President’s Message

“Moses received the Torah from Sinai and handed it on to Joshua, and Joshua [handed it on] to the elders, and the elders to the prophets. And the prophets handed it on to the members of the great assembly.”

Imagine that moment…the acceptance of this extraordinary gift to be treasured, explored, and shared. Thousands of years later, Jews around the world are still connected to the Torah and to each other. And here at Har Sinai Congregation, the warmth of our community is still based, as it was in the time of Moses, on our shared experience exploring relationships with God, Torah, and the world around us in the 21st Century!

Those of us who have made Har Sinai Congregation part of our lives have found a “Jewish home” that embodies our many expectations about a temple “connection” for ourselves and our families. We are the oldest, continuously Reform Congregation in the United States…historic yes, with many of Reform Judaism’s key thinkers and leaders having served from our pulpit. Yet today, we are nourishing our Jewish souls through strong initiatives in social action, involvement of our interfaith families, innovative worship, adult B’Nai Mitzvot, social connections, trips to Israel, intergenerational activities such as the Women’s Seder, and thought provoking continuing Jewish education that feeds our intellectual and spiritual curiosity.

Our Religious School has one of the largest enrollments in the Baltimore metropolitan area, and three youth groups insure full programs of social, educational and religious activities for 3rd through 12th graders. Har Sinai Congregation’s post B’Nai Mitzvah teens have enthusiastically participated in BEIT-RJ, the Reform community’s supplementary high school program where young Reform Jewish adults learn and socialize with other Reform teens, focusing on Jewish study, community, and identity building.

Synagogue affiliation is an important choice for many reasons, and the temple community becomes an extension of your family, where life cycle events such as marriage, birth and loss are shared. If you are visiting our web site to get to know a little about us, why not pick up the phone and call our Executive Director, Dick Forman, and set up a time to visit. We’re your neighbor, located almost around the corner, in the beautiful Green Spring Valley on Walnut and Greenspring Avenues!

In the words of our sages, “If not now, when?” Pirkei Avot 1:14.