Rabbi Sam Trief
It is with great excitement that we look toward the High Holy Days season and welcome you to what we know will be a meaningful and uplifting time together.
The Talmud teaches: “The moment the month of Elul begins, the gates begin to open.”
There’s something deeply moving about that image: of gates slowly swinging open, inviting us to walk through. Not gates of judgment or fear, but gates of compassion. The High Holy Days are an invitation: not only to reflect, but to return. Not only to ask for forgiveness, but to reconnect with what is most essential in ourselves, in our relationships, and in our lives.
As the High Holidays approach, we are reminded of the power of community, tradition, and renewal. These sacred days invite us to pause and reconnect—with our values, our loved ones, and with the enduring rhythms of Jewish life.
Even in a world that can feel uncertain, we draw strength from one another and from the legacy of resilience that is woven through Jewish history.
The Unetaneh Tokef prayer offers us a powerful image: A great shofar will sound, and a still, small voice will be heard.
This sacred season calls us to embrace both strength and softness. To respond to the noise and chaos around us with renewed commitment to our Judaism, and to attune our hearts to the quiet voices among us who need comfort, connection, and care.
At Sinai, we are committed to being both a safe space and a sacred space. Together, we build a Jewish community rooted in courage, compassion, and enduring hope.
This year, may our gathering be an act of strength. May our prayers be an act of resilience. And may our unity be a promise: We will live Jewish lives of meaning, pride, and purpose—together.
We look forward to singing, praying, studying, learning, and celebrating together as we usher in 5786.
L’shanah tovah,
Rabbi Sam Trief
