President's Message

Welcome to Temple Emanu-El!  

Located in the heart of Providence’s east side, Temple Emanu-El serves members from throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts . We strive to create a community that supports the religious, social, educational and spiritual needs of our synagogue members. My family has been fortunate to be a part of Temple Emanu-El since we arrived in Rhode Island over two decades ago. The synagogue community has been our extended family, and the synagogue programs have been an important part of the lives of me, my wife and our three sons.  

Our programs are geared for members of all ages. We feature a variety of programs for families with young children, including special Shabbat and High Holiday programming. We have varied educational opportunities that extend well beyond the religious school years. Going beyond standard classroom education, many of our programs feature one on one “mentoring.” Our Bar/Bat Mitzvah instruction with professional staff is complemented by one on one tutoring by specially trained recent graduates from the program. We are proud of our Torah tutors, who serve as important role models for their students.We even have mentoring programs for adults. Our robust Adult Institute provides opportunities for life long learning. Our synagogue offers a multiplicity of worship opportunities. On High Holidays, three distinct services are complemented by Family Services, Junior Congregation and specially designed activities for young children. Special worship activities also take place on all of the major holidays. On Shabbat, our main service in the Sanctuary is led by our Rabbis and Cantors. Our Junior Congregation experience is led by specially trained teen volunteers. An early morning service at 8 am is a regular feature. Special Shabbat Programs include Early Kabbalat Shabbat (EKS), a special monthly service and dinner designed for families with young children. A variety of alternative worship programs (including Minyan Hadash, Soulful Shabbat, Teen Services, Family Services, Religious School Shabbat, Learner’s Minyan and Tot Shabbat) are scheduled at regular intervals throughout the year. Finally, our weekday Minyan meets twice a day on a year round basis. We are fortunate to have a dedicated, experienced, educated, caring and compassionate professional staff. Two full time rabbis and two full time cantors work alongside our dedicated administrative staff. A wide variety of special events punctuate our calendar. Our Broadway style Purim Spiel, musical Hanukah dinner, spring educational weekend and concert are just a few of the highlights. Temple Emanu-El draws participants to special programs based on interests and age.Whether it’s youth activities, senior activities, opportunities for social responsibility or music, Temple Emanu-El has a program to meet the need. Our award winning USY programs have three separate groups for 5^th and 6^th graders; 7^th and 8^th graders and high school students. Our Leisure Club for seniors regularly sponsors educational, social and cultural programs. We have an active Young Families group that plans numerous activities. Our Social Action Committee endeavors to keep Temple Emanu-El in the forefront of responsibility for many pressing issues faces our community. We sponsor multiple opportunities for musical expression. We welcome you to our website. Whether your visit is merely out of curiosity, or whether you are planning an upcoming outing to Temple Emanu-El, we encourage your interest. If you are not already a part of the Temple Emanu-El community, we would be happy to have you consider membership. 

Mark R. Feinstein Temple Emanu-El President