Temple Sinai was an egalitarian, ReformJewishsynagogue that was located at 4401 Hatton Point Road, Portsmouth, Virginia, in the United States.[1] The congregation, established in December 1953,[2] was called A Family of Traditional and Non-Traditional Families and was a member of the Union for Reform Judaism.
The congregation was headed by Rabbi Arthur Z. Steinberg, of blessed memory. Temple Sinai celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2004 and merged with Norfolk's Ohef Sholom Temple in June 2012.[3]
History
Temple Sinai was founded on December 2, 1953, during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Its seven sponsoring members[3] agreed on the congregation's name within a few days and held their first religious service at the Portsmouth Women's Club on January 8, 1954.[4] Until the construction of its building, services were also held at the Portsmouth Coca-Cola Bottling Works and the Suburban Country Club. The cornerstone for the building on its 2 acres (0.81 ha) site on Hatton Point Road was laid in 1956. Temple Sinai marked its fiftieth anniversary in June 2004.[3]
Portsmouth United Religious School
Temple Sinai and Gomley Chesed, a nearby synagogue also located in Portsmouth, formed a combined religious school program, Portsmouth United Religious School, also known as "Portsmouth Religious School", abbreviated as "PURS". The school runs a family education program and outreach for the total Jewish community.[4]
Activities
Temple Sinai emphasized religious education and service to the community through social action.[1]
Temple Sinai helped provide food for the hungry and shelter for the homeless. As the only Jewish congregation among fifty congregations of the Portsmouth Volunteers for the Homeless, Temple Sinai distinguished itself by opening its doors for fifty to sixty homeless people during Christmas week, so that their Christian partners can be at home with their families during this season.[5] In this work it was also affiliated with MAZON's "3% Circle",[6] in which 3% of the cost of the temple's holiday dinners and lifecycle celebrations were donated to MAZON.[7][8]
Temple Sinai engaged in pulpit exchanges with Gomley Chesed[9] and with Ohef Sholom Temple of Norfolk.[10] A pulpit exchange involves a visit of one congregation to the other congregation's facility for a special combined service.[11]
References
^ abSynagogues United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Retrieved 211-06-22.
^"'Tis the Season to help the needy". Union for Reform Judaism. December 2005. Retrieved 2011-07-02. The temple volunteers every year to run the shelter during the week that includes Christmas. Its local organization, PVH (Portsmouth Volunteers for the Homeless) consists of approximately fifty churches, with Temple Sinai being the only Jewish representative.
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