New to Temple Sinai, or to synagogue life? Here’s a friendly guide to your first Shabbat visit: when to come, what happens during services, simple customs, and how to bring the whole family.
Walking into a synagogue for the first time can feel a little like arriving at a family dinner where everyone already knows the songs.
Maybe you’re new to North Miami Beach. Maybe you’re exploring Judaism, part of an interfaith family, or returning after years away. Maybe you’re simply curious. Wherever you’re coming from, you are welcome at Temple Sinai, and you don’t need to be a member to join us. Our community actively encourages anyone interested to come experience a service before deciding anything else.
This guide walks you through a Shabbat visit to Temple Sinai of North Dade: when to come, what happens during services, and a few simple customs. That way you can spend less time wondering and more time feeling at home.
Why Shabbat Is a Good Place to Start
Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, begins at sundown on Friday and ends after nightfall on Saturday. It is a weekly pause: time set apart from work and errands for rest, reflection, and community. For a deeper look at the meaning behind this weekly rhythm, read our earlier post, Exploring the Meaning and Importance of Shabbat.
For a first visit, Shabbat is a natural choice. It happens every week, it sits at the heart of Jewish life, and it is when our community gathers most regularly.
Temple Sinai is a Reform congregation, part of the Union for Reform Judaism. Our services combine participatory music, thoughtful sermons, and a mix of Hebrew and English, so they are meant to be accessible whether you grew up in a synagogue or have never stepped inside one.
When to Come
Temple Sinai gathers for Shabbat every week:
- Friday Oneg – 5:45 PM. An informal social gathering before the Friday evening service.
- Kabbalat Shabbat Service – Fridays at 6:15 PM, in the Abe & Helen Feinbloom Sanctuary.
- Torah Study – Saturdays at 9:00 AM, currently held online.
- Shabbat Morning Service – Saturdays at 10:30 AM, including the reading of the Torah.
Throughout the year we also hold special Shabbat services, such as RewJEWvenate, Interfaith, and Candlelight Shabbat services, and on those evenings the Oneg may follow the service instead. It’s a good idea to check our Upcoming Events calendar or the Worship page before you come.
Which service is best for a first visit? Friday evening is a wonderful place to start. It’s a relaxed way to close the week, and arriving for the 5:45 PM Oneg gives you a chance to meet people before the service begins.
Saturday mornings are lovely too. On many Saturdays from September through June, a young person in our community becomes a Bar or Bat Mitzvah at the 10:30 AM service. Guests are welcome at these services, and witnessing a young person read from the Torah for the first time is a special experience.
Finding Us
Temple Sinai is located at 18801 NE 22nd Ave, Miami, FL 33180, on the Carolyn Kemelhor Campus: 14 wooded acres in Sky Lake, across the Oleta River from the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center. You can learn more about the campus, including the Feinbloom Sanctuary, the Holocaust Memorial, and the community bridge, on our Our Campus page.
Parking is available on campus for everyone who visits.
The safety of our congregants and guests is a priority, so you’ll find professional security personnel and controlled access points on campus. A friendly greeting at the entrance is simply part of keeping our community safe.
If you’d like to see the campus before attending a service, you can contact the office to schedule a personal tour.
What Happens at Kabbalat Shabbat
Kabbalat Shabbat means “welcoming Shabbat.” The Friday evening service marks the transition from the busy week into a day of rest.
Music is at the center of the experience. Cantor Norman Cohen Falah leads our music, and the melodies are meant to be sung together. You don’t need to know the words to enjoy them; many people simply listen at first and join in as melodies become familiar. To learn why song plays such a central role in Jewish worship, see The Role of Music in Jewish Prayer and Tradition.
You don’t need to know Hebrew. Our services include both Hebrew and English. Follow along in the prayer book, read the English, or simply take in the atmosphere. Large-print prayer books are available.
Services typically include reflections from our clergy. Rabbi Alan Litwak is known for an accessible, engaging style, and sermons often connect Jewish tradition to the questions of contemporary life. You can get to know our rabbis, cantor, and staff on our Clergy & Staff page.
Two moments you will encounter in virtually every Shabbat service:
- The Sh’ma, the central declaration of Jewish faith, begins “Sh’ma Yisrael,” which means “Hear, O Israel.”
- The Mourner’s Kaddish, recited near the end of the service in memory of loved ones who have died. It is a moment when the community holds those who are grieving.
Saturday Morning and the Torah
The Shabbat morning service includes the reading of the Torah, the scroll containing the Five Books of Moses. Each week a different portion, or parashah, is read, so over the course of the year the community travels through the entire Torah together.
Before the morning service, Saturday Torah Study at 9:00 AM, currently held online and led by Rabbi Litwak and guest teachers, offers a spirited discussion of that week’s portion. The text is read in English with many pauses for conversation, and everyone is welcome to contribute questions and reflections. Discussions range from the scholarly to the political to the personal. You don’t need any background to participate.
A Few Simple Customs
- “Shabbat Shalom.” This is the traditional greeting, meaning “a peaceful Sabbath.” You’ll hear it often, and it’s a perfect thing to say back.
- Standing and sitting. At certain prayers the congregation rises. Follow those around you, and if standing is difficult, you are always welcome to remain seated.
- Head coverings and prayer shawls. In Reform Judaism, wearing a kippah (head covering) or tallit (prayer shawl) is a personal choice. Do whatever feels comfortable.
- What to wear. Wondering what’s appropriate? If you’d like guidance for a particular service, such as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, our office is happy to help.
- Phones. Please silence your phone so everyone can enjoy the service.
- Participation. Sing, read along, or simply listen. Temple Sinai invites and encourages participation at whatever level feels right to you.
Bringing Children
Children are welcome at Temple Sinai. Our community offers interactive family services and youth programs designed so that every age can find meaning in Jewish life. If a little one needs a break during the service, feel free to step out and return whenever you’re ready.
Our youngest learners at Gan Sinai, ages 18 months through 5 years, even celebrate their own Kabbalat Shabbat every Friday, complete with Cantor Norman’s guitar. To explore programs for every age, from early childhood through teens, visit Youth Programs at Temple Sinai or iamsinai.org.
For more on nurturing Jewish identity at every stage, read Youth Programs at Temple Sinai: A Jewish Journey for Every Age and Raising Jewish Children in Miami: What Parents Should Know.
Accessibility
Temple Sinai is fully accessible, with wheelchair-friendly facilities, large-print prayer books, and hearing assistance devices. If you have specific needs, please let the office know ahead of time so we can help make your visit comfortable.
Can’t Make It in Person?
If you’d like to experience a service from home first, you can watch our services live online. When we are streaming, you can follow along with on-screen prayers and join the live chat. You can also watch past services on our YouTube channel.
One note: the High Holy Days work differently from weekly Shabbat services. For Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, please visit our High Holy Days page for tickets and details, and see Celebrate the Jewish High Holy Days with Temple Sinai for an overview of the season.
After Your First Visit
Shabbat is often just the beginning. Many people find their place at Temple Sinai through learning, music, and friendship:
- Explore Adult Education, from Torah study to classes on contemporary Jewish issues. (Curious why learning sits at the heart of Jewish life? Read The Importance of Jewish Education.)
- Lend your voice to the Choral Ensemble, which meets weekly in the Feinbloom Sanctuary.
- Connect with the Sisterhood Circle.
- New to the area? Our Guide to Jewish Life in North Miami Beach and Jewish Community Resources in North Miami & Aventura are great places to start.
- Browse the Upcoming Events calendar, or sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of any page on our website.
Have questions? Our Frequently Asked Questions page covers membership, programs, and more.
A Community Nurturing Fuller Jewish Life
In 1956, a few families came together and dreamed of a congregation that would be a spiritual, educational, and social home for the North Dade Jewish community. Seventy years later, that dream lives on every Shabbat, in the songs we sing together, the questions we ask, and the people we welcome through our doors.
Our mission is simple: A Community Nurturing Fuller Jewish Life. We strive to be an inclusive community for interfaith families, individuals rediscovering Judaism, and anyone seeking a progressive approach to Jewish life.
You don’t need to have all the answers, know all the prayers, or feel certain about where you fit. You only need to come as you are.
We hope to see you this Shabbat.
Shabbat Shalom!
