The Sinai Temple Blumenthal Library offers outstanding general and Judaic resources to all Temple members and staff. Use the drop down menu to find out more about us.

The Blumenthal Library is located on the third floor. The library is closed on holidays and for Shabbat. During the summer, the hours are shorter.

The library is open:
Monday-Thursday 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
and Friday 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

During school, the hours are as follows:
Sunday 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.
Monday 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Tuesday 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Thursday 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m.-2 p.m. PST or 3 p.m. PDT
Saturday closed

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EVENING BOOK GROUP

Join us in discussing contemporary Jewish-themed books with the Sinai Temple book group. We are open to all who are interested in good books and good conversation. Come to one or all of our meetings, held in private homes and facilitated by Lisa Silverman, Library Director.

This season we are reading the following titles:

Thursday, October 16th 2008, 7:30 p.m. The God of War by Marisa Silver

 

 

 

Thursday, December 4th 2008, 7:30 p.m. Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer

 

 

Thursday, January 22nd 2009,7:30 p.m. Man in the White Sharkskin Suit by Lucette Laniado

 

Contact: Barbara Goelman, 310-481-3217 or bgoelman@sinaitemple.org for more details.

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JEWISH CHILDREN’S LITERATURE CONFERENCE 2009:

EXPLORING THE HOLOCAUST THROUGH CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

Location: Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museum of Tolerance
Co-sponsored by the UCLA Center for Jewish Studies and the Simon Wiesenthal Center

Sunday, February 1st 2009, 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
$60, includes morning tour of museum, lunch and afternoon sessions with authors and authorities in the field.
Contact: Barbara Goelman, 310-481-3217 or bgoelman@sinaitemple.org for more details.

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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

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LITERARY EVENINGS AT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY
Co-Sponsored by Sinai Temple Blumenthal Library

Sinai Temple and the Westwood and Memorial branches of the Los Angeles Public Library invite you to spend the evening with the following Jewish authors, as they discuss their newest books:

• Marisa Silver, The God of War, in conversation with Julie Robinson from Literary Affairs
  Thursday, October 23rd 2008, 6:30 p.m. – 7:45 pm
  Location: Westwood Branch Library, 1246 Glendon Ave, LA 90024
  Call 310-474-1739 to RSVP.
• Jonathan Kirsch, The Grand Inquisitor’s Manual: A History of Terror in the Name of God
  Thursday, November 20th 2008, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
  Location: Memorial Branch Library, 4625 W. Olympic Blvd. LA
  Call 323-938-2732 to RSVP
• Aaron Cohen, Brotherhood of Warriors: Behind Enemy Lines with a Commando in One of the World’s Most Elite Counterterrorism Units , in conversation with Lisa Silverman, Library Director, Sinai Temple
  Thursday, January 8th 2009, 6:30 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.
  Location: Westwood Branch Library. 1246 Glendon Ave. LA 90024
  Call 310-474-1739 to RSVP.
  

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AFTERNOON LIBRARY FILM SERIES

Join us in the library for a series of fascinating documentary films and discussion with guest speakers

• Love Iranian-American Style
  Director Tanaz Eshaghian's film provides a dryly funny, self-reflexive, first-person account of the documentarian's struggles with the prospects of dating and marriage, as she hits the age of 25. 63 minutes.
  Wednesday November 5th 2008, 2:00 p.m. -3:15 p.m., free of charge
  
  
• The New Samaritans
  There are less than 900 Samaritans surviving in the world today, half in Nablus, and half in Holon. They have a separate Torah, and worship at Mt. Gerizim in Shechem, instead of Jerusalem. Due to their declining numbers and genetic disabilities due to inbreeding of their population, two single men, Yair and Rajaiiy, are given permission to marry outside the group. This interesting film follows their courtship and marriage to Russian women and the “New Samaritans” acculturation to this ancient community.  52 minutes.
  Wednesday, December 3rd 2008, 2:00 p.m. -3:15 p.m., free of charge
  
  
• Children of the Sun
  Israeli filmmaker Ran Tal documentary is a fascinating collage of archival materials, including home movies, children's songs and old recordings that bring to life the kibbutz experiment in collective living. Adding voiceover commentary, he tells the story of his parents' generation, born to kibbutzim in the 1920s and '30s, growing up outside traditional nuclear family structures and taught to subjugate individualism in favor of common good. 70 minutes.
  Wednesday January 7th 2009, 2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m., free of charge

Contact: Barbara Goelman, 310-481-3217 or bgoelman@sinaitemple.org for more details.

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JEWISH SHORT STORY DISCUSSION GROUP

Enjoy reading and discussing modern Jewish literature in our brand new library! (We provide you with the story.) Facilitated by Lisa Silverman, Library Director. Open to all,

Wednesdays 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., October 29th 2008, November 19th, December 17th 2008

Contact: Barbara Goelman, 310-481-3217 or bgoelman@sinaitemple.org for more details.

“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.