Israel & Palestine at Temple Sinai
Israel Committee
For over 20 years, Temple Sinai’s Israel Committee has gathered to create learning opportunities that broaden Temple Sinai’s understanding of Israel’s politics, culture, society, and contemporary challenges, while also exploring the evolving relationship between American Jews and Israel.
Recent programs included regular conversations with Israeli Reform rabbis, scholars, activists, and community leaders; a visit to the Nova Music Festival exhibit in Boston; and educational sessions on Israeli politics, religious pluralism, environmental sustainability, and the possibilities for peace.
The Israel Committee is also tasked with connecting the Temple Sinai community to our Israeli Reform partners in the Israeli Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) and to supporting the institutions, synagogues and leaders of Israeli Reform Judaism who share our values.
Contact the Temple Office for more information.
Israel/Palestine Action Group
The Israel/Palestine Action group was founded in March 2024 by Temple Sinai members, and is a Jewish pluralistic space that engages in education, dialogue, and action in relation to Israel and Palestine. We work to create space to hold challenging and ethical discussions, to foster dialogue across differences, and to pursue actions toward a vision rooted in justice for our shared future.
The IPAG provides a space for Temple Sinai members to explore and process questions and feelings about Jewish identity, Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, and Zionism. Through its listserv, educational and cultural programs, community dialogue, advocacy, and fundraising—including raising more than $5,900 for World Central Kitchen’s work in Gaza—the IPAG seeks to foster learning, connection, and meaningful engagement across differences. The group regularly collaborates with other Temple Sinai committees, including the Israel Committee, and participates in broader Jewish communal efforts to deepen dialogue about Israel and Palestine.
Contact the Temple Office for more information.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Ongoing Community Dialogue Gatherings on Israel/Palestine
Temple Sinai is committed to creating an open and safe environment for our members to talk honestly with one another about our many views about Israel/Palestine. In 2025-26, Sinai members organized 4 facilitated discussion sessions for temple members entitled – “Two Jews, Three Opinions: A dialogue for the Sinai community about our diverse opinions on Israel, Zionism and War.” In 2026-27, these gatherings will continue.
Contact the Temple Office for more information.
Marking October 7th: A Community Evening of Remembrance and Reflection
Wednesday, October 7, 7:00pm-9:00pm
In person at Temple Beth Zion, Brookline
Join members of Congregation Dorshei Tzedek, Temple Sinai, Hillel B’nei Torah, and TBZ for an evening of remembrance, reflection, and conversation as we mark the anniversary of October 7th. We will begin with a brief ceremony honoring the lives lost, those taken hostage, and those whose lives have been forever changed by the events of that day and its aftermath. Then we will watch Holding Liat, the 2025 award-winning documentary directed by Brandon Kramer. The film invites us to sit with the complexity of October 7th and its aftermath: the trauma, the human stories behind the headlines, and the difficult questions facing Israelis, Palestinians, and all of us trying to find a way forward.
Meet Sari Bashi
Thursday, November 5, 7:00pm-8:30pm in Ehrenfried Hall
Sponsored by the Israel/Palestine Action Committee.
January 2027 Trip to Israel & the West Bank:
“Supporting the Peacemakers”
January 17-25, 2027
led by Rabbis Andy Vogel, Temple Sinai, and Claudia Kreiman, TBZ
Join members of Brookline synagogues Temple Beth Zion and Temple Sinai for a journey to Israel and Palestine that will deepen our understanding, challenge our assumptions, and strengthen our sense of responsibility in this unique moment. Led by Rabbi Andy Vogel and Rabbi Claudia Kreiman, the trip offers personal encounters with the Israelis and Palestinians committed to coexistence and peacebuilding—from analysts, activists, rabbis, and communities on the Gaza border, to Palestinian leaders and families whose lives have been impacted by conflict.
Building Bridges with Rabbi Golan Ben-Chorin in Haifa
Sunday, October 25 at 10:00am (on Zoom only, contact the Temple office for the link)
Join us for discussion with Rabbi Golan Ben-Chorin, an Israeli Reform rabbi who lives in Haifa, who helps us explore current issues in Israeli society, including social justice and democracy, prayer and ritual in Israeli Reform Judaism, and more. Our October 25 session will address the upcoming Israeli elections, which are scheduled for Tues., October 27.
Please join us! Sponsored by the Israel Committee.
1948: Remember, Remember Not (Neta Shoshani)
Sunday, November 22, 1:00pm in the Weintraub Community Room
Join us to Learn about the Nakba: The film tells two intertwined stories: one depicting the 1948 War through archival footage and letters, the other following characters debating the war’s legacy in the present day.
Neta Shoshani’s controversial documentary about the 1948 war was banned in Israel because it exposed many of the flaws in the ethos underlying creation of the nascent state’s identity. Last year, it finally aired.
Sponsored by the Israel/Palestine Action Committee.