Dear Temple Sinai Community,

Firstly, if you are considering attending the Temple Sinai Annual Passover Seder at the Atlantis (my last with the congregation), please book your tickets by this Friday and avoid the late registration fee. If you need help affording it, simply call or email me or Passover Seder Planning Committee chair, Suzy Klass.

As some of you may have heard, I will be on ten weeks’ parental leave in New Haven starting April 3. From April through the end of June when my tenure with Temple Sinai ends, I will be flying back to Reno six times for long weekends, which will include all B’nei Mitzvah in the congregation. During those long weekends, (usually Thurs-Sun) I will also be present for Friday night services and Sinai School, as well as some meetings and pastoral visits. I will be supervising Sinai School from afar. For life cycle emergencies (i.e. funerals), I would also fly back or make arrangements for when I am in town. There will be Friday night services every week during these months, led by competent and dedicated members of the community, such as Ignacio Montoya (with Toby Pechner on April 20 for Shabbat Unplugged!), the Temple Sinai Board of Trustees (April 6), Judy Schumer, Jeff Gingold and Marilyn Roberts, to name a few! Please show up in support as leadership is shared during these months!

The dates I am scheduled to be in Reno include the following Shabbat B’nei Mitzvah:

  • April 14 Jenna Stovak
  • May 5 Eli Schumer (including Tot Shabbat and 6:00 p.m. service May 4)
  • May 19 Sovereign Edmands (including Shabbat Unplugged! May 18)
  • June 2 Lucas Gorelick (including Tot Shabbat and 6:00 p.m. service June 1)
  • June 16 Diego Guzman (including Shabbat Unplugged! June 15)
  • June 30 Jacob Bainton

For all other needs and concerns from April – June, please contact the following T.S. leaders:

  • For Caring concerns, Harvey Katz: harveyk1@sbcglobal.net
  • For Jewish Practice / Services questions, Marilyn Roberts: kenmar74@gmail.com
  • For space rentals and questions for the Board, VP Howie Holden: holden7471@msn.com
  • For Torah for Tots, Judy Schumer: garyjudy2@sbcglobal.net
  • For Life Cycle questions, include VP Howie Holden as well as me: holden7471@msn.com
  • For Sinai School questions, include Asst. Dir. Rachel Katz as well as me: sinaischool@sinaireno.org
  • For administrative questions, Mike Stombaugh in the office: admin@sinaireno.org
  • Please feel free to copy me on Temple emails during this time at: rabbibair@sinaireno.org
  • In case of life-cycle emergencies, my emergency cell phone number is: (775) 525-1728.

I very much appreciate everyone’s coming together and stepping up during my parental leave and before my family and I say our good-byes and move on as I step into an Associate Rabbi position at Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach this July. As the congregation has its identity that is not defined by its spiritual leader, I hope community members will remain active during these months of transition as the congregation prepares to welcome its next rabbi/s. I am going to miss our wonderful T.S. community next year – I hope many of you will stay in touch! Please let me know if you have any questions.

Hope to see many of you this coming Shabbat at Friday night and the Adult B’nei Mitzvah Shabbat morning at 10:00 a.m.! Wishing everyone a zissen Pesach!

L’shalom,
Rabbi Bair