Temple Sinai

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we are conducting most of our services and other events on Zoom. There are links below to join our current events and to view videos of past events. Click here for information on how to use Zoom. Click here for information on the pandemic and our congregation's response.

Megillah Reading & Purim Celebration
Purim is Judaism's great joyful holiday of topsy-turvy merriment. We'll read the Megillah – the story of Esther – in English and reflect on the serious message hidden in its humor and silliness. Bring your own hamantashen and costume. We'll play some games and have a lot of fun. Thursday, February 25, at 6:00 PM.

Raymond Buttero Zoom Concerts
Temple Sinai's keyboard accompanist Raymond Buttero offers piano concerts on Zoom on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 3PM.

Shabbat Guest Speaker: Nicole O'Laughlin
Safe Staffing in RI Nursing Homes
Our guest speaker at Shabbat services on Friday, February 26, will be Nicole O'Laughlin of the Raise the Bar Campaign for safe staffing in Rhode Island nursing homes. Temple Sinai's Social Action Committee selected this as a priority issue for this year. Join us every Friday at 6PM for our Shabbat evening service.

Torah Study
Our weekly Shabbat morning Torah study on Saturday mornings at 10 AM is a chance to learn and discuss what Jewish tradition has to say to us in today's world. We explore issues of ethics, spirituality, history, philosophy and more. No knowledge of Hebrew or previous background in Torah study is needed or expected. Download the study sheet here.

Religious School
Temple Sinai's Religious School is on Zoom. Our next meeting for grades K-7 will be on Sunday, February 28, starting at 9AM, following our two-week break for school vacation.

Five Modern Jewish Women Who Changed the World
As we watch the well-deserved ascendancy of Black women on the national stage, it is a good moment to consider some of the contributions Jewish women have made to shaping the modern world, from culture to politics. Over six sessions from March 4 to April 8 at 7:00, Cantor Deborah Johnson will guide us in an exploration of Sarah Bernhardt, Emma Goldman, Golda Meir, Gloria Steinem, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg and discuss the issues their Jewishness raises for themselves and others.

Shabbat Torah Reading
On the first and third Saturday of each month, we have a Zoom service for reading the Torah. Join us as we recite the traditional prayers and hear the words of Torah. The service also includes prayers for healing and the Mourners Kaddish in remembrance of those who have died in recent days and those who have died in past years at this season. Saturday, March 6, 11AM

Exploring Relationships
Pandemic life has impacted us all in many ways. We have continued to adapt to ever changing restrictions on how we interact with others and go about our daily routines. We also have concerns and worries about our health and social isolation. By now, many of us might just feel “done,” with no reserves left to be there for others. Yet, as humans, a sense of belonging and being in positive relationships with others is vital to our overall wellbeing. In this lunchtime discussion, Temple Sinai's Kesher Worker Shana Prohofsky and Tara Watkins will help us explore ways of building and sustaining healthy relationships during COVID and beyond.

Hillel's Burrito and Other Lost Lore of Passover
Hillel’s Burrito, the Spanish Pesach Bunny, and Pomegranates from the Sea. These are just a few items of forgotten Passover lore that Dr. Jon Greenberg will present on Wednesday, March 10, at 7PM. Dr. Greenberg is one of very few living biblical and talmudic ethnobotanist. He is often consulted by rabbis and other scholars for his broad knowledge of plants in Jewish texts and what they teach about our history and tradition. He will discuss some of his research findings from his recently published hagadah, Fruits of Freedom. This event is jointly sponsored by our Temple Sinai and Boca Raton Synagogue of Boca Raton, Florida.

Shabbat Guest Speaker: Ruth Ben-Artzi
"Where is Israel Going?"
As Israel prepares for its fourth national election is just two years, Providence College Associate Professor of Political Science Ruth Ben-Artzi will give us the background and analysis we need to understand the people and issues in Israel's current era of political turmoil. Friday, March 12, at 6PM.

Havdalah Service
Our next Zoom Havdalah will be on Saturday, March 13, at 8PM. Join us as we share the blessings for the conclusion of Shabbat and spend time together as a community. If you have a havdalah set – a braided candle, spices and a cup of wine – bring them to our gathering. Or, you can just follow the rabbi and cantor as they lead the blessings. Our theme is springtime as we enter the Hebrew month of Nisan, marking the beginning of spring.

Joint Reform Service
Every year, the Reform congregations of Rhode Island – Temple Sinai, Temple Beth-El, Temple Habonim, and the Newport Havurah – come together to celebrate Shabbat. This year's Joint Reform service will feature Cantor Jeff Klepper, recently retired from Temple Sinai of Sharon, Massachusetts, where he served since 2003. Cantor Klepper is one of a handful of contemporary Jewish musicians responsible for changing the sound of American synagogue music. Many of his songs, including “Shalom Rav,” are known throughout the Jewish world. Join us for this special service on Friday, March 19, at 5:45PM (please note the special time).

Click here for recordings of past events

Worship

The best way for you to get to know us is to attend a Shabbat service on any Friday night or Saturday morning. Our worship is joyful, spiritual, and musical. Check our calendar for service times. Our Friday services are often followed by an Oneg reception. We celebrate lifecycle events like b'nei mitzvah with excitement and fun. Our holidays are a time of meaning and broad participation. We're saving a seat for you.

Learning

All of us, children and adults, learn in education programs centered on Judaism as a personal living experience. Your child can enter our Religious School as early as Kindergarten. Our students celebrate become b'nei mitzvah at age 13. Tenth graders learn in our Confirmation class. Come to our breakfast and lively adult Torah study before the morning service every Saturday morning.

Community

As a newcomer to Temple Sinai, you will be warmly welcomed. Our Sisterhood and Brotherhood sponsor congregational gatherings, like the Onegs that follow many evening services. You are welcome to join our volunteer chorus, Shireinu, which sings at Shabbat services on special occasions. Your children can join our CRAFTY youth groups for fun activities for middle school and high school students.

Worship

Learning

Community

Clergy

Social Action

Membership