Each time I climbed to the Bimah during Sinai’s High Holy Day services, I stood there in gratitude to all of you. Thank you for being with us! Thank you for attending, for participating, for volunteering, for pledging, for donating, for joining and re-joining. And, thank you for talking to me about why you are here, and what you value about Sinai.

I am especially grateful to the Board of Trustees, to them and to the many other people who worked unbelievably hard over the last year on Sinai’s behalf. I thank our Search Committee for finding rabbinic leadership for us:  Robert Dickens, Chair; Jeff Gingold; Suzy Klass; Russ Kotlicki; Paul Baker Prindle; Rina Schumer; and Beth Slamowitz. And, I am very thankful that Rabbi Sara and Rabbi Benjamin decided to make their family’s future with us, in Reno. I found our rabbis by turns both entrancing and inspiring. On Yom Kippur, almost terrifyingly so.

The Finance Committee has been working tremendously hard to make sure that Sinai can continue to employ our rabbinic team, into the future- so I am very grateful to Howie Holden, Jay Goldberg, JaNon Barber– and particularly for all the help we have gotten from Marilyn Roberts. I thank all of you too, for answering their calls. If you have not yet made a membership pledge for this year, it’s not too late!

I have to thank Marilyn Roberts twice. She and the Jewish Practice Committee started putting the High Holy Day services together back in early July. They’ve done an awesome job! I thank Ken Roberts too, for allowing us to take so much of Marilyn’s time and attention.

We had so many people who volunteered so much of their time, before, during, and after the Holy Days. There are many who I have not named. Thank you so much! There were 200 chairs in the large social hall, and they pretty much filled up at each service. It seemed like everyone who was able, helped somehow. The High Holy Days experience has me looking forward to this New Year, with all of you. That is how wonderful it is, at Sinai!

Shalom,
John