| Temple Sinai | |
|---|---|
| Basic information | |
| Location | 4401 Hatton Point Road, Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S. |
| Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
| Year consecrated | 1953 |
| Status | Active |
| Leadership | Rabbi Arthur Z. Steinberg |
| Website | va015.urj.net |
| Architectural description | |
| Groundbreaking | 1956 (cornerstone) |
Temple Sinai is an egalitarian, Reform synagogue established in Portsmouth, Virginia,[1] in December 1953.[2] The congregation, located at 4401 Hatton Point Road, is called A Family of Traditional and Non-Traditional Families and is a member of the Union for Reform Judaism. The congregation is headed by Rabbi Arthur Z. Steinberg. Temple Sinai celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2004.[3]
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Temple Sinai was founded on December 2, 1953, during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Its seven sponsoring members[3] agreed on the congregation's name within a few days and held their first religious service at the Portsmouth Women's Club on January 8, 1954.[4] Until the construction of its building, services were also held at the Portsmouth Coca-Cola Bottling Works and the Suburban Country Club. The cornerstone for the building on its 2 acres (0.81 ha) site on Hatton Point Road was laid in 1956. Temple Sinai marked its fiftieth anniversary in June 2004.[3]
Temple Sinai and Gomley Chesed, a nearby synagogue also located in Portsmouth, have formed a combined religious school program, Portsmouth United Religious School. The Portsmouth United Religious School, also known as "Portsmouth Religious School" and by the acronym "PURS", is an award-winning family education program and outreach for the total Jewish community.[4]
Temple Sinai emphasizes religious education and service to the community through social action.[1]
Temple Sinai helps provide food for the hungry and shelter for the homeless. As the only Jewish congregation among fifty congregations of the Portsmouth Volunteers for the Homeless, Temple Sinai distinguishes itself by opening its doors for fifty to sixty homeless people during Christmas week, so that their Christian partners can be at home with their families during this season.[5] In this work it is also affiliated with MAZON's "3% Circle",[6] in which 3% of the cost of the temple's holiday dinners and lifecycle celebrations is donated to MAZON.[7][8]
Temple Sinai has engaged in pulpit exchanges with Gomley Chesed[9] and with Ohef Sholom Temple of Norfolk, Virginia.[10] A pulpit exchange involves a visit of one congregation to the other congregation's facility for a special combined service.[11]