Temple Sinai is a community that values the active engagement of members in leadership and community-building. Committees and Task Forces work in partnership with staff to help shape the direction of temple life and to utilize members with particular interests and skills. All committees are established by the Board of Trustees. Committee chairs and members are appointed by the temple president. All task forces or special advisors to the Board of Trustees are also appointed by the president. Affiliate Organizations, established through the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), are independent affiliates of Temple Sinai. Members of Temple Sinai also serve on national boards of organizations under the URJ umbrella.
Interested in learning more and getting involved? Check out our current list of committees and groups below.
We work closely with the Clergy, Executive Director, and development staff to create and oversee a plan for raising needed funds for temple operations and designated strategic priorities through philanthropic contributions and support. Explore ways to give to Temple Sinai.
We preserve the history of Temple Sinai by collecting and organizing its documents and photographs. We welcome new volunteers and are especially interested in finding people to research and write about the history of Temple Sinai.
We explore and make recommendations around art and the wise use of space to provide strength, knowledge and inspiration that reflect and celebrate the temple’s inclusive and diverse community and the essential element of tikkun olam. We provide guidance around visual expressions of the values of Temple Sinai as well as meaningful opportunities for those who are visually impaired.
We coordinate the sale and marketing of Temple Sinai section at the Garden of Remembrance Cemetery in Clarksburg, MD.
Please contact Executive Director Ellen Agler at for information about purchasing plots.
The Davis Center creates opportunities for members to learn, act, and work together to repair the world. Our programs provide insights and unique perspectives on a wide variety of topics including reproductive rights, environmental justice, racial equity, gun violence prevention, aid for migrants and refugees, and more. Learn more at www.daviscenter.org.
We act on behalf of the Board of Trustees to oversee management of temple finances, including the annual audit and investment decisions, making regular reports to the board to support the Board’s fiduciary responsibilities.
Glenn Engelmann, Finance Committee chair & Executive Vice President
We develop environmentally conscious improvements at Temple Sinai and encourage similar commitments at the individual and community levels. We have also established a network to inform members about environmental programs, challenges, and opportunities at the local, regional, national, and global level as well as facilitate and coordinate action. Learn more.
We seek to enhance engagement of members of the congregation with Israel and to promote the social justice values of Reform Judaism in Israel. Those values are reflected in the founding principles of Israel’s Declaration of Independence, which calls for a Jewish and democratic state with “complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex.” We applaud URJ/ARZA’s progressive “Just Zionism” initiative and will work cooperatively with URJ/ARZA to protect Israel’s democratic institutions, combat hate, and promote a just and lasting peace.
The Temple Sinai Library offers our multiracial congregation a welcoming space for Jewish learning, study, and culture. The Library Committee is a community of book lovers who work with the librarian to maintain the collection and enhance temple programming. Visit the TSLibrary.
We personally deliver new members a Shabbat welcome bag, plan and organize small group gatherings throughout the year, and reach out to prospective and members to get them connected at Temple Sinai. Learn more about joining Temple Sinai.
We provide guidance in affirming Temple Sinai’s identity as a multiracial congregation and in identifying opportunities for improvement in aspects of our congregational life. We are committed to guiding Temple Sinai in becoming an affirmatively antiracist congregation through education, training, affinity groups and other programming.
We work with the Senior Cantor to bring a wide range of vibrant musical programs, along with related festive dinners and onegs, to our community.
We work with the Director of Early Childhood Education to review and establish policy, support the Nursery School and the Nursery School Parent Association.
We work with the Director of the Religious School to review and establish school policies and support the educational program, teaching staff, and director. Learn more about TSRS.