Coming Up

Thursday, March 28 – 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM – Library Open. Other times by request. Call Tim Solon, 632-4105

Thursday, March 28 – 12 noon to 1 PM – Torah Thursday. Join us on Thursdays at noon as we look at Isaac’s adult life with the help of Rashi, Sforno and Steinsaltz. Feel free to bring your lunch!

Friday, March 29 – 7 PM – Shabbat services led by Rabbi Moldo followed by Oneg sponsored by the Sisterhood.

Saturday, March 30 -10:30 AM to 11:30 AM – Shabbat services and Torah study led by Rabbi Moldo followed by Oneg sponsored by the Sisterhood.

Sunday, March 31 – 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM – Library Open. Other times by request. Call Tim Solon, 632-4105.

Sunday, March 31 – 1:30 PM to 3 PM – Israeli & Jewish Dancing!!

Thursday, April 4 – 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM – Library Open. Other times by request. Call Tim Solon, 632-4105

Thursday, April 4 – 12 noon to 1 PM – Torah Thursday. Join us on Thursdays at noon as we look at Isaac’s adult life with the help of Rashi, Sforno and Steinsaltz. Feel free to bring your lunch!

Friday, April 5 – 7 PM – Shabbat services led by Rabbi Moldo followed by Oneg sponsored by the Sisterhood.

Saturday, April 6 -10:30 AM to 11:30 AM – Shabbat services and Torah study led by Rabbi Moldo followed by Oneg sponsored by the Sisterhood.

Sunday, April 7 – 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM – Library Open. Other times by request. Call Tim Solon, 632-4105.

Sunday, April 7 – 1:30 PM to 3 PM – Israeli & Jewish Dancing!!

SAVE THE DATE!!!

Annual Passover Seder at 6 PM on Friday, April 19.  Doors open at 5:30 PM.  Invitation and RSVP form are linked here.  We look forward to seeing you.

Weekly Message from our Board President

We’ve been talking about the Purim Party for the past couple of weeks, because, well, we’re excited and looking forward to it.  But we’re not the only ones. 

The kids in the Mt. Sinai Religious School have been drawing pictures telling the story of Purim.  Take a look.

The Purim Party is this Wednesday, March 20, at 6 PM at the Synagogue.

The Mt. Sinai Board of Directors was scheduled to have its regular meeting last Wednesday.  But due to the blizzard, and the possibly chilling effect of our endless discussions about the budget, we had to postpone.  The meeting will take place tomorrow – Tuesday, March 19, at 6:30 P.M. in the Social Hall of the Synagogue.

The other day, someone asked about donations to the Mt. Sinai Trust, and how the money was used.  It’s a great question!  Mt. Sinai has two long-term fundraising tools – the Trust and the Endowment.  The Trust is much larger – it was started about 40 years ago and has been slowly growing.  Any money you donate to either the Trust or the Endowment goes directly to the principal.  Nothing is spent or allocated other than to the principal.  The investments in the Trust generate dividends.  A portion of those dividends are given to the main Synagogue account and are used to pay about a third of the Rabbi’s salary.  Interest and some of the dividends are reinvested. 

The Endowment is much smaller by comparison, but is also growing quickly.  The Endowment works actively on fundraisers.  One of them is the sponsorship of seats in the small and large sanctuaries.  For either $500 or $1000 (depending on which sanctuary), you can have a plaque with your name or someone you would like to remember or honor, installed on one of the seats in the sanctuary.  The Endowment held a fundraising concert last year, and is working on plans for one in 2019.  The Endowment is not large enough to generate interest or dividends to give to the Synagogue yet.  But its Board has a clear benchmark ($250,000), and when it reaches that, it will also contribute earnings from the principal – either dividends or interest to Synagogue operations.

We have a long way to go, but some day, we may have enough money generated by the Endowment and the Trust to cover most of the Synagogue’s operations.  Wouldn’t that be nice!

Bakers and cooks – join the crew Thursday nights.  We’re working preparations for the Yiddish Food Festival, and could use some extra hands… lots of them!

Here’s our Yiddish Phrase of the Week:

Oifen ganef brent dos hitl.
A thief always knows he is suspect.

Shalom!

Dave Lerner
President
Mt. Sinai Board of Directors

Rabbi’s Column

Purim is over. It was great seeing the large number of people who were able to show up, given that many of the regulars had various conflicts that evening. We all know that once Purim is over, it is time to focus in on Passover. Please return your reservation forms for the Seder to the Sisterhood in a timely fashion.

One interesting tweak this year. Shabbat, April 27th will include the Yizkor service (as well as the normal parts of a Shabbat Yom Tov service like Hallel, Song of Songs and a potential Torah Reading). It will also have a group from Highlands Presbyterian Church visiting. I do not know how many people from that Church will be attending, but it would be nice to have a good group of people from this congregation there. I project that Yizkor will start sometime between 11 and noon that morning, but I do not have the exact timing figured out.

In terms of Torah, this week we read about a rather depressing moment. During the days when the Priesthood was to be established for the first time, part of the Priestly family dies. This leads to revealing what foods are appropriate to eat, so that future Priests do not risk their lives by allowing the wrong kind of animals to be brought forward. After the deaths, Moses is still consumed with the meaning of each action for the nation as a whole. Aaron reminds him that sometimes, concern for your own family takes precedence over the perceived needs of the nation.

Religious school is over for the year so that Passover preparation can happen appropriately on a personal level, and so that the classroom can be reconfigured for Yiddish Food Festival needs. We will start up again in the fall. Bat Mitzvah and other private sessions continue throughout the year.

As Passover approaches, let us hope that eventually slavery will be a mere memory everywhere in the world.

Community Partner with Family Promise of Cheyenne

March Birthdays

3              Marshall Brown

7              Stanley Sandick

9              David Silver

10           Lea Gancz

17           Bea Montross

21           Sihaya Reid

28           Jason Bloomberg

28           Rich Menkin

28           Morris Gardner

31           Dr Charles Kuckel

Mt. Sinai Movie Nights

All movies are shown at Mt. Sinai on the “big screen” and with surround sound. Refreshments and drinks provided. Come join us for any or all of our upcoming movies.