Temple Sinai receives grant for library expansion

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Members of the Temple Sinai Jewish community here recently received a holiday season boost to the temple library expansion.

The Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust awarded a $10,000 grant to Temple Sinai this month for the installation of bookcases and new furniture for the library, created by remodeling space on the second floor of the Victorian- era synagogue in August.

“The temple’s vision for its library is consistent with its history as a progressive reform synagogue that prides itself on its diversity and inclusivity, its rich educational programs for all ages and its emphasis on community outreach and interfaith instruction,” Temple President Jerry Silverman said in the grant application.

“Our goal is to create a choice collection of Jewish studies that will include core works, online resources, newspapers and periodicals for such topics as Jewish religious commentary; Jewish history and philosophy; fiction on Jewish topics or by Jewish authors; Israel; the Middle East and Jewish life and issues in different parts of the world,” Silverman said.

The temple building, located at 509 Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs, has been the center of the Reform Jewish Community of Saratoga for nearly three decades. Originally a physician’s residence, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places. A 3,000- square- foot addition was built at the rear of the building to accommodate large functions, meetings and community events.

“Given the time required for shipping and installation, we hope that the bookcases will be up by March or April and the library will begin functioning soon after that,” said Kirsten Mishkin, who cochairs the Temple Sinai Library Project with her husband, Roy Ginsberg.

The Temple Sinai Library Project intensified in early 2012 with more than $ 14,400 raised from donations by Temple Sinai congregants and members of the Saratoga Springs community and an additional $ 8,000 donated by the temple board. The work involved renovating a portion of the second floor space in the temple building, including the rabbi’s office space.

The Temple Sinai Library collection, once complete, will be open to Temple Sinai members, members of other synagogues and churches and members of the greater community, Silverman said.

The Solomon Charitable Trust was also a key supporter of kitchen renovation at Temple Sinai in 2006 that created space for Slice of Heaven Breads, the nonprofit bakery oper- ated by Rabbi Jonathan Rubenstein. That gift was also announced during the holiday season and provided $40,000 for the installation of industrial kitchen equipment to expand Slice of Heaven Breads.

The Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust was established to benefit nonprofit scientific, educational and charitable organizations by funding charitable projects and programs in memory of the trust’s founder, Alfred Z. Solomon.

To learn more about Temple Sinai, go to www.saratogasinai.org.