Welcome!

Our congregation, Temple Sinai, is an inclusive Reform congregation that offers a warm welcome and a nurturing home to all who seek a meaningful and enduring connection to Judaism. We are currently entering our 35^th year as a congregation and our 5^th year with our beloved spiritual leader, Rabbi Annie Belford.

Temple Sinai is the only Reform congregation on the west side of Houston amidst a diverse and growing community.  Here we have created a sanctuary for prayer, study, tzedek and mitzvot.  Our membership is comprised of a mixture of Jewish and interfaith families from many different backgrounds.  All are welcome at Temple Sinai.

Our congregations is proud to have been recognized for the past five years as an ADL “Community of Respect’®.  As such, we are committed to creating an environment of respect and appreciation of all, both at Temple Sinai and in the greater Houston community.

We invite you to come and experience our many activities and programs.  Whether it's Shabbat services, classes for children and adults, special events, social gatherings or community celebrations - you are sure to find something to suit your interests and needs.

Shabbat Services:  Our services are held every Friday night and the second Saturday morning of each month.  Rabbi Annie Belford leads services that are both joyful and inclusive and filled with song, friendship and reflection.  By the end of services you are sure to feel released from the week’s tensions, by the atmosphere of our Shabbat service.  Services are also held for the holidays and festivals throughout the year.

Religious School:   We have built an outstanding school for our children under the leadership of our Education Director, Rina Mesarwi.  Rina is a 2010 Jewish Federation of Houston Yavneh Award recipient for her outstanding contributions and commitment to Jewish education.  She has put together a staff of dedicated teachers and a curriculum for all children from pre-school through high school.  The curriculum includes preparation for B’Nai Mitzvah and Confirmation.  It also includes a highly successful Post Confirmation class which provides a venue for our young adults to discuss relevant issues including Israel and the Middle East, anti-Semitism, sex and Jewish values, all in an open and respectful environment.

Adult Education:  Our Adult education program offers a wide range of programs and classes for lifelong study including Hebrew classes for different levels, Adult B’Nai Mitzvah, Introduction to Judaism as well as classes, discussion groups and guest speakers on different and varied topics.

Auxiliary Groups:  Our Sisterhood and Brotherhood are both extremely active within the Congregation and in the outside community.  Each group meets once per month and, aside from the fact that each gives a lot back financially to the Congregation, they both also serve a social purpose.  There is also an active Senior Sisters group.  TESTY, our youth group for High School students is very successful and active within the congregation, the community and regionally.  It is one of the most active youth groups within the Texas/Oklahoma region and some members have gone on to regional leadership roles.  We even have a large number of college students and graduates who have stayed connected to the congregation.

Temple Sinai Is A Caring Community:  We have a devoted Caring Committee that ensures that congregants are being helped in times of need and distress.  Our Social Action Committee spearheads our work in the community, whether building a home through Habitat for Humanity, visiting veterans at the local VA Hospital, working with the Westside Homeless Partnership, or helping needy families every holiday season.   Through Rabbi Belford, we are also active in interfaith relations within the west Houston community.

As you can see, we have built a home of warmth, friendship and caring in which we pray, socialize, and study.  We have a thriving home because we never stray from our mission.  We invite you to join our Temple Sinai family and we look forward to meeting and welcoming you!

Barbara Shepard

President