May-June 2011 Bulletin Message
by Rabbi Mark Dov Shapiro

For Your Consideration
Rabbi Mark Dov Shapiro

May 15 is the day.

We are offering a fancy, full, fun “Jewish” breakfast for free, and we are hoping Sinai congregants will invite non-affiliated friends to join them that morning at 9:30 a.m.

The plan is for us to show off a bit. We’ll be warm and friendly. We’ll hopefully feel and act like such a terrific Temple that your friends will want to become members.

Can we succeed? You tell me.

On my own, I can easily name ten households that don’t be- long to a synagogue. Technically, they could all join Sinai. And if they did, our Temple would be better off because, by our calcu- lations, if we are concerned about running out of money, more members would mean more revenue and hence more security for the future.

But here’s the real bottom line. No one is going to join Sinai because they want to help balance our budget. Hardly any cur- rent member stays solely because they want to balance the bud- get. People come to a Temple and stay at a Temple because it’s a significant address for them. Something meaningful, something educational, something personal makes membership matter.

So here’s the secret ingredient for the May 15 breakfast spec- tacular. It’s you and your heart and soul. It’s you and your feel- ings that Judaism and Sinai are relevant, powerful, and sacred.

Bring a friend to Sinai on May 15. Do it for some good food, but, more than that, bring a friend because you want to share the goodness of our Temple.

Synagogues do good things and it is a blessing to be part of such a community. I feel that way. If you agree with me, then we are on the right track. Sinai has open doors. We would love to be a home for you and your friends who may be searching for us and what we offer.

Prior Bulletin Messages from the Rabbi are available on this site.