Community

Touching your heart and engaging your mind

Community

Reno and its surrounds are home to sprawling neighborhoods. Unlike many densely populated urban areas, there’s no specific area where Jews live together.  Instead, we find our community within our Temple Emanu-El congregation. 

It’s not difficult to keep kosher in Reno. Most markets in the Reno-Sparks area offer a distinct kosher food section as well as an assortment of Passover foods. 

Trader Joe’s in particular carries kosher meat and challah. At Temple Emanu-El we maintain kosher meat and dairy kitchens. We are pleased to offer weekly kosher kiddush luncheons

Share a meal! 

Join us for our weekly kosher kiddush lunches following Shabbat services and monthly potluck dinners after Friday night services on the second Friday of each month. They’re the perfect opportunity to get to know our Temple Emanu-El community. 

Czech Scroll 60th Anniversary Event

The attendees of March 10th's 60th Anniversary Event honoring the arrival of the Czech Scrolls in London were privileged to hear an extraordinary presentation by Lois Roman, the Memorial Scrolls Trust representative from the United States and Canada. 


We were all moved by her story of the miracle of the Torah Scrolls, rescued first by the curators of the Jewish Museum of Prague in 1942, the storing of the 1564 Torah Scrolls in the ruined Michle Synagogue outside of Prague after the Communists took over in 1948, and the purchase of the Torah Scrolls and their removal to London in 1964. 


1400 of the scrolls are now on loan to religious institutions around the world, one here at Temple Emanu-El.

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S.F. Yiddish Combo Returns!

What a night! The world renowned San Francisco Yiddish Combo once again blew us away at Temple Emanu-El with their special brand of Klezmer. People were up and dancing as soon as the first song started and didn’t stop.


Rebecca Roudman had us both stunned to silence and clapping wildly with her magnificent cello and violin playing, and her singing. When percussionist Josh Mellinger brought out an electric typewriter and clicked away on its keys, we couldn’t believe what we were seeing and hearing. Add to that we were treated to Jason Eckl’s guitar and his winning personality.


Last but not least was talented bass guitar player Colin Williams, who showed off his dancing skills with Tova McGilvray. All in all, a performance to remember. We can’t wait until they’re back in the Reno area again. Click here for some video of the event.


Check their website www.sfyiddishcombo.com for show dates.


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More about the Holocaust Scroll

The Holocaust Scroll we have, comes to us, on loan, from the Memorial Scrolls Trust, in London, England, situated at Westminster Synagogue, near Hyde Park. LaNae and Larry Gralla are its representatives at our synagogue.


There are many loan requirements, and the annual maintenance, which this unrolling and rerolling is part. This is to keep the sheets, on which the Torah pages are inscribed, supple, to check for maintenance needs, and to give people an up close and personal experience.


As this Scroll is not kosher for services use, it is perfect for this “personal experience”. Its origin town, and hence its people, we say, are only known to G_d. After we say the Mourner’s Kaddish, and the prayer for the 6 million, I explain, from one tradition, the souls of these unknowns are residing within.


And those who would like, come up to the Scroll, place their hands on the lower unwritten upon section, close their eyes, and tell these souls we are the keepers of their memory. Of those who availed themselves of the opportunity, usually, about 2/3rds say they felt there, or some, presence. But, about 1/3rd come away with so much more, they are crying. This has been my observation each  time. As we only got 1/2 of the Torah scroll done, the rest will be done soon. Keep your eyes on the bulletin.


עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי

Am Yisrael Chai


Cars lined Manzanita Lane for the mile between Lakeside Drive and Plumas; the parking lot at Temple Emanu-El overflowed when hundreds came to support Israel and the Jewish community on Tuesday, October 10th. Representatives from every branch of government, from federal to State, to local and law enforcement, vowed to support Israel’s right to defend itself and to keep the Jewish community safe. Reno Police Chief Katherine Nance urged us to continue to gather for services and events, and promised extra patrols of Reno’s synagogues. RPD presence at the vigil was unmistakable, with cruisers along the street and in the parking lot.

 

Prayers and song were offered by Rabbi Benjamin Katz, Rabbi Richard Leibovitz, Zel Copeland and Mara Langer. Speakers included Stefanie Tuzman, President and CEO of Jewish Nevada (by video), and Marc Picker, Northern Nevada Council Chair. A video update by Israel Bachar, General Consul of Israel, detailed the current situation in Israel. At the end of the vigil, candles were lit in remembrance of the Jewish victims of the Hamas attacks and the devastation in Israel.

 

Mara Langer, both a congregant of Temple Emanu-El and Jewish Nevada’s Director Community Engagement for Northern Nevada organized the entire event. Thanks go to her and Jewish Nevada for making the event possible, and to Temple Emanu-El for hosting it. Thanks are also owed to the speakers — Nevada’s Chief of Staff Ben Kieckhefer representing Governor Lombardo, Molly Rose Lewis representing Senator Jackie Rosen, State Assemblywoman Angie Taylor, Reno Police Chief Katherine Nance, Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam, Temple Emanu-El President Alan Liebman — the attendance of Commissioner Clara Andriola, and the support of Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto.


Sisterhood

Our Sisterhood coordinates preparation for weekly kiddush lunches and other holiday meals for the synagogue. We also sponsor social and cultural activities for the congregation including lectures, breakfasts and Mahjong. We are constantly evolving and looking for new ideas and activities. Come join us!
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