WELCOME TO SINAI
We are an egalitarian Conservative Jewish synagogue serving the greater South Bend, Indiana, area since 1932. We pride ourselves on the community atmosphere we have created, where members of all ages gather together to celebrate, learn, worship, and share in each others' lives. Whether you're interested in our nationally-recognized youth and family education program, our daily minyan, our weekly community luncheons following Shabbat services, the Rabbi's frequent educational programs, or any other aspect of our community, we welcome you to the Sinai family.

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HIGHLIGHTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Friday Night Live

Friday Night Live

Our popular summer music series continues. To benefit from our long summer evenings, during June and July we have a special musical instrumental Kabbalat Shabbat program. Local musicians get us in the mood for Shabbat at 8pm. After the music, we put the instruments away and begin our Friday evening service, making music with our own voices. Weather and instruments permitting, services will be held… Read More »

Shabbat Study Opportunities

Sinai Synagogue offers a number of special worship and study opportunities in addition to our regular Shabbat morning services. At 9:00am each Shabbat morning, we begin with Torah study and breakfast thanks to Breadsmith kosher bakery. Our sages had fascinating and diverse insights into our sacred Torah. Come learn from their insights and offer your own.… Read More »

Summer Adult Education Class

Rabbi Meira Chmiel will lead a class on “Introduction to Hasidic Contemplative Practice” on July 24, July 31, August 7, and August 14.… Read More »

Daf Yomi Daily Talmud Study After Minyan

Mel’s morning breakfasts are back at Sinai with a side order of Talmud! About 100 years ago a study program was begun to encourage Jews to make the study of Talmud part of their daily practice. It takes over 7 years of learning a daf a day (or folio, front and back sides of one page of Talmud) to complete the entire Talmud. The new cycle began this past August. At Sinai, every morning after miny… Read More »

View All Highlights & Announcements »»

SINAI'S YOUTH EDUCATION IN THE NEWS

Sinai Synagogue's youth education program -- FEAST -- was featured in an article by JTA, a leading source of global Jewish news. According to the article, the FEAST program:

  • is an example of a synagogue creating "new and exciting ways of engaging their congregations and creating services that their members look forward to attending"
  • is an example of "one of numerous approaches that congregations in small communities are employing to stay relevant and vibrant"
  • is "a solution that’s helping to reenergize the Conservative congregation"

The article also highlighted Rabbi Friedland's leadership among rabbis in smaller Jewish communities, including his role in organizing a recent national conference for rabbis and lay leaders of smaller congregations in the Conservative movement.

RABBI'S THOUGHTS

» Yom Kippur Neilah – 5773

--Notes for the End of Neilah- Wendy Mogel, the well known therapist and author, wrote her book The Blessing of a Skinned Knee to help her parent her … Read More »

» Yom Kippur Morning – 5773

The start of a new year brings with it opportunities for reflection and growth. Besides becoming a household with two college age students in it (I ca… Read More »

» Yom Kippur Kol Nidre – 5773

-How a Library Book Taught Me About Atonement- On Yom Kippur we list numerous sins in our communal confession of the Al Het. But one sin they don’t … Read More »

» Rosh Hashanah Day 2 – 5773

-What is True Happiness?- This morning we read of the difficult trial God placed before Abraham. Tradition tells us that Abraham faced ten difficult t… Read More »

» Rosh Hashanah Day 1 – 5773

-Against Self-Reliance- Everyday we learn Talmud at Sinai as part of a world wide effort to study each of the 2711 pages of the Talmud. I encourage yo… Read More »

» Sermon for Shemini 5772

In a fascinating discussion on the squabble between Moshe and Aharon following the deaths of Nadav and Avihu about whether or not the Kohanim should h… Read More »

» Sermon for 8th Day of Pesach 5772

In an essay on the psychology of prejudice, Professor G T Patrick of the University of Iowa levels a common criticism of our society, “We like … t… Read More »

» Sermon for Tzav – Shabbat HaGadol 5772

Today is Shabbat HaGadol, the Shabbat before Pesah. It is referred to as Hagadol for any number of reasons – the special haftarah we read this morni… Read More »

» Sermon for Tetzaveh-Zachor 5772

I remember when I was in youth group a popular values clarification activity was to ask the question, “If American and Israel went to war, which sid… Read More »

» Sermon for Yitro 5772

A colleague whose congregation is larger than ours but I believe less demographically diverse – a larger percentage are over 55 – told me that his… Read More »

View All Rabbi's Thoughts »»
SERVICES SCHEDULE

 Morning Minyan
     Monday-Friday: 7:30am
     Sunday: 8:30am

 Evening Minyan
     Sunday-Thursday: 6:00pm

 Shabbat
     Friday Evening: 8:00pm
     Saturday Morning: 9:30am