Adult Hebrew Class-Level Aleph
In this beginner’s class, you will learn to read the basic prayers and blessings as well as grammar and vocabulary with our expert Hebrew instructor.

When: Mondays, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.*

Dates: Mondays, October 27th 2008 – February 17th 2009 *

Cost for year: $300/Sinai Temple members, $350 for non-Sinai members
Cost includes 15 sessions and required text.

Contact: Program Department, 310-481-3243 or programs@sinaitemple.org
*Advance registration is required.

* Exceptions: 12/22, 12/29, 1/19 & 2/2 are cancelled due to holidays. Class will be held on Tuesdays 1/20 and 2/3 at the same time and place.

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Adult Hebrew Class - Level Bet

In this intermediate level class, you will enhance your ability to read basic prayers and blessings from the Siddur, as well as learn grammatical structures, new vocabulary, and cursive writing. This class is intended for those who have some basic knowledge of Hebrew, or who have already taken the Level Aleph class.

When: Mondays, 8:15a.m – 9:45a.m. *

Dates: Mondays, October 27th 2008 – February 17th 2009*

Cost for year: $275/Sinai Temple members, $325 for non-Sinai members
Cost includes 15 sessions, and does not include the required text.

Contact: Program Department, 310-481-3243 or programs@sinaitemple.org.

*Advance registration is required.

* Exceptions: 12/22, 12/29, 1/19 & 2/2 are cancelled due to holidays. Class will be held on Tuesdays 1/20 and 2/3 at the same time and place.

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Israeli Dancing
with Alisha Sela

Come and lean old and new Israeli dances straight from Israel and around the world. In this 8-week session you will learn all the basic dance steps as well as many classic and modern dances. Be able to impress all your friends at the next wedding and just come to have fun and get some exercise! If we have enough registrants we will have a beginners and an intermediate class.

When: Tuesdays, 7:30- 8:30
Dates: Tuesdays, January 6th 2009- February 24th 2009
Cost for 8 weeks: $75/ Sinai Temple members, $100/ for non-Sinai members
Contact: Program Department, 310-481-3243

*Registration required by December 12th 2008

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Alice & Nahum Lainer Lunch n' Learn: Why Faith Matters

This year, join Rabbi Wolpe on the first Tuesday of every month as he discusses his new book on faith, spiritual journeys, illness, and how faith answers the claims of the new atheists. Lunch is included. Please click on the link for more details Learning With The Rabbi's

December 2 – “Finding Ourselves in Faraway Homelands” with special guest lecturer, Ariel Sabar, award winning author and former reporter.

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Mastering Mame Loshn!
A Yiddish Language Course-Level 2
with Cantor Arianne Brown

Learn to speak, read and write Yiddish!

Yiddish is the Jewish language that was spoken by the greatest number of the world’s Jews. Its vocabulary is rich, its literature is vast and its expressions are priceless. You will be immersed in Yiddish language, poetry, music and theater. This class is intended for those who took Level 1 or who have basic Yiddish knowledge. Kumt in Yidish klas arayn!

When: Wednesdays, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Dates: November 5, 12, 19, 2008 February 4, 11, 18, 25, 2009
December 3, 10, 17, 2008 March 4, 11, 18, 25, 2009
January 14, 21, 28, 2009 April 1, 22, 29, 2009

Cost for year: $100/ Sinai Temple members, $150 for non-Sinai members
Contact: Program Department, 310-481-3243 or programs@sinaitemple.org

*Advance registration is required.

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Around the Rabbi’s Tisch
with Rabbi Ahud Sela

In Eastern Europe it was common for Jews to gather around a tisch (table) with their rabbi and study some Torah, drink some schnapps, and sing some niggunim (melodies).  Join us as we plumb the depths of our souls through studying some of the works of the Chassidic masters around the rabbi’s tisch.  We might even have a little schnapps as well and sing some beautiful melodies. Please click on the link for more details. Learning With The Rabbi's

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Thursday Morning Torah
with Rabbi David Wolpe

November 13, 2009 - May 21, 2009

Starting November 13th, spend an hour every Thursday morning deepening your understanding of Judaism and our sacred text. Learn along with us as we go through the Torah together; no previous knowledge or Hebrew is required. Please click on the link for more details. Learning With The Rabbi's

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Bringing Jewish Wisdom Home

Join us for a series of intimate discussions about topics that affect your whole family.

Monday nights: 7:30-9:00 p.m. in private homes.

• September 8, 2008 – Investing without Terror
  With David L. Rosenberg, Financial Advisor & First Vice President - Investments at Merrill Lynch, Century City. Learn what it means to have an investment philosophy and portfolio that excludes companies maintaining non-humanitarian business ties to countries that support terror activities.
• December 8, 2008 – Cooking Jewish
  With Judy Bart Kancigor, freelance food writer and columnist for the Orange County Register. Her book, Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family (Workman Publishing, 2007), gathers recipes, photographs and family stories from 5 generations of a food-obsessed family.
• January 5, 2009 – Fitting In Is Overrated With Leonard Felder, Ph.D., licensed psychologist and bestselling author. His new book, Fitting In Is Overrated: The Survival Guide for Anyone Who Has Ever Felt Like an Outsider (Sterling, 2008), offers realistic strategies and positive steps to help you and your children discover the gifts and benefits of being unique.
• March 16, 2009 – Islam for Jews
  With Reuven Firestone, Ph.D., an ordained rabbi and professor of medieval Jewish and Islamic studies at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. His new book, An Introduction to Islam for Jews (JPS, 2008), explains what every Jewish person should know about Islam.

Cost: $12 per session. For Sinai Temple members only.

Advance registration and payment are required as space in private homes is limited.

Contact: Program Department, (310) 481-3243 or programs@sinaitemple.org.

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SHABBAT SWAP

Friday, February 6th 2009

The Shabbat Swap invites everyone in our Sinai community to have a Shabbat meal with friends they have never had Shabbat with before! Make your own match by hosting friends and families or let us know if you need help making a match. If you want to open your home or if you need a home, the sign-up deadline is January 9, 2008.

The greatest celebration is what we discover in each other.

For more information, please contact the Program Department at (310) 481-3243 or programs@sinaitemple.org.

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“Death and Dying: Can We Talk?” Sunday, February 22, 2009 8:30am – 1:30pm
8:30 – 8:55am Registration and Light Breakfast
	9:00 - 9:45am Rabbi Mordecai Finley, Ph.D., Finding Light in the Shadow of Death Many of us feel a sense of dread or inadequacy when we contemplate attending to the dying, being present at a death, preparing for a funeral, or dealing with grief. Rabbi Finley will shed light on the extraordinary holiness that is possible in attending to the dying and grieving.
10:00 - 10:45am Breakout Session One
Rabbi Ahud Sela, The Morality of Life and Death Decisions What is the Jewish position on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? How do we define terminally ill? We will answer these and other questions in light of their affect on end of life care. Rabbi Sela is a rabbi at Sinai Temple and received his Masters Degree in Bioethics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Rabbi Anne Brener, LCSW, Doing Kaddish: Continuing the Conversation with the Deceased Everyone dies in the middle of a conversation. The mourner’s challenging task is to transform the relationship from a physical to a spiritual connection and find peace in that transformation. Rabbi Brener, LCSW is a Spiritual Director, Psychotherapist and teacher. She is author of the acclaimed Mourning & Mitzvah: Walking the Mourner's Path (Jewish Lights, 1993 & 2001).
11:00 - 11:45am Breakout Session Two
	Jay Thomas, MD, Ph.D, Treating Suffering through the Prism of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs To find peace entails taking care of physical, psychological, interpersonal and spiritual sources of suffering. We will explore how Palliative Medicine helps patients and families relieve suffering. Dr. Thomas is Chair of the Department of Supportive Care Medicine at City of Hope National Medical Center.
Rabbi Mordecai Finley, Ph.D, What to do in the Presence of a Death You may be present when someone dies. You have to know what to do spiritually, emotionally, psychologically and in terms of Jewish custom. Rabbi Finley is the spiritual leader of Ohr HaTorah Congregation. He is a professor and former Provost and former President of the Academy for Jewish Religion, CA.
	12:00 – 1:00pm Panel with Moderator Rabbi David Wolpe Our distinguished scholars will answer questions from spiritual, ethical and medical viewpoints. Rabbi Wolpe is the senior rabbi of Sinai Temple. His new book, Why Faith Matters, was published by HarperOne in September of 2008.
1:00 – 1:30pm Community Resource Tables Representatives from local agencies will provide useful materials and answer questions.
For more information, contact Dahlia Greenbaum, Program Director at (310) 481-3243 or dgreenbaum@sinaitemple.org.

 

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SINAI TEMPLE FAMILY SHABBATON

March 6 - 8, 2009

Join us for our annual Sinai Family Shabbaton, March 6 - 8, 2009 at Camp Ramah. The Shabbaton brings together Sinai families and clergy for a mix of prayer, play, learning and community-building.

Please click on the link for more details…

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Nuts and Bolts of Judaism

Learn about how to bring Jewish rituals into your home, start family traditions, and have a deeper connection to the holidays and life cycle events that make up a Jewish time. Through study with our rabbis and cantors, you will learn about the meaning of the holidays, Shabbat rituals, and life cycle events as well as receive practical tips on how to make these essential Jewish moments part of your family’s life. Dessert spread is included.

When: Thursday evenings 7:30.p.m – 9:00.p.m.

Dates:

• September 11th 2008 – Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with Rabbi Sela
• September 25th 2008 – Sukkot and Simchat Torah with Ralph Resnick
• December 11th 2008 – Hanukkah with Ralph Resnick
• January 8th 2009 – Friday Night Shabbat Prayers, Traditions and Songs with Cantor Gole
• January 29th 2009 – Life Cycle Events Part 1 with Cantor Brown
• February 12th 2009 – Life Cycle Events Part 2 with Rabbi Schuldenfrei
• February 26th 2009 – Purim with Cantor Brown
• March 26th 2009 – Pesach with Rabbi Sela
• May 14th 2009 – Shavuot with Rabbi Schuldenfrei

Cost: $10 per person for single class registration, $80 per person for entire 9 class series

For more information, or to register, contact the Programs Department at
310-481-3243 or programs@sinaitemple.org

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Parenting by The Book: Implementing Jewish Values with Our Children

With Rabbi Brian Schuldenfrei

Join Rabbi Schuldenfrei, a brand new dad, as he tries to practice what he preaches! We will study what our sacred texts tell us about parenting, and we will explore how these ideas play out in our own experiences as parents. Together we will study, talk, and reflect on the blessings and challenges of parenthood. Breakfast is included. Please click on the link for more details.

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Ethical Wills – Passing on Your Heart’s Treasures with Norman Pell

This is a discussion of one popular way to share your values and ideals with your loved ones.

*Advance Registration is required.

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The Abner and Roslyn Goldstine Scholar-in-Residence Lecture Series

Sinai Temple Presents:  Bestselling Author and Historian Michael Oren – Three Lectures on Israel: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow.

When: November 21-23, 2008.

*Please click on the link for more details.

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The Rabbi Samuel N. Sherman Memorial Lecture

With David Horovitz, Editor-in-Chief of the Jerusalem Post

Israel -- The Challenges on the Ground and on the Media Battlefield

**This Program made possible by CAMERA (The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America) and Sinai Temple

When: Tuesday, January 20th 2009, 7:30 p.m.

*Please click on the link for more detail.

 

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SOCIAL ACTION/GREEN COMMITTEE
UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Mitzvah Day
  When: Sunday, December 14th2008, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. What: Drop off E-Cycling, Gently used Business Clothes (Clothing Drive) and NEW Toys, unwrapped, for the Hanukkah Toy Drive (Location: Loading Dock off Holmby) Cedars-Sinai Blood Drive in Gold Hall
• Hanukkah Toy Drive
  When: Monday, December 1st through Friday, December 19th 2008
  What: Drop of a NEW unwrapped toy, ages 0 to 18 for the kids at Vista Del Mar and the Association of Jewish Émigrés.
• Hanukkah Angels
  When: October – November, 2008
  What: Give the gift of Hanukkah to an ill child and their family through Chai Lifeline (an extraordinary group that supports families with terminally and chronically ill children).
• Big Sunday
  When: Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 - Save the Date!
  Tuv HaAretz (Community Supported Agriculture Program)
  When: Any Thursday at 2:30p.m.through the end of December 2008.
  Where: The loading dock on Holmby.

New Members Welcome for our second season starting April 2009!

Contact: Program Department, (310) 481-3243, or programs@sinaitemple.org.

The Sinai Social Action Committee is dedicated to the Jewish ideal of Mitzvot.  The committee's purpose is to work with other groups within Sinai Temple to promote community service and to provide support for Israel.

It is the mission of the Green Committee of Sinai Temple to research, develop and institute positive environmental initiatives for Sinai Temple and to educate and promote these programs within Sinai Temple and to its congregants.

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Dor Chadash

Dor Chadash is an organization of young families aimed at providing social and religious activities that integrate parents and young children into the Sinai Temple community.  Programs include education on Jewish home life, holiday observance, family oriented services and community work.  Please click on the link for more detail.

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Coffee & Commentary
With Judge David Yaffe, Dr. Jules Moster & Dr. Stanley Karz

There is always something new to learn in the study of Torah! Read, discuss and critique a chapter of Bible every Sunday. Join us for this lively ongoing discussion.

When: Sunday, 9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m., Year Round
Where: Library Classroom
Cost: There is no charge for this class
Contact: Program Department, 310-481-3243 or programs@sinaitemple.org

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Sinai Temple Presents:

REBBETZIN ESTHER JUNGREIS,
Founder and President of Hineni

Life Is a Test

Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis is a Holocaust survivor and a descendent of a great rabbinic dynasty that can trace its lineage back to the days of King David.

For over 40 years, Rebbetzin Jungreis has written a weekly column for The Jewish Press, the world’s largest Anglo-Jewish weekly. Mrs. Jungreis also teaches Bible on the Hineni television show, broadcast world-wide weekly and on the internet to more than 8 million homes coast to coast.

In 1973, Rebbetzin Jungreis founded Hineni, an international movement to inspire the Jewish people to return to their faith. Its impact has been overwhelming: standing room only crowds have gathered to hear the Rebbetzin from Madison Square Garden in N.Y. to the Hollywood Palladium in L.A. She has spoken for the U.S. Army and Navy as well as for the Israel Defense Forces. She was also invited to deliver the benediction at the Republican National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The Rebbetzin is the author of three critically acclaimed books, “Jewish Soul On Fire” (Wm. Morrow & Co.); “The Committed Life” (HarperCollins), which has been translated into Hebrew, Spanish, Russian, Hungarian. Portuguese and French, and “The Committed Marriage” (HarperCollins) which has also been published in Spanish and Hebrew editions. Her fourth and latest book, “Life Is a Test”, was published in the Fall of 2006 and has become a best seller worldwide.

In 2005, the Rebbetzin was appointed by President Bush to a five year term on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. In 2006 she was a member of the U.S. delegation to the dedication of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. The lecture will be followed by a dialogue with Rabbi David Wolpe.

When: Wednesday, December 10, 7:30pm

Where: Sinai Temple

Cost: $5 for Sinai Temple Members and $10 for non-members

For further information, please contact Dahlia Greenbaum, Program Director, at dgreenbaum@sinaitemple.org or (310) 481-3243