A House of Worship, Study and Gathering AN OVERVIEW FOR OUR PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS Temple Emanuel • 201 Oakwood Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27103 • (336)722.6640 • www.templemanuel.com

A House of Worship, Study and Gathering A Warm Welcome From The Temple Emanuel Membership Committee On behalf of the Temple Emanuel family, we extend to you a warm welcome to the Winston-Salem Jewish community. Our membership spans a broad spectrum of ages, professions, interests and Jewish backgrounds. We are an inclusive community, welcoming all families and couples who seek to create a loving, nurturing Jewish home. Our vibrant congregation of approximately 260 families consists of young singles, seniors, one- and two-parent families, young couples and empty nesters. We recognize that each individual has something special to offer our Temple community and want all of our members to feel at home in our congregation. This booklet will acquaint you with Temple Emanuel and all that we have to offer. We look forward to meeting you and answering any questions. Please contact our Temple at (336) 722-6640 or by e-mail, [email protected], to ask to have a membership representative contact you. Also, feel free to review our community and activities through our website: www.templemanuel.com. Thank you for your interest in Temple Emanuel. We look forward to welcoming you to our family. Shalom, The Membership Committee

A House of Worship, Study and Gathering Shalom Aleichem! From Our Rabbi Hillel used to say: “Do not separate yourself from the community.” (Pirkei Avot, 2:4). Participating and remaining connected with the community has long been one of the most important values held by Jews. During the days when Jews were not accepted by their local communities, remaining tight in cloistered circles was vital to the survival of every individual. The Jewish community was a safe place for local Jews and for those who were traveling abroad. Today, we live in a world where we are far more integrated into the surrounding community than ever before. The benefit of acceptance has led to greater individual success than was ever available to our ancestors. However, the accompanying distance, which has grown between many Jews and their own community, is staggering. The synagogue is the home for establishing community and has been labeled “the epicenter” of one’s Jewish life. A synagogue in Hebrew has three names: beit midrash, beit t’fillah, beit k’nesset—a house of study, a house of worship, a house of gathering. At Temple Emanuel, over the course of a year, we are all of these things in a myriad of ways for the Jewish community of Winston-Salem. Come, let us walk together as we seek to forge a meaningful and soulful expression of our Jewish lives.

Rabbi Mark Strauss-Cohn

A House of Worship, Study and Gathering Your Second Jewish Home From The Congregation’s President It’s my pleasure to welcome you to Winston-Salem and Temple Emanuel and to tell you about our wonderful congregation. Our temple is a member of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ). Although we follow the principles of Reform Judaism, our membership is comprised of people from a spectrum of the larger progressive Jewish world. This diversity has allowed us to continuously grow to meet the needs of our membership base. It has also served as a source of our strength as a community. Dedicated in 2002, our sanctuary and social hall provide us with both a beautiful place to worship and a functional location to hold community gatherings. Our original building was renovated to provide ample space for meetings, classrooms, administrative offices, a library and a Sisterhood Judaica gift shop. Rabbi Mark Strauss-Cohn has been our spiritual leader since 2001. His dynamic guidance, compassion and dedication are a source of pride both within and outside our congregation. Our religious school, under the direction of our educator, Rebecca Platt, provides education to our youth, and our own preschool caters to children beginning with age one. We are very fortunate to have two such talented professionals as our role models and leaders. Our Temple also has an active Sisterhood and Brotherhood. Members of our temple are actively engaged in local chapters of Hadassah and BBYO as well as the Winston-Salem United Jewish Appeal. Our Temple provides a warm and welcoming environment and strives to be a ‘Second Jewish Home’ for everyone. Shalom, Richard Gottlieb, President

A House of Worship, Study and Gathering Temple Emanuel of Winston-Salem A Brief History Though Jews have passed through North Carolina since colonial days, to the best of our knowledge, not until the 1880s did Jews come to settle in Forsyth County. The first Jewish resident here is believed to have been Joe Jacobs, a men’s clothier who moved to Winston from Baltimore with his wife and two children. By the end of the decade, there were enough Jews in town to hire a rabbi, Mordechai Shapiro. Winston-Salem’s first formal Jewish religious services were held in 1890 in an orthodox style. Sometime later, a group of people interested in a more liberal form of Judaism, most notably with more English in the service, began laying the groundwork for a new congregation. Their original intent was to create a Conservative congregation but the reputation of one promising graduate from the Reform movement’s rabbinical seminary in Cincinnati, the Hebrew Union College, had impressed the local congregation. Rabbi Meyer Simon was hired in 1932 and Temple Emanuel was founded in that very same year. Worship was held in a remodeled storeroom downtown, over a paint store, for many years until land was secured at 201 Oakwood Drive in 1949. The congregation raised funds, built a modernist-style building that housed classrooms, offices and a sanctuary. The educational wing was expanded in 1972 and eventually adjacent land was purchased and in 2002, Temple Emanuel dedicated a second building, which currently houses our Sanctuary and Social Hall. The congregation has gradually grown over its 80 year history and currently boasts 250 families with approximately 150 children. As the only synagogue in Winston-Salem, Temple Emanuel is at once a proud member of the Reform Jewish movement but also has always been open to Jews of all backgrounds and works diligently to make everyone feel comfortable in creating and being a part of a “second Jewish home”.

A House of Worship A HOUSE OF WORSHIP

Our Worship Philosophy Being the only synagogue in Winston-Salem, we have the pleasure and obligation to stretch to meet a variety of needs. While our services are most certainly Reform, we worship from a Reconstructionist siddur (prayerbook) on Friday evenings and a non-denominational siddur on Shabbat morning. Prayers are often sung in Hebrew with interpretive and inspirational readings from leading thinkers of Jewish life over the centuries, all read in English. Our High Holy Day worship includes a great range of music that reflects the beauty and richness of Jewish creativity from the Renaissance to Modernity. Participation is greatly valued in our congregation’s worship. From b’nei mitzvah students leading Kiddush to High School students reading Torah, “Holy Rollers” who roll Torah on Simchat Torah to Tot Shabbat sing-alongs on the first Friday of the month – all ages are welcome and encouraged to come, sing, participate, learn, and engage with prayer. Exact service times are available from the Temple office at (336) 722-6640 or on the Temple’s website: www.templemanuel.com.

Our Holy Days and Celebrations Holy Days are special times when our congregants gather to enjoy the customs and heritage of the Jewish people. From Rosh Hashanah to Pesach to Hanukkah, our congregation observes our people’s festivals with meaningful reflection and celebration. We observe with both traditional ceremonies and innovative gatherings to help our entire membership find relevance and significance on these special days. Feel free to review the “calendar” tab on our website (www.templemanuel.com) for upcoming events.

Our Music Music is an integral part of our worship and community. Periodically, the Temple supports musical performances and experiences that are participatory, fun and help elevate our spiritual lives. Temple Emanuel supports both an adult and junior choir and the congregation is always encouraged to participate in the music from our services and celebrations.

A House of Study: Educational Programs for All Ages Our Preschool Temple Emanuel’s highly acclaimed preschool is open to the entire Winston-Salem community. The preschool is housed in our education/administrative building and is an integral part of the congregation. It provides children from ages one through five with a quality early childhood experience within a Jewish environment. The preschool is committed to enriching children’s understanding of Jewish beliefs and culture. The curriculum includes celebrations of Holidays and Shabbat, the teaching of Jewish values and Hebrew words and songs, as well as other activities. For more information on the Temple Emanuel Preschool, visit the Temple Emanuel website, call the preschool director at (336) 722-6640, or e-mail at [email protected].

Our Religious School Temple Emanuel’s Religious School provides our young people with an excellent foundation for becoming informed Jewish adults. Our program incorporates music, art, community service projects and education to provide enriching Jewish opportunities for our children. The curriculum combines Judaic studies and Hebrew lessons for Pre-Kindergarten through 11th grade. The goals of the school are: ~ to develop a strong and positive Jewish identity ~ to gain knowledge of Jewish facts, customs and the Hebrew language ~ to develop a sense of Jewish community and fellowship ~ to instill and nourish a sense of spirituality and a bond to Am Yisrael

Our Adult Education Programs Adult Education programs are taught by the Rabbi, the Director of Education and other experts. Courses range from Introduction to Judaism, the basics of Hebrew to Torah and Talmud study. In addition to ongoing classes, the Adult Education and other committees organize several programs a year on topics of interest to the community.

A House of Gathering: Life Cycle Events and Community Becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah Typically at the age of 13, the congregation’s young people commemorate becoming a son or daughter of the commandment with a Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration. The young congregants study Hebrew, Jewish traditions and Torah in order to assist with the Friday evening Kabbalat Shabbat service and to assist in leading the service on Saturday morning. Congregants are always welcome at services when there is a Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration as this is an important part of Temple life for the entire community. The students create a tzedakah cooperative with one another to fund local and Israeli charities. Parents help prepare an oneg on Friday night and often a Kiddush lunch on Saturday morning – all for the community as a whole. We also encourage adults wishing to become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah to discuss options with our Rabbi.

Our Sisterhood Temple Emanuel’s Sisterhood, an affiliate of the Women of Reform Judaism, is a group of women who join together in friendship for programs that benefit the Temple and the community for social activities, study and for the growth of the individual. The Sisterhood gift shop offers a variety of religious and Israeli-made objects and gifts for purchase.

Our Brotherhood Temple Emanuel’s Brotherhood provides a center for the men in our congregation to socialize and participate in community service projects for both the Temple and our community-at-large. The Brotherhood is designed for men of all ages and meets periodically for education, information and leisure programs concerning Judaism, business, sports and other areas of interest.

Our Mavens The Temple Emanuel Mavens is a special group of our congregants aged 55 and older who meet monthly for a “Lunch and Learn” program. The Mavens also host social gatherings, education and field trip. The Mavens have toured and visited the American Hebrew Academy, Old Salem, the North Carolina Museum of Art, held book talks, and have guest speakers.

Additional Opportunities & Philosophies Our Service Opportunities We encourage all our members to participate in Temple activities and lead as they are willing and able. Temple Emanuel’s Social Action Committee provides year-round opportunities for volunteering, community service and activism. In addition, the Sisterhood, Brotherhood, youth and Maven groups participate in service activities that help our Winston-Salem community and Jewish people in our area.

Our Regional, National and International Affiliations The Temple supports participation in the Winston-Salem United Jewish Appeal and Hadassah which support Jewish causes and needy individuals in our own community, Israel and worldwide. In addition, our congregation serves as an information center for other international Jewish experiences including travel to Israel, Jewish youth camps, continuing education, mission activities and more.

Our Blended Families and Conversion Philosophies Temple Emanuel affirms the central beliefs of our Reform Judaism by embracing diversity while asserting our common values. As stated by the URJ, “we believe that all human beings are created in the image of God, and that we are God’s partners in improving the world. Tikkun olam — repairing the world — is a hallmark of Reform Judaism as we strive to bring peace, freedom and justice to all people.” We consider all Jews as “Jews-by-choice” but for those in our community who are not Jewish but would like to convert, our Rabbi is ready to receive you and guide you along that path of study and spiritual growth. Introduction to Judaism courses are open to all our members. We embrace our interfaith families, encouraging them to participate in the life of our congregation. We are proud to welcome all types of families to our congregation.

Our Other Lifestyle Events As Temple Emanuel members, our education staff and Rabbi can assist your family with all Jewish lifecycle events from birth to end-of-life. HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER

How to Become a Member Dues Like most Reform congregations, Temple Emanuel of Winston-Salem is financed through membership dues paid annually and through voluntary donations and community fundraisers. You do not have to be a member of our Temple to worship with us, but if you do have the means, we ask that you help us finance our building, employees and programming through your dues donation. There are two important factors to note about synagogue dues: (1) enable us to create a vibrant synagogue. (2) they are negotiable through the finance committee if one is unable to afford the stated dues, and such negotiation are kept private. We do not turn anyone away because of inability to pay.

Membership Application Please contact a member of the Membership Committee or the Temple Office for a membership application and additional new member information. Our Membership Committee members will be happy to answer any questions you may have and provide additional membership benefit details. We look forward to welcoming you as a new Temple Emanuel member!

Contact Information Phone: (336) 722-6640 Concept and design by The Bloom Agency. Life event photography by Lilana Hines of Lilana’s Photography. Stained-glass window photography by Lindsey Lobree

Email: [email protected] Web: www.templemanuel.com