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February 13, 2004/Shevat 21 5764, Vol. 56, No. 21
Synagogue rises among Red Rocks
LEISAH NAMM
Managing Editor
Jews now have a synagogue to worship in amid the Red Rocks of Sedona. On Feb. 6, about 150 people attended the first Shabbat service in the new building built by the Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley.
Rabbi Albert Plotkin, who helped form the congregation, led the service.
An open house and dedication service led by Plotkin, who is also the rabbi emeritus of Temple Beth Israel in Scottsdale, will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, March 20, at the synagogue, 100 Meadowlark Lane, Sedona. Doors will open at 9:30 a.m.
JCS, formed in 1988, purchased the two-acre property on Highway 179 at Meadowlark Lane in Sedona in October 1999. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in November 2001 and construction began in April 2003.
The upper level - which includes the sanctuary, social hall, lobby, bathrooms, library, main kitchen and two offices - are finished, said Joe Knauer, synagogue president. Contractors are currently putting in the finishing touches, such as landscaping, and members are furnishing the building.
Members have donated furniture, artwork and kitchen appliances, Knauer noted. Trees and bushes were planted on the property during the synagogue's Tu B'Shevat celebration on Feb. 8.
The lower level, which will house classrooms, meeting rooms and a second kitchen, will probably be finished within six months, he said. "Things are moving along." Three weddings and a few b'nai mitzvah have already been booked, he noted.
Since the congregation's inception, Shabbat services have been held in members' homes and in nearby churches.
JCS also has holiday celebrations, a men's club, a women's chavurah, and educational and social programs. Plotkin officiates at the synagogue's High Holiday services and monthly Shabbat services, and guest rabbis and lay leaders lead other services.
JCS will honor Plotkin and his late wife Sylvia by naming the sanctuary after them, Knauer said.
Currently, membership includes nearly 300 individuals, and "a lot of people from Phoenix have become dual members," Knauer said.
Call (928) 204-1286, e-mail JCS@sedona.net or visit www.Sedonajewishcommunity.org.
Contact the writer at leisah_namm@jewishaz.com.
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