enclosed $___________________

Mah Jongg Friend’zy

WHO ARE “OUR PEOPLE”: JEWISH IDENTITY IN A TIME OF MIXED

MARRIAGE OR…ARE WE STILL A TRIBE?

Friday night, Nov. 20: The Tribe Outdated? Challenges to Jewish Identity in the 21st Century

Services 6:15, Dr. Baum will speak during services

Saturday Luncheon and Talk, Nov. 21: Jewish Identity in the Shadow of the Shoah: What post Holocaust thinkers teach us

about Jewish identity Luncheon at 12, $18.00 members, $25.00 non-members

Dr. Baum will speak after the lunch

Sunday morning, Nov. 22: Our People in the 21st Century: The Challenges and Opportunities of Intermarriage

10:30 in Worship and Learning Space

Please RSVP to http://rachelbaumatsinai.eventbrite.com or [email protected]

CONGREGATION SINAI SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE DR. RACHEL N. BAUM

Dr. Rachel Baum is the coordinator of the Jewish Studies major at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She earned her doctorate at UWM in English and wrote a dissertation on the Holocaust. She has been a very popular teacher in Modern Jewish thought and Jewish identity issues. A published author,

she also is the advisor to the Hillel Milwaukee.

Sinai makes a difference!


On Sunday, October 18th, Sinai Congregants and grades 4, 5, and 6 spent a meaningful morning at the SDC Family Support Center Emergency Shelter. Activities in-

cluded: Children’s arts and crafts, pumpkin decorating , blan-ket making, assembling toiletry kits, dancing and installing shelving.

Donations Donations received as of October 7. Andy Brickman Museum Fund In memory of David Colburn Stephen Colburn In memory of Mary Fishman Janet and Marvin Fishman Barbara Eiseman Memorial Fund for Spiritual Growth In honor of the marriage of Jan Rosenberg and Marty Barnes

Gloria Krasno Miriam Miringoff Kitchen Fund In honor of Amitay Ginsberg becoming a bar mitzvah In honor of Dr. Dick Lernor’s birthday In memory of Judy Posner and Peggy Jacobson’s mother In memory of Paula Simon’s father Judi and Michael Ketten In honor of Judi Ketten Linda and Shep Mollick Tzedakah Fund In memory of Max Fershtman Naomi and Mort Soifer In memory of Esther Larkey Jay Larkey In honor of Dr. Paul Loewenstein’s birthday Karen and Neil Wahlberg In memory of Irving Malawsky Lois Malawsky In memory of Charlotte Schwartz Dorothy Schmidt In memory of Abraham Tepps Anna Tepps Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund In appreciation Meredith and Bill Feldman

Family of Dorothy Hindin Avrum and Dannette Lank

For making the High Holy Days memorable Bernice Fagan and family

With gratitude for grandson’s baby naming Keith and Joanne Roberts In memory of Andy Cherniack Marcia and Gerry Cherniack In memory of Thomas Hassel and Beverly Hassel Manburg Toots and Mannie Hassel In memory of Joseph Ghory Ward Ghory In honor of Mrs. Jerry Kahn’s birthday Bettie and Dave Meltzer In honor of Rosalie Kahn’s 80th birthday Ann Pereles In honor of Drew Kaufmann’s bar mitzvah Mary and Jamie Kaufmann In memory of Gertrude Kerns Joan and Pat Kerns In memory of Louis Kaufman Jody Kaufman Loewenstein and Paul Loewenstein In memory of Lottie Lubar Lubar Family Foundation

Marianne and Shel Lubar Esther and Robert Sametz

In memory of Jim Muchin Toots Hassel In memory of Jonathan Resek Donna Resek In memory of Sara Shafton Barbara Shafton In memory of Michael Shapiro Donna Resek

Beth and Ron Shapiro In memory of Jeffrey C. Siegel Joan Lubar, Isaac and Charlotte Siegel Cantor’s Discretionary Fund In appreciation

Meredith and Bill Feldman

Michael Kahn Avrum and Dannette Lank

For making the High Holy Days memorable Bernice Fagan and family In honor of Drew Kaufmann’s bar mitzvah Mary and Jamie Kaufmann Robert Grant Marks Youth Fund In memory of Jerome Marks and Robert Grant Marks Brynn and Jerry Bloch Passport to Israel Fund In memory of Amour Gershan Jill and Bob Gershan In memory of Milton Katz

Deb, Moshe, Cyd and Gabe Katz Contributions made to the Temple In memory of William Dinkes Jamie Berger and family In honor of Sue Freeman’s birthday For Manny Hassel’s speedy recovery For Mort Newald’s speedy recovery Marian Brill In memory of Paul Gratch Harvey, Laurie, Cere, Anna and Maddie Shovers In memory of Miriam Kahn Goodman-Bensman White fish Bay Funeral Home In honor of Rosalie Kahn’s birthday Bunny Fried and Sally Reinee

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Mandel In honor of Bob and Sandy Meldman’s granddaughter’s bat mitzvah Dr. and Mrs. Mort Soifer In honor of the marriage of Dr. and Mrs. Al Meyers grandson Mr. and Mrs. Robert Goldstein



Donations, continued In honor of Dorothy Schmidt’s 80th birthday Ethel and Ben Stern In memory of Charlotte Schwartz Maureen Eichenbaum In honor of Tom St. Johns birthday Jeanette and Bruce Peckerman Landscape Fund In memory of Maureen Kahn Richard Kahn In memory of Donald Mandel Caroline and Bill Schulhof In memory of Kurt Meyer Ilse Brauer In memory of Jim Phillips’s father Jean Pereles-Strouse Jacob M. Fine and Family Library Fund In memory of Harry Brauer Ilse Brauer In memory of Sam Butlein Jayne and Eric Butlein In memory of Robert Fishkin Pauline Zarne Floral and Oneg Fund In memory of Bessie Becker

and Dr. Paul Loewenstein In memory of Racine Meyerowitz Dorothy and Al Meyers In memory of Charlotte Schwartz Dorothy and Al Meyers Music Fund In memory of Albert Cherniack Gerald Cherniack In honor of Cantor Robins Linda and Shep Mollick Lieberman Memorial Arts Fund In memory of my beloved husband, Jay Lieberman and son, Larry Lieberman Joan Lieberman Prayer book Fund In memory of David Orenstein and Ruth F. Orenstein

Marlene and Bert Bilsky

In memory of Sandra Rotter Robert Schlossmann Social Action Committee In memory of Jim Katz Dean and Laurie Segal

In memory of Jean Golper Margery and Irvin Becker In memory of Andee Bram’s mother Linda and Bill Ross In memory Louise Friedlander Jean and Ted Friedlander In memory of Dr. Abram Levine Joan C. Levine In memory of Fanny Padway The Padway family In memory of Edward Rosenburg Marcia and Gerry Cherniack In memory of Ida Rugowitz Harriet and Howard Weiss In memory of Florence Waxman The Waxman family Chesed (Caring) Fund In memory of Andee Bram’s mother Barbara and Ariel Friedlander In memory of Ishmael Bratt Rosalee and Herb Bratt In memory of Carl Diamond Joni Ansfield and family In memory of Esther Gliber Jody Kaufman Loewenstein

A thriller that shuttles from Rome to Jerusalem and Back

again, in search of "Titus's Last Mistake." If you love novels that blend history with non

stop action, this one is for you! Upcoming Book Review: The Last Ember on November 22

at 1:00 p.m.

“Who exactly is a senior?” It depends on who you ask: AARP considers any-one of 50 to be a senior. Others say 65. Some even say 65 is the new 45. We, on the other hand, refuse to label. Instead, we use the fol-lowing definition: A senior can be anyone, of any age, who values the wisdom that accrues over decades of living. If you appreciate good conversation, peppered with penetrating in-sights, the Seniors Havurah is for you. Every fourth Tuesday of the month.

● SE

NIO

RS H

AVU

RAH

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Karen Berk Lancina: I moved to Milwaukee in July, 1993 and while preparing to relo-cate from the Chicago area, I started researching the Jewish Community and the synagogues in Mil-waukee. It was very important to me to find a place where I would fit, feel com-fortable, be at home, and have a sense of community. Sinai was, and is, one of those places for me. Since then, I’ve held several professional positions in, and around, the Milwaukee area, met my hus-band and my stepson, got married, bought our first house and had twins. One of the constants throughout my life in Milwaukee is and continues to be Sinai. Based on my past career in Benefits and Human Resource Man-agement, I became the Director of Administration in September, 2009 to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Synagogue, manage the Synagogue’s financial operations and the facility. So, the next time you are in the building, please stop by and in-troduce yourself. I’ll look forward to meeting you and helping you in any way I can.

Jen Friedman: Shalom! I am thrilled to be a part of this wonderful Sinai com-munity in a professional capacity as Program Coordinator. My husband Ari and I have been members of Congregation Sinai for six years. We, and our three children, believe we have found a true home at Sinai for learning, community and spirituality. As the daughter of a reform rabbi in Boston, I grew up in synagogue life and have always found great comfort within these walls. For the last fifteen years I have been immersed in the Milwaukee Jewish Community pro-fessionally and through an array of volun-teer opportunities. My experience as Re-gional Director for the Wisconsin B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and President of the Milwaukee Section of National Council of Jewish Women, have provided me the necessary planning, organizational and outreach skills to fulfill my role as Program Coordinator at Con-gregation Sinai. I am greatly looking forward to assisting you in planning your next simcha, event or program at Sinai. I want to hear your wonderful ideas and help you bring them to life! Is there a program or an interest group you would like to see at Sinai? Together we can make it happen! If you know someone who has not heard about our exciting and vibrant Sinai commu-nity, I would be proud to tell them about our gem of a congrega-

tion. There is no reason to be the best kept secret – let’s share it! Please stop in and say hello.

Ilene Wasserman: A Milwaukee native, I have spent my life involved in the synagogue and Jewish community. After graduating from UW-M, I worked in public accounting, the private sector, and for the last 4 years in

the non-profit Jewish community. I have been the bookkeeper at Congregation Sinai for the past two years and have enjoyed every minute of it. My husband Jeff and I have a son in college in Portland, OR. Please come and say hello.

Karen Hintz: I was hired October 2008 as the secretary to Rabbi Cohen and Cantor Robins. Before coming to Congregation Sinai I was the Ex-ecutive Assistant to the CEO, CFO and Princi-pals at MLG Commercial in Brookfield for 8+ years. I have 3 adult children who are pur-suing very different lives. My daughter lives in Mexico and teaches English. I have one son who is a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force. He is part of the crew on a RC-135 and his is job is Airborne Maintenance Technician. My youngest son is a senior at UWM majoring in

Finance. He plans to pursue his master’s degree at Creighton University on Omaha, NE. My interests are taking care of my home and garden, Mexican culture and cuisine and studying yoga and meditation.

Jeri Danz: Congregation Sinai has been home to me for many years. My parents were among the founding members of the temple so now I feel I have come full circle working here. I am the school assistant and thor-oughly enjoy those I work with and for. I really enjoyed seeing my kids, Nicholas (26), Jordan (23) and Rebecca (19) at-tend the same synagogue I grew up in. Milwaukee has always been home to me except for my college years at UW-Eau Claire, where I met my husband, Michael of 31 years. I earned my degree in Social Work and worked at the Arthritis Foundation for many years. When I am not at the Temple, I also have another part-time job at the Milwaukee Jewish Council for Community Rela-tions. I look forward to meeting you all.

Tim Tyler: I started working at Congregation Sinai on October 14th, 2008 as the Head Maintenance/Custodial person. One thing that I

extremely enjoy about working with and for the congregation at Sinai is that I was welcomed in as part of the Sinai fam-ily. Everyone that I came in contact with during my first year here at Sinai has welcomed me in with open arms. Prior to coming to Sinai, I had no knowledge of the Jewish faith, and now I understand more, but am still learning. I, myself, am American Indian and like any family, am open to answering questions on my faith

and traditions. I look forward to meeting those that I have not and working for Sinai for many years to come.

Dick Kaeppel: For 36 years I served as the head custodian here at Congrega-

Meet the Sinai Staff



November 6, 2009 William Cobb Joan Frazer Mary Ghory Howard Gordon Marvin Heifetz Margaret “Peggy” Juda Roger Katz Dorothy Lubotsky Lillian Peck Herbert Polacheck Samuel D. Saffro Ann Shafton Martin Siegel Cora Skinner Richard Teweles

November 13, 2009 Saul Arbit Alan Bromley Lee Cherniack Bernice Cohen

Ateret Cohn Sarah Fleder Bertha Goldberger Melvin Goldberger Bertheld Hefter Jean Heilbronner John J. Higgins Joseph Hoffman Miriam Hool Arthur Koven Norman Leib Marilyn L. Look Oscar S. Meyer Elizabeth Newald Fred L. Raffel Kenneth Ross Howard James Seesel Jr. Anna Sherman

November 20, 2009 Louis Eisenberg Bessie Fleishman

Shirley Glick Carl Greenfield Nancy Hindin Carol Ikenn Meyer Lebed Mildred Levy Mollie Lipschultz Zelda Margolin Albert Ostermann Dorothy Pollak Peter Pumpian Hod Schudson Abraham Schwedelson Alfred Shovers Edward Stillman Cecilia Warschauer Willie Weiss

November 27, 2009 Allan Berger Loretta Cohn Helen Cook

Ann Derengowski Joseph Falk Bertha Feld Helen Fisher Herbert Kahn Joshua Kestelman Samuel Lipschultz Arnold Miller William A. Padway Kisa Peskina Harry Schwartz Rita Teplin Irene Warschauer Joann Weber Michael Weinberg Bessie Weiss Richard Werner Ardis J. Zarem

December Yarhzeits December 4, 2009 Dorothy Brickman Fred Feld Michael Fleysh Theodore Friedlander, Sr. Janette Manheim Mae Miles Joanne Mendeloff Misaqi Beatrice Muchin Mark Roth Lew Sangor Lillian Schwartz Nathan Shlimovitz Dr. John David Silbar

December 11, 2009 Sidney Atinsky

Allan Bein Jack Blutstein David Cooper Ruth Diamond Goldmann Florence Frank Fannie Gershan Pauline Goldstein Duane Hill Lena Brown Jacobs Judi Kahn Barbara Kantor Kaplan Laurence Luff Edwin “Ted” Ostermann Ethel Sedlet Alan Shor Anders Solvang

Elayne Staller Sadie Stern Delbert Wile

December 18, 2009 Aaron Bram Rose Cooper Toni Ettenheim Jack Freeman Arthur Goldstein Ian Ikenn Laurie Ikenn Arthur Levin Stanley M. Ottenstein Zelma Ottenstein Alfred Padway Judith Kerns Pence

Joan Prince William Rofes Dr. Alex Sigal Anita Feld Silbar Bess Urich Ann Urkofsky

December 25, 2009 Lawrence Ball Bee Brill Benjamin Fagan Harry Feldman Bessie Kahn Anne Klein Manuel Padway Esther Soifer Rabbi Cary David Yales

Meet the Sinai Staff continued

November Yarhzeits

tion Sinai. After a very brief period away, I have returned to Sinai in a part time capac-ity. I come in to help with Hebrew School and Religious School, Friday Shabbat Services, B’nei Mitzvah and Saturday morning Torah Study and Minyan. I keep coming back be-cause I love the people and the kids. After all of these years, I have come to know so many of you through your lifecycle events. My wife Sharon knows that I think Congregation Sinai is truly a special place and I enjoy my time here. Come say hello any time!

Tracey Hassinger: For the past ten years, I have been an ac-tive addition to the Sinai community as the ever-present Kitchen Matron. You have probably seen me bustling about during Friday services, providing those endless goodies. Or perhaps on the weekends, along with my mother, Cheryl, offering a lending hand for a congregational event. Please know that your needs are her pri-mary concern to better serve the temple. So, introduce yourself and get to know us!

Congregation Sinai 8223 N. Port Washington Road, Fox Point, WI 53217

Member of the Union for Reform Judaism

Board of Trustees, 2009-2010 Judi Ketten President Marc Kartman Vice President John Mann Vice President Nick Padway Vice President David Cobb Treasurer Sandy Saltzstein Secretary Marlene Lauwasser Past President Patti Levy Past President Jim Salinsky Past President Susan Fishbach Fundraising Jenni Goldbaum Youth Education Idy Goodman Social Action Hugh Hoffman Finance Ruth Lebed Rofes Outreach Steve Moglowsky Finance Bobbi Rector Israel Tom St John Social Action Beth Shapiro Communications Susan Solvang Gift Shop Jim Stillman Brotherhood Mark Sweet Young Families Laura Waisbren Women of Sinai Congregation Jill Weinshel Celebrations

Do we have any Harley riders in our

congregation who want to take a weekend

ride with other members? Do you like to

brew your own beer? Does game night at

Sinai pique your interest? Sinai's Membership Committee is looking for your input! We would love to put together special interest groups but need to know what you want! If you have any suggestions or want to get involved, please email [email protected] with your ideas.

Carrie Ellerbrock and Elyse Cohn, Membership Co-Chairs

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Sinai Newsletter - Nov-Dec 2009

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Transcript of Sinai Newsletter - Nov-Dec 2009