Coming Up

Wednesday, February 20 – 5:00 P.M. – Hamentaschen baking

Wednesday, February 20 – 6:30 to 8:30 PM – Board Meeting.

Thursday, February 21 – 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM – Library Open. Other times by request. Call Tim Solon, 632-4105

Thursday, February 21 – 12 noon to 1 PM – Torah Thursday. Join us on Thursday at noon as, with the help of Rashi, Sforno and Rabbi Steinsaltz we look at how Isaac changed the family dynamics for Abraham and Sarah and the eventual repercussions. Feel free to bring your lunch.

Thursday, February 21 – 6:30 to 8 PM – Shalom Dinner at Perkins on Dell Range.

Friday, February 22 – 7 PM – Shabbat services followed by Oneg sponsored by the Sisterhood.

Saturday, February 23 -10:30 AM to 11:30 AM – Shabbat services and Torah study followed by Oneg sponsored by the Sisterhood..

Sunday, February 24 – 10 AM to 12 noon – Religious school.

Sunday, February 24 – 11:30 to 1:00 PM – Annual Kugel Cookoff!

Sunday, February 24 – 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM – Library Open. Other times by request. Call Tim Solon, 632-4105.

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

Thursday, February 28 – 12 noon to 1 PM – Torah Thursday. Join us on Thursday at noon as, with the help of Rashi, Sforno and Rabbi Steinsaltz we look at how Isaac changed the family dynamics for Abraham and Sarah and the eventual repercussions. Feel free to bring your lunch.

Friday, March 1 – 7 PM – Shabbat services led by Rabbi Moldo followed by Oneg sponsored by the Sisterhood.

Saturday, March 2 -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 3 – 10 AM to 12 noon – Religious school.

Sunday, March 3 – 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM – Library Open. Other times by request. Call Tim Solon, 632-4105.

Sunday, March 3 – 1:30 PM to 3 PM – Israeli & Jewish Dancing!! New dancers welcome! Contact Mary Weinstein (or any of the dancers) if you have any questions

Weekly Message from our Board President

We have some sad news to report.  Uri Neil, the beloved cantor and religious leader of Mt. Sinai Congregation for more than 17 years, is now in hospice care at his home.  Uri lives in Denver, but would come up to Cheyenne two or three times a month to lead services, meet with congregants and serve as our religious leader.  He conducted weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, and funerals, as well as Shabbat and other holiday services.  Uri was well-liked by everyone in our community.  A few years ago, the Synagogue honored him by dedicating a stained glass window to him, and Uri came to Mt. Sinai for the ceremony.  He was in a wheelchair then, but he gave us his usual broad smile and chatted with all of us.  We wish Uri and his family peace during this most difficult time.  We’ll keep you updated.

The Board of Directors for Mt. Sinai meets Wednesday night at 6:30 and its going to be a very challenging meeting.  That’s because Andrea Moldo and her team of volunteers will be cooking Hamentaschen in the Synagogue kitchen starting at 5, and the Board will be distracted by all of the wonderful smells.  We can see it now, “I move to declare this particular Hamentaschen the best of all time.”  “Second!”  “Discussion?”  And then the Board will be there all night, debating flavors and smells.  Sometimes being a Board member can be pretty tough.

Andrea has a message for us about the Hamentaschen:  It is that time of year when we being looking forward to the observance of Purim. Mount Sinai Congregation is selling a dozen Hamantashen with a random assortment of flavors for $12. Purim begins on Wednesday, March 20th. Please respond to Andrea at 209-613-1884 by Monday, March 11th for your request to be filled. Pickup will be available on Sunday, March 17th from 10am-1pm and on March 20th after the Megillah reading which starts at 6pm. Thanks to everyone who helps with this fundraiser.

The next night, Thursday, February 21, is our monthly Shalom Dinner.  We’ll meet at 6:30 at Perkins Restaurant on Dell Range Blvd.  It’s a fun opportunity for all of us to get together, break bread (or muffins… their muffins are great) and enjoy each other’s company.

And if you’re still hungry, we have our annual Kugel Cookoff on Sunday, February 24, starting at 11:30. Come, enjoy some wonderful Kugel, and vote on your favorites.  The Kugel Cookoffs have always been fun, and the winner has often been a surprise.  Kugel Chefs, prepare to bake!

A couple of weeks ago we asked for help in coming up with a new name for our Jewish and Israel Folk Dancers.  They’re the group that practices every Sunday.  They’ve performed around the state and are a highlight of the Yiddish Food Festival.  We thought we might come up with a shorter and easier name.  Andi Coelho is modifying her suggestion from last week. “Mt. Sinai Roked (ro-kayd) would mean “Mt. Sinai dances!” – that would be my choice.”  What do you think?  The Mt. Sinai Roked?

Here’s our Yiddish Phrase of the Week:

Der cholem iz a nar un der shlof iz der har.
The dream is a fool and sleep’s the master.

Shalom!

Dave Lerner
President
Mt. Sinai Board of Directors

Rabbi’s Column

Somebody recently asked whether anything good has been accomplished at the legislature this session. While the Governor has currently signed only one Bill, there are currently about 75 that have been approved by both chambers and await signatures. Several of those Bills involve correcting certain things that were either incorrect to begin with, or are no longer correct as the year listed has passed. Among the bills that are generally applicable and seem noteworthy to the average person are these:

Wyoming Women’s Suffrage Day – December 10, 2019 is the 150th anniversary of the day suffrage became law. Learn more about this and celebrate women!

The National Guard historic Armory is now declared a Museum;

Solidifying the possibility of a Family Medicine Residency Program.

There are still a number of good Bills being discussed on the floor, so we’ll see what happens. 

This week’s Torah Portion includes The Big Mistake – otherwise known as the incident of the Golden Calf. It is one of those difficult sections – the people have just been brought out of Egypt by God, who had no visual representation which they followed, and now the need is felt for a statue? You can read the text as rewarding the bloodthirsty Levites for killing a number of the Israelites – for this they get rewarded? And then, just in case enough people have not yet died, everyone has to drink a golden smoothie and whoever gets the stomachache you would expect from such a drink dies, and the people with cast-iron stomachs are considered innocent. 

After all this emotional turmoil, Moses picks up the pieces of the original set of statements, and keeps them until the replacement set and its container are both ready.

What, if anything, might we actually learn from all of this?

One of the first things I learn is that I am glad that the earlier sections are no longer examples of normative behavior. We don’t usually kill people who are behaving in a manner we think is inappropriate, and we very rarely get rewarded when we do. We no longer believe, for the most part, that surviving being fed poison is proof of anything other than your amazing ability to survive poison for a bit.

A second thing I learn is that the past is always present. It should not be enshrined as if there was no continuing on after it, but it should not be discarded, as it is part of what helped us become who we are. Even when we are wounded from what happened to us in the past, those semi-healed wounds are necessary for who we are. Without them we would be somebody else. Maybe better off, maybe worse off, but decidedly not us.

As we get closer to Purim, let’s all try to find something that helps us be somewhat happy, and keep that in mind when life reminds us of everything else.

Community Partner with Family Promise of Cheyenne

February Birthdays

 15          Sherri Means
               Steve Weinstein

14           Rayette Reece

19           Jonathan Savelle

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.