March 16, 2016, Dresher, PA – Temple Sinai is marking its 75th anniversary with a series of events and remembrances throughout the year.
“This landmark event is an opportunity to celebrate Temple Sinai’s rich history as well as to focus our sights on the future as we commit ourselves to shaping a vital Jewish future for our children,” said Temple Sinai’s Rabbi Adam Wohlberg.
The roots of Temple Sinai can be traced to 1940, when 25 women met to discuss the religious, cultural and educational needs of a new and rapidly growing Jewish community in the West Oak Lane neighborhood of Philadelphia. The congregation was incorporated in 1941 and celebrated its first High Holy Day services that year in an American Legion Post. By 1942, the congregation had grown to over 250 members and had hired its first full-time spiritual leader, Rabbi Sidney Greenberg. Rabbi Greenberg’s tenure would span some 54 years and through his stewardship the congregation grew to more than 1000 families. In 1979, the congregation relocated to a new seven-acre site in Dresher, PA.
Over the years, Temple Sinai evolved into a vibrant and proud egalitarian Conservative synagogue dedicated to strengthening its members’ commitment to Jewish learning, worship and practice and to creating a stronger community. While situated in Dresher, the membership is made up of congregants who come from Montgomery County, Bucks County and Philadelphia.
Incredibly, the congregation includes children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren of its founding members. Today, the synagogue has approximately 500 member units and Rabbi Wohlberg points to the active involvement of many of its members in a host of offerings as a pillar of its success.
“An adult choir, a children’s choir, a Torah reading club, adult education classes, as well as services seven-days-a-week are all part of the non-stop activity in the synagogue. We have a thriving Religious School, an incredible Preschool, and this year we began a new program for High School students: Sinai High. This spring, we will proudly introduce our Infant Care Center. We offer youth programs and family programs, weekly challah baking, and an in-house catering group made up of members who volunteer their time to prepare food for many of our congregation’s events. Our Sisterhood, Men’s Club and HAZAK chapters organize speakers, events and trips that cover an array of interests and which promote warmth and a camaraderie that our second-to-none,” Rabbi Wohlberg explained.
The programming is a large part of Temple Sinai’s draw, including an award-winning active theater group called the Temple Sinai Players and an annual Scholar-in-Residence weekend. “A number of our programs throughout the year focus on enhancing our members’ connection to Israel and remembering the atrocities of the Holocaust. Last year we, hosted an event called Stand with Israel which drew people from all over the region, and this year we held an amazing program with pro-Israel activist and political commentator Chloe Valdary. Some years ago, we were blessed when global activist and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel spoke to our congregation,” Rabbi Wohlberg added.
A series of programs and events are slated to take place this year to mark the congregation’s 75th Anniversary beginning with a Scholar-in-Residence program held on March 4-5 which featured journalist, lecturer and Calcutta native Rahel Musleah, who shared her knowledge of the Jewish Indian culture and traditions. Rabbi Wohlberg also spoke about Rabbi Greenberg’s and Hilda Greenberg’s legacy. The celebration will continue at Temple Sinai’s Anniversary Gala event on April 16, with a special service the night before.
“In addition to events, one of the really wonderful opportunities of this anniversary is that we are gathering pictures, memorabilia and stories to share with our community,” Rabbi Wohlberg said. “We can honor our founders, our leaders, our history, and celebrate who we are today, as we chart a course for the next 75 years.”
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