President’s Message
Mardi Gras? Carnivale? No thanks. We prefer Purim!
By the time you read this, the Megillah will have been chanted and the hamantaschen—beautifully baked by our incredible Sisterhood—will have been happily devoured. But Purim is more than a single evening of costumes and cookies. It is memory, mischief, and meaning wrapped together.
I would love for you to share photos from Purims past—whether from your childhood or just last week—and even better, send along a favorite Purim memory. Let’s begin building an archive of Sinai’s joy.
For me, Purim meant dressing up as Haman in my dad’s black silk robe while my sisters painted on a black beard, dramatic red lips, and—naturally—added a pair of my mom’s clip-on earrings. No three-cornered hat; just a towel wrapped as a turban atop my head. For one night a year, being the dreaded bad guy was pure fun.
Board of Directors Strategic Retreat
On Sunday, January 25, the Sinai Synagogue Board of Directors gathered in person at the Jewish Federation for a strategic retreat focused on identifying the “Big Rocks” facing our congregation over the next 18 months. After years of primarily meeting on Zoom, it was refreshing—and productive—to sit together, breathe the same air, and engage deeply without the rush of routine business.
We began by identifying the core values that define Sinai. Our next step is to translate those values into action. If you would like to be part of that process, please let Steffi Decker know. This is congregational work—not just board work.
The retreat produced clarity around three interdependent priorities:
Developing a strategic plan for our building’s future
Welcoming a new rabbi and ensuring a smooth leadership transition (please read Rabbi Friedland’s February message)
Measurably increasing member engagement and participation
These are not isolated issues. Each affects the others. Thoughtful planning in one area strengthens the whole.
Honoring Rabbi Friedland
By now, you should have received the invitation to Rabbi Friedland’s retirement celebration. Please RSVP ASAP.
This event may become our most significant fundraiser of the year—especially if we reach beyond our immediate membership. I ask you to contact friends, family, colleagues, employers, and anyone near or dear to you, and invite them to contribute.
Funds raised will extend Rabbi Friedland’s legacy of inclusion, learning, and justice—ensuring that his transformational leadership continues to shape Sinai long after his tenure as our pulpit rabbi concludes.
If he has mattered to you as deeply as he has to me, I encourage you to give generously—and to tell others why it matters to you.
Congregational Vote: Rabbi Candidates
You have received—and will continue to receive—communications about the congregational meeting on Sunday, March 15, when members will rank, in order of preference, the candidate to whom we will first extend an offer, pending acceptance and completion of a background check.
As I’ve mentioned before, we are operating in an extraordinarily competitive market. There are far more congregations seeking rabbis this year than available candidates.
The Rabbi Search Committee has presented three exceptional finalists who reflect the attributes and priorities you identified through polling and focus groups in 2025. Now the responsibility rests with the congregation.
Per our Constitution, the rabbi is elected by a majority vote of Members in Good Standing present at the meeting. Absentee and proxy votes are not permitted. The Board has already fulfilled its responsibility by approving each candidate’s seminary credentials.
Please log onto Zoom at 1:45 p.m. so we may begin promptly at 2:00 p.m. Detailed voting procedures will be explained during the meeting.
Your participation matters.
Member Site Update
Yes—it’s been frustrating. The lapse of our old member site erased stored email addresses and passwords, creating inconvenience for many of you. We apologize.
Please take a few minutes to re-register. Access to the members-only section of our website is worth it—and we are committed to making it function smoothly moving forward.
Sinai is at a critical point in its long history—celebrating legacy, planning for transition, and shaping our future together.
Thank you for showing up, speaking up, and stepping up!
See you at shul,
Will Turbow