President's Welcome
Welcome!
At Temple Sinai we pride ourselves on being a warm and welcoming community. We are thrilled to be entering our 32nd year and to celebrate the second year with our wonderful spiritual leader, Rabbi Annie Belford.
We are the only Reform congregation on the west side of Houston and we are a diverse community with members from different ethnicities, backgrounds and religious affiliations. We are proud to be designated as an ADL “Community of Respect’® committed to creating an environment of respect and appreciation of all, both at Temple Sinai and in the greater Houston community.
We invite all to experience our myriad activities where you are sure to find something to suit your interests and needs: our services, our classes, our special events, our social gatherings, and our community celebrations.
Open House - Celebrating 30 Years of Service to the Jewish Community in West Houston
Submitted by webmaster on Mon, 07/26/2010 - 11:54am
“Celebrating 30 Years of Service to the Jewish Community in West Houston”
Spaghetti Dinner
Submitted by webmaster on Mon, 07/26/2010 - 11:38am
We invite you to a Spaghetti Dinner and Shabbat
service on Friday, August 27. 
Dinner will be at 6PM and Services begin at 7:30. There is no charge for dinner and compimentary babysitting will be provided.
Temple Sinai is a vibrant and growing Reform Congregation conveniently located on the West Side of Houston – just minutes from Katy. Come share the joys of Jewish life among a warm and welcoming community that encompasses all age groups and levels of religious observance.
Conversion Bill Vote Stopped - from the URJ
Submitted by webmaster on Wed, 07/21/2010 - 8:33pm
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Dear Friends – Thank you. Your concern, your passion, and your action led directly to the success achieved today in stopping a Knesset vote on the conversion bill. |
D'var Torah: Va'etchanan
Submitted by Rabbi Annie Belford on Wed, 07/21/2010 - 6:45pm
Torah Portion: Va'etchanan, Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11
I've always been interested in my Christian friends and colleagues who talk about being witnesses for their God. I've always been perplexed by this language, not really understanding what it means, not really thinking that it was "Jewish" language. But I was reminded while reading this week's Torah portion that "witnessing" is, in fact, part of Jewish faith and experience. If you actually read the Torah for this week's portion, you will find the familiar words of the Shema prayer. But what might not be familiar is the fact that the last letter of the first word of the shema - AYIN - and the last letter of the last word of the prayer - DALET - are enlarged. These two letters combine to form the word eid, or WITNESS. Written into the Torah itself is the message that through the Shema, we serve as wtinesses for God.
D'var Torah: Matot/Masei
Submitted by Rabbi Annie Belford on Wed, 07/07/2010 - 9:11pm
Torah Portion: Matot/Masei, Numbers 30:2-26:13
Not everything in the Torah is pretty. The beginning of this week's portion, in fact, contains a disturbing story about the Israelites waging war against the Midianites. God instructs Moses to instruct the Israelites to spare no one, to decimate the entire Midianite people. The battle commanders, however, kill only the men, and spare the women and children. When Moses learns of this mercy, he rebukes the commanders and orders them to kill every young male, while sparing only the women and girls. Reading this story, one cannot help but think of Pharaoh's evil decree to kill every Israelite male child, an event that eventually led to the Israelites' freedom. This story brings up a number of difficult theological questions: Are the Israelites actually more spiritually "chosen" than other peoples? If God is compassionate, why would God order the death of all these people? Was Moses a righteous leader?
Join us as we bid a fond farewell to the Honorable Asher Yarden
Submitted by webmaster on Wed, 06/30/2010 - 11:39am
JFS Announces Next "Effective Job Search" Workshop Series
Submitted by webmaster on Sat, 06/26/2010 - 5:42pm
(Personal note - I have taken part in this series and highly recommend it.)
Howard Spiegel has graciously agreed to volunteer his time again this summer for one more set of four workshops on THE EFFECTIVE JOB SEARCH. If you missed it in the past or didn't go to all the session, please sign up - another series won't take place until October.
Guest D'var Torah - Simone Schicker
Submitted by webmaster on Sat, 06/26/2010 - 12:41pm
(Rabbi Annie has invited members of the congregation to be guest speakers from the pulpit on occasion. Last Friday, June 26 Simone Schicker spoke to us.)
Parsha Balak
When I looked up the portion for this week I was thrilled to discover that it is the parsha Balak. When I think about all the drama that happens in this one short portion, so short in fact that it is often part of a double portion, all I can think about is the movie trailer Disney Pixar would have for the film.
Balak! The new animated film from the team that brought you "Moses and the 10 Commandments;" as well as the blockbuster hit "Abraham!" Balak will be coming to a theatre near you Summer 2011.
