Shalom! Welcome to Congregation Shaarey Tefilla, the newest congregation in Indiana! We hope you consider joining our family. As a warm, intimate congregation, we treat our members like brothers and sisters. We share our simchas with each other and support one another in times of sorrow. We would love to have you become part of our family. Two-year-old children lead us in the Shema. One of our "patriarchs" celebrates the 75th anniversary of his bar mitzvah with us. A bride and groom from out-of-state choose to have their wedding at the crossroads of America - Shaarey Tefilla in Indianapolis. An adult woman who has chosen Judaism celebrates her bat mitzvah by reading her Torah selection flawlessly. Our teenagers chant the Torah readings for the High Holy Days. Shaarey Tefilla is the "family synagogue" of Indianapolis. Infants crawl down the aisles during Shabbat services. Children lead us in Ein Keloheinu, Aleinu, and Adon Olam. Our devoted volunteers cook dinners, set up tables, and take out garbage. We are a "hands on" congregation. Congregants know each others' names, shake each others' hands, and hold each others' babies. From our newborns to our ninety-year-olds, we are a family! We'd love to have you join us!
Conservative Judaism and Shaarey Tefilla In 1992, a group of forty young people assembled in a living room in Carmel, Indiana. They felt their religious needs were not being me by the Indianapolis Jewish community. They wanted a synagogue where lay members could lead services and read Torah. They wanted Shabbat and holiday services where the congregation. would sing the Shacharit and Musaf melodies with kavannah (feeling.) They wanted bar and bat mitzvah students who could lead Shabbat services and read the entire Torah and Haftarah selections. These ideals meshed with those of the national Conservative movement, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and Shaarey Tefilla was "born." From 1992-1997, the lay leadership of Congregation Shaarey Tefilla continued to build upon its vision. Family dinners for Shabbat and holidays became part of the rhythm of congregational life. Junior Congregation was established for children. The first bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies took place. The number of infants and toddlers grew as young couples affiliated with Shaarey Tefilla. In 1997, Arnold L. Bienstock was engaged as the spiritual leader of Shaarey Tefilla. Our rabbi was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary, the fountainhead of the Conservative movement. He is the first ordained Conservative rabbi to serve in a pulpit in Indianapolis in 20 years. Rabbi Bienstock and his late wife, Ilene, are blessed with four daughters, Levana, Meira, Mazal, and Hadas. In 1999, Congregation Shaarey Tefilla granted equal participation to Jewish women in our ritual life. Women choose to count in our minyanim, lead services, and read Torah and Haftarah. Our decision came after a process of discussion and study. Shaarey Tefilla is strongly committed to the observance of halakha (Jewish law), according to Conservative Judaism. We continue to grow in our commitment to kashrut (the dietary laws), Shabbat, and tefilla (daily prayer.) Our members help each other grow in relationship to the Jewish way of life. In 2000, Shaarey Tefilla has approximately 150 membership affiliations. We are extremely proud of the high level of commitment of our members. Our Shabbat and holiday services attract 100-200 participants. As always, infants and toddlers are present in great numbers. We are a young, growing congregation. Currently, we have fifty children under the age of five at Shaarey Tefilla! Come join us! We'd love for you to become part of the Shaarey Tefilla family!
Shabbat and holiday dinners. Our wonderful Sisterhood volunteers to help us offer festive dinners for Shabbat, Simchat Torah, Hanukkah, Tu B'Shevat, and Shavuot. Family Services. Our religious school students lead us in the English and Hebrew prayers of the Friday evening service. Many of our young students have their "debut" at congregational leadership at six years of age. Tot Shabbat. A once-a-month, half hour celebration of Shabbat with song, story, dance, and prayer for the very young and their families. Join us as we march with our stuffed Torahs! Sisterhood. Our young, dynamic Sisterhood is the "strong arm" of our congregation. through its fundraising and programming commitments. Bikkur Cholim committee. Our special, caring committee supports the ill our our congregation. and their families. Our committee visits in hospitals and nursing homes as well as at-home. Social Action Committee. Our committee initiates tzedakah projects in the general and the Jewish community. Fundraising Committee. Our congregation relies on this committee to augment our income derived from membership and pledges. Building and Grounds Committee. We have recently completed several projects to maintain and upgrade our building. Membership/Outreach Committee. We warmly embrace those looking for our sense of community and fellowship. We welcome individuals to participate in all our services and programs even if they have not yet committed to membership. We solicit new names to receive congregational mailings. Religious Practices Committee. This committee determines the religious policies of Shaarey Tefilla through discussion with the rabbi and study of Conservative movement materials.
Our Religious Education Programs Shabbat/Sunday religious school is geared towards both Hasten Hebrew Academy (Jewish day school) and Bureau of Jewish Education (afternoon Hebrew school) students. Bar/bat mitzvah training - Our rabbi meets privately on a weekly basis for nine months with most students. Many students conduct the Shabbat service and chant the Torah reading for their special day. The entire Haftarah is chanted by every student. Adult bar/bat mitzvah celebrations - Many of our adult congregants master synagogue skills which culminate in a special celebration. We have learners who are "new" to the art of the chanting and those "brushing up" on skills for the bar/bat mitzvah anniversaries. Torah study classes - using both English and Hebrew text. Introduction to Judaism classes are available for those interested in converting to Judaism or those seeking to learn about Jewish tradition. Scholar-in-Residence and Cultural Arts programs - Shaarey Tefilla occasionally brings in guest speakers or artists to share their talents with our congregation.
Membership is easy and simple at Shaarey Tefilla! We have only three categories of membership: single, head-of-household, and family. High Holy Day seats are included with membership. We believe our membership dues to be fair and affordable! Absolutely no one is turned away from membership because of inability to pay.
Rabbi Arnold L. Bienstock has served as spiritual leader of Congregation Shaarey Tefilla, Indianapolis, IN since 1997. Rabbi Bienstock is the first ordained Conservative rabbi to serve in the pulpit in Indianapolis in 20 years. Rabbi Bienstock's Jewish education reflects many years of involvement in the institutions of the Conservative movement. He was educated at the Prozdor, the Hebrew High School of the Jewish Theological Seminary. His Bachelor of Arts degree from the Seminary College of Jewish Studies was in Talmud. He spent his junior year of college at the Center for Jewish Education in the Diaspora at the Hebrew University as well as his fourth year of rabbinical school at the Hebrew University and the Schechter Institute of the Jewish Theological Seminary in Jerusalem. Rabbi Bienstock obtained his M.A. in Jewish Studies from the Seminary in 1978 and was ordained as a Conservative rabbi in 1980. Rabbi Bienstock also has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University in anthropology. He graduated magna cum laude from Columbia in 1975. Rabbi Bienstock has served in three pulpits since his ordination. From 1980-4, he served as rabbi of Temple Israel in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. At that time, Rabbi Bienstock was very involved with New England Region United Synagogue Youth and the founding of the Solomon Schechter School of the Merrimack Valley.From 1984-1997, he served as rabbi of Temple Bnai Israel in Toledo, Ohio. During his tenure in Toledo, he taught at the Hebrew Academy and Community Hebrew School of the Toledo Jewish community. Rabbi Bienstock was a founding member of the Interracial Religious Coalition of Toledo and received its Race, Religion, and Harmony Award in 1995. The rabbi also served on the Joint Institutional Review Board of seven oncology departments of NW Ohio and SE Michigan. He also participated in the Human Subjects Review committee of the University of Toledo. Rabbi Bienstock was awarded the Rabbinic Award of the Jewish Federation of Greater Toledo. In 1997, Rabbi Bienstock assumed the pulpit of Congregation Shaarey Tefilla. Under his leadership, the congregation has grown to 160 family units. Shaarey Tefilla is one of the newest Conservative synagogues in the United States. It is the only synagogue in Greater Indianapolis fully committed to Conservative Judaism. Rabbi Bienstock currently serves as adjunct professor of Bible and Biblical Hebrew at Butler University. He also teaches in the Faith Learning Initiative program of Christian Theological Seminary. Rabbi Bienstock is the father of four daughters Levana, Meira, Mazal, and Hadas from his marriage to the late Ilene Hammer Bienstock. Please feel free to call Rabbi Bienstock at 317-733-2169 or e-mail him at rabbi@shaareytefilla.org. Our rabbi is willing to talk with you about issues of personal counseling, information about Judaism, or details about Congregation Shaarey Tefilla.
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