Case Studies

Temple Sinai

Sumter, South Carolina

The Temple is an inherent cornerstone of my life.
–Robert Moses, Temple Sinai lay leader

Challenge

How can JCLP help perpetuate the life and legacy of a small Jewish congregation facing a precarious decline in membership.

For Robert Moses, he and Temple Sinai were inextricably linked. A Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) congregation in Sumter, South Carolina, the temple was founded in the 1800s by settlers from Charleston. Robert’s grandfather, Altamont Moses, was among them. Robert’s grandfather became one of the temple’s founders. Robert’s father was the temple president. As Robert tells it, he was born of the temple, educated at the temple, married at the temple, and raised his family in the temple.

Fast forward 150 years. Temple Sinai’s children were leaving the area and not coming back. Membership was declining and the once vibrant religious school, Sisterhood, Men’s Club and youth group were no longer sustainable.

It was time to think realistically about the congregation’s future. While some felt the congregation should close, a reluctant Robert Moses held out hope for revitalization. Enter the Jewish Community Legacy Project (JCLP).

Solution

JCLP developed a Legacy Plan for Temple Sinai, including a future-facing endowment fund and facilitated partnership with a larger, proximate congregation.

“We listen to issues and make connections with other organizations and institutions that can help extend the life of a congregation while they work to create a legacy that honors the past as it looks to the future,” said JCLP President David Sarnat. “We don’t come with boiler plate solutions for congregations.”

In the case of Temple Sinai, JCLP was able to facilitate a relationship with Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim (KKBE), a URJ congregation about 100 miles south of Sumter. Today, both congregations benefit from the relationship. A visiting rabbi from KKBE enables the Temple Sinai community to continue to gather in prayer. KKBE has expanded its community to embrace the Jews of Sumter. With guidance from JCLP, Temple Sinai has a fiscal management plan in place and KKBE holds an endowment fund that ensures that Temple Sinai and its history will be remembered, and Jewish charities will be funded in the future. “We are now planning for the time when it will be no longer be feasible to operate our temple,” said Temple Sinai member Roger Ackerman (Z”L). “With the expertise of the Jewish Community Legacy Project, we have in place an outstanding plan that will perpetuate our congregation longer than might have otherwise been possible.”

Outcome

Temple Sinai, including the new Temple Sinai Jewish History Center, is able to continue to serve as the center of Jewish life in Sumter, SC.

In many ways, says Sarnat, the relationship of Temple Sinai to KKBE is a 360- degree story that spans more than 150 years. From Charleston, Altamont Moses brought his Jewish culture to Sumter and now the Sumter Jewish Community returns to its roots. “There are so many larger congregations that can—and want — to help smaller communities,” Sarnat said. “They just needed someone to bring them together. That’s what we are here to do.”

Another key component of the Sumter community’s Legacy Plan was realized in June 2018 with the opening, in partnership with nearby Sumter County Museum, of the Temple Sinai Jewish History Center. Roger Ackerman had been a stalwart advocate of using the temple’s social hall to house an exhibition telling the story of Sumter’s Jewish history. This walk-through presentation includes, among other topics, features on the community’s civic and military involvement; World War II and the Holocaust; and the story of Jewish emigration to South Carolina.

“Temple Sinai’s Jewish History Center is a wonder to behold,” says Dale Rosengarten, founding curator of the Jewish Heritage Collection and Director of the Center for Southern Jewish Culture at the College of Charleston. “It is an inspired re-purposing of synagogue space as an educational facility, developed with extraordinary speed, efficiency, and sense of beauty.”

Today, with the Temple Sinai Jewish History Center, and Congregation Sinai still able to convene services in a historically-certified sanctuary, Temple Sinai continues to serve as the center for Jewish life in Sumter.

Thanks to the guidance of JCLP, the legacy of Temple Sinai of Sumter, South Carolina, is secure.

The Marcus Foundation has been the primary funder of the Jewish Community Legacy Project since its inception in 2008. With an expanded mission to provide dedicated resources and solutions to small congregations throughout the United States and Canada, JCLP now seeks to ensure its own future. Individuals and organizations interested in supporting this meaningful work can contact David Sarnat (david@jclproject.org) or Noah Levine (noah@jclproject.org).