About Temple Or Rishon
Our History
Sunrise Jewish Congregation (now known as Temple Or Rishon) was formed when, on May 1, 1983, Allen & Cecily Kane invited Charles & Celia Dubin, Lee & Claire Sherman, Linda & Jerry Carsman, and Saul & Donna Rapkin to their home to discuss the possibility of forming a Jewish congregation in the North-East Area of Greater Sacramento. They devised a survey form and sent it out to assess the need for such a congregation. The survey also served to communicate with the rest of the community and focus attention on this seed of an idea which was to take root. The phone calls and survey responses verified the need to form a congregation to meet the needs of this population area.
The first feasibility meeting was attended by 15 couples. Rabbi Lazowick, who had retired in the area, was contacted for advice. In addition, Rabbi Frazin of Congregation B'nai Israel and Rabbi Goldman of Mosaic Law were contacted, and each gave his blessing to the new endeavor. Rabbi Lazowick advised the group to get a name for themselves, a place to meet, and a teacher. Following his advice, the name Sunrise Jewish Congregation was chosen, and it came into being. On June 24, 1983 the first Sabbath Eve Service was held at the home of Ceil and Ralph Davies.
The newly formed congregation determined its first three priorities: Sabbath Services, a religious school for the children, and Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (High Holyday) services for the community. The September 9, 1983 edition of the Sacramento Bee carried a story documenting the success of that first set of High Holyday services (held at Mercy High School in Carmichael) coming just three months after the founding of the congregation, something which conventional wisdom said was not achievable.
For more than a decade, Sunrise Jewish Congregation held its Sabbath services at the Fairvale Baptist Church in Fair Oaks. Although Temple Or Rishon now has its own home on Hazel Ave. in Orangevale, the fellowship and goodwill engendered from that happy relationship continues today. For the four years prior to construction of our permanent home, the congregation utilized rental space in Granite Bay, fondly remembered as "Beit Donut" in honor of Bill's Donuts next door.
On June 4, 1993, Sunrise Jewish Congregation initiated a year of celebration and commemoration of its tenth anniversary by consecrating as its spiritual leader Rabbi Marvin Schwab, the first ordained rabbi to serve the congregation. To mark this milestone in the life of the congregation, Rabbi Lewis M. Barth, PhD, Professor at Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, and Rabbi Morris Hershman of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations consecrated Rabbi Schwab. Rabbi Schwab served the congregation on a part time basis for over a year before he became the congregation's full-time rabbi.
When Rabbi Schwab left us, we went into a few years of transition. Rabbi Michael Remson served as interim rabbi from June 2001 until June 2002. Rabbi Yossi Liebowitz served the congregation from July 2002 until June 2003. Then Rabbi Michael Oblath was an interim rabbi from June 2003 to June 2004.
Now Temple Or Rishon is delighted to welcome Rabbi Sheryl Nosan-Blank as our rabbi and beloved religious leader.
Over the years, Temple Or Rishon has been served well by its lay leadership, particularly the presidents: Allen Kane, Saul Rapkin, David Sindrey, Arlene Segal, Michael Dean, Alan Friedman, Cecily Kane, Linda Carsman, Larry Raskin, Pam Herman, Art Grand, Lynn Dean, Patrick Betito, and the current president, John Carter. They have guided its growth as it became a place of learning and fellowship.
In 1998, the temple was fortunate to recruit Ricki Lobel as its Director of Education. Under Ricki's leadership, the religious school for students from pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade has upgraded its curriculum and broadened its range of learning materials. The Hebrew classes for pre-Bar and Bat Mitzvah students gives pre-teens an opportunity to learn strong Hebrew language skills. And, the Confirmation class permits our post-Bar and Bat Mitzvah students to delve deeper into Judaic knowledge and practice.
As part of the process of moving to our own building, the congregation adopted the Hebrew name Or Rishon, which means "first light."
In 2000, the congregation dedicated its beautiful new building on Hazel Ave. in Orangevale. This inspiring structure is now the spiritual home to about 260 member families. Our membership encompasses families, couples, and singles in all of life's stages, styles, and ages. Members of Temple Or Rishon make their homes in Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Roseville, Citrus Heights, Rocklin, Loomis, Orangevale, El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park, Cool, Shingle Springs, Granite Bay, Newcastle, Rancho Murieta, Penryn and Gold River.
Members of Temple Or Rishon participate in Adult Education programs, the Sisterhood, the Men's Club, Youth Groups, the Religious School and Hebrew School, as well as an ongoing food collection program to aid local food banks and monthly service feeding the homeless at Loaves and Fishes in Sacramento.
|
Biography: Rabbi Nosan-Blank
Rabbi Sheryl Nosan-Blank grew up in the small town of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, in the mid-western United States. There, in a tiny, eclectic Jewish community, her parents fostered her Jewish identity, teaching her, and her three brothers to read Hebrew, sing blessings and make Shabbat. Love of Judaism was instilled through family celebrations. As a teen, Sheryl and her family moved to San Diego, California, where her interest in Judaism grew.
As she concluded her studies in Psychology at the University of California, Irvine, Sheryl decided to center her life around her love of Jewish learning and teaching. After three years of studies through Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem and Los Angeles, she gained two Master's degrees - one in Hebrew Letters and one in Jewish Education. Sheryl was ordained after two more years of studies at HUC in New York.
Since ordination, Rabbi Nosan-Blank has participated in different kinds of congregations in distinct regions of North America, as well Sydney, Australia. Initially, she served as an Assistant Rabbi/Director of Education at Temple Har Zion, a 25 year-old mid-sized suburban congregation near Toronto, Ontario. Later, she became the Solo Rabbi at Congregation Beth Am, a small, young congregation in New Jersey. Eventually, Rabbi Nosan-Blank returned to San Diego to serve Congregation Beth Israel, spiritual home to over 1,400 families. There her portfolio included shaping the Jewish growth of 450 children enrolled in the Congregation's School, as well as working closely with the Temple's Young Jewish Network and its Woman's Studies group. Serving as an Interim Associate Rabbi in Sydney gave Rabbi Nosan-Blank opportunities to explore and contribute to Jewish life in the southern hemisphere, focusing on young adult programs and social action activities. For the last several years Rabbi Nosan-Blank has served Temple Beth Torah outside Los Angeles where she met her husband Ari.
In her work, and her life, Rabbi Nosan-Blank fosters love of Jewish living and learning through teaching, modeling, sharing and providing experiences to inspire Jewish children and adults, students and teachers. Rabbi Nosan-Blank is nearly as passionate about traveling and skiing as she is about Torah. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, hiking, backpacking, biking and yoga. In quieter moments, she loves tea and a good book, and can sometimes be found meditating, composing poetry, or writing midrash.
Rabbi Nosan-Blank has written pieces for Torat Hayim, the UAHC's regular on-line publication of Torah commentary, as well as the Los Angeles Jewish Journal, The Woman's Torah Commentary and The Woman's Haftarah Commentary.
|
Our Philosophy
Temple Or Rishon is a place of warmth and congeniality for our growing temple family. Shabbat evening services at Or Rishon reflect the philosophy that Shabbat is a time of celebration, a time to be with friends and family.
Of course, there are times to be serious in the synagogue as well. The Jewish calendar is a carefully crafted balance of times of pure joy (like Simchat Torah) and times for deep, quiet introspection (such as Yom Hashoah, the day of Holocaust Remembrance). There is a unique rhythm to Jewish Life, and it is immensely satisfying when we are able to make that rhythm our own.
The mission of the congregation includes the building of a caring community, the continued spiritual growth of the congregation, and the expansion of its cognitive knowledge through the religious school for children and the adult education program.
Temple Or Rishon's philosophy is one of inclusion: We welcome single-parent and interfaith families to our synagogue and religious school. In addition, Temple Or Rishon's congregational family includes couples and families of every lifestyle and configuration, as well as singles of all ages.
|
|
