History

In 1979, when West Houston wasn’t even within the city limits, when this area was just a neighborhood on the edge of the prairie, nine families joined together to form a Reform congregation, Temple Sinai.

Until 1983, the congregation met in a building in the Memorial area of Houston, in rental space that allowed for both services and a functioning religious school. In 1983, the decision was made to purchase the building where we were tenants, and Temple Sinai became the owner of its first property at 783 Country Place.

Rabbi Abraham Shaw (z’l), our founding Rabbi, served in a part-time capacity until 1984 when Rabbi Howard Rabinowitz (z’l) of Houston succeeded him. Under the spiritual guidance of Rabbi Rabinowitz, the leadership of several religious school directors and the capable administrative talents of many dedicated volunteer board members and officers, Temple Sinai grew in membership. Just as Houston and the surrounding suburbs grew around us, with multi-lane highways replacing streets and large subdivisions and corporate headquarters replacing grassy fields, the Temple membership expanded, and it became apparent that our little synagogue on Country Place was too small to meet our current and certainly future needs.

In the mid 90’s the leadership of the congregation began a process to determine where our future home should be located. Addressing the congregation’s desires and aspirations for a new building as revealed by a congregational survey, the board formulated a mission statement to guide the congregation on its path to a new home.

Then in 1999, just as the building program was in its infancy, Rabbi Rabinowitz retired, and the Temple hired its first full time clergy, Rabbi Todd Thalblum. With a new Rabbi and a newly formed architectural search committee, the path to a new facility was underway. In April 2002, a groundbreaking ceremony was held with honored guests from the Houston Jewish Community in attendance. Along with Rabbi Thalblum, Temple officers, many congregants and guests, the first shovels of dirt were turned in a process that led to our current building.

Actual construction began in August 2002 with a move-in date late in the spring of 2003. With construction completed in late June, 2003, July 4th was chosen as the day to officially move. On July 4th, over 150 member families and friends left our old location to march our four Torahs to their new home on Brimhurst Drive. 

The building is the home for the Temple’s membership, numbering around 150 families; a membership that draws predominantly from all over west Houston, Katy, Sugarland, and Cypress, including families from both the Southwest and Northwest areas of Houston, but also from the Memorial Villages, Meyerland, and even inside the 610 Loop.

In 2008, following the departure of Rabbi Thalblum after nine years with the Temple, we were blessed to have Rabbi Barry Diamond serving us as an interim rabbi, and after a successful rabbi search, the next year, 2009, Rabbi Annie Belford became our spiritual leader.

Rabbi Belford’s tenure has seen many wonderful, inspiring moments, including Second Night Seders and creative (and often musical) Purim Spiels, as well as a congregational trip to Israel. Special events have included a fascinating and well-attended community event featuring the “Four Firsts” (the first women rabbis), and an annual collaboration with the Evelyn Rubinstein Jewish Community Center to host an author for their annual Jewish Book Fair, together with Chabad West Houston and Congregation Or Ami, on the west side of Houston. Our congregation is also an active member of the Memorial Assistance Ministries.

In 2022, Rabbi Belford stepped down as our Congregations rabbi and through a search, Rabbi David Lipper, a native Houstonian, was elected by the congregation to serve.  Our congregation is engaged in strategic planning efforts, including focus groups, to plan for the future and to ensure growth and financial stability for many years to come. With the help of our new rabbi, our goal is to continue to grow in number and remaining a center of meaningful Jewish experience in our community. We are confident that Temple Sinai’s resilience, compassion, and commitment will serve our community well, and we look forward to our next chapter.

For the past 20 years, since moving into our permanent home, we have enjoyed our development and evolution, with active Shabbat services every Friday evening and Saturday Shabbat services or Torah study at least once per month, as well as Holiday services and events. 

We have an active Sisterhood organization which hosts an annual Rosh Hashanah oneg and Yom Kippur break the fast as well as Mah Jong tournaments during the year. Our Brotherhood Helps with many projects around the Temple and gathers our men together for social opportunities. We are especially proud of TeSTY, the Temple Sinai youth group, and its vitality and devotion to community service. 

We have established a permanent legacy endowment fund with the assistance of the Houston Jewish Community Foundation. 

In forty four years, Temple Sinai has grown from an idea to a reality; from nothing to the spiritual home of Jewish families in Houston, Katy, Sugar Land and other western suburbs; a center for a Jewish presence in the community.