Membership
Arthur Fink
Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation, a Reform Temple, is now accepting new members. For more information, please contact Susie at 480-580-1592.
Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation Sisterhood
Esther Spear
The Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation Sisterhood is looking forward to another exciting year of activities. Our first meeting of the new season will take place on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 1 p.m. in the Chapel Center. Our speaker will be Mariana Laufer, a former ballerina from the Bucharest Ballet in Romania. She will discuss her book about her career as an accomplished dancer. Future meetings will feature a movie matinee in the Chapel Center, a paid-up membership luncheon and Hanukkah party, a presentation from Temple member Sandy Lubitsch about his encounters with famous celebrities, and our annual charity fundraiser Games Galore on Feb. 23, 2026. More details to follow in the future.
For more information about the Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation Sisterhood, please contact Shirley at tieman11@q.com or Sandy at golombsandy@aol.com.
Schedule of Services
The regular monthly Shabbat service for September will be held on Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.
Full services are conducted each month starting in November, except for July and August, on the second Friday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Sun Lakes Chapel. For additional information or to have your questions answered about Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation (SLJC) services, call 480-612-4413.
SLJC is currently accepting applications for membership for the 2025-26 year. Annual dues are $200 per person and include High Holiday tickets. Guest tickets for the High Holidays can be purchased for $100 per guest, providing access to all services. For additional information, check sljc.org.
Rosh Hashana services will be held on Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. and Sept. 23 at 10 a.m. The Kol Nidre service will be held on Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. Yom Kippur services will begin at 10 a.m. on Oct. 2. A Break the Fast will be held at the conclusion of Yom Kippur on Oct. 2, which is open to the community. Also in October, Sukkot will be celebrated. For complete information go to sljc.org.
A non-member plaque can be purchased and displayed at the Temple. For more information, call 480-584-5909.
“One Small Step for Man …
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
one giant leap for mankind.” Perhaps you, too, were awestruck by the amazing contribution to the understanding of our Universe with the landing of humans on the moon. Growing up, we would read and watch efforts to imagine what was in the heavens, allowing us to find God. Early TV contributed to our imaginations as scientists attempted to produce the wherewithal to accomplish what was considered impossible.
Fast forward to today, and all the marvels we have witnessed and continue to observe as humankind endeavors to make sense of who we are and what value and purpose we expound in the eternal quest for knowledge.
So, let’s evaluate our giant steps.
To begin, we know through history’s writings that man is determined to destroy, only to rebuild. We have learned throughout history that hate is the one ingredient over which we have no control, because we find comfort in hating, as it camouflages our desire to dominate.
Religion of any form attempts to control our impulse to find fault with those who differ. However, faith can do many things, but only if we allow its influences to dictate responsible behavior one to the other. Just as there are many different approaches to achieve understanding and observance, so, too, are there differences in our interpretation, and those who are chosen to lead find different meanings in the same sentences or paragraphs of spiritual writings.
It seems that as we make giant steps toward connection through all the diversity, we still can’t continue that magnificent leap because of prejudices. Time after time, we are taught that love is the gift of our Creator, and yet we forget as fast as we remember.
Scripture endeavors to emphasize the need for us to follow the development of our creation so that the harmony of heaven can be duplicated here on earth. Even the most trying of circumstances found in Scripture eventually concludes that only through understanding can we learn to tolerate. The giant step humanity embarks upon can only contribute to our collective needs and responsibilities if we take that step further and further.
One of the lesser prophets, Micah, concludes in a memorable phrase the summation of the needs and wants of all of us: “What is it that God expects of us? To do justly, to love mercy and walk humbly with God.” In this, regardless of varying faiths and interpretations, we discover the only truth that can and should bring us together.
To do justly reminds us that we have an obligation as sojourners to attempt to be fair in our dealings with one another, whether in commerce or faith. To love mercy is the cry for compassion and understanding. When one of us is hurt, we all feel the pain. When someone cries out for help, we are there to lift those who fall. To walk humbly with God is to realize that God created each of us and loves each of us, regardless of anything we may feel or do. God’s love is unconditional and should set the example for all of us to follow.