Temple Sinai of Saratoga Springs, New York

Find out about the rabbis' Bread and Torah Project. Numerous articles on the project have recently appeared in newspapers and magazines. Join us for Bread and Torah. Follow Rabbi Linda and Rabbi Jonathan on their journey in Chile.

A Message from Rabbi Linda and Rabbi Jonathan:
When we arrived in Saratoga Springs in the summer of 1986, just out of rabbinical school, we were looking forward to embarking upon an unusual experiment - job-sharing a single position as rabbi. We had a one-year-old daughter and we were excited about the opportunity to share our domestic and professional responsibilities equally, to be able to work as partners to fulfill the rewarding roles of parents and of spiritual leaders of a community.

It was an experiment, too, for the congregation. None of us knew how the experiment would work out, but we have been delighted that our initial two-year arrangement has turned into a long-term relationship. The congregation has grown, our family has grown, and we have been able to establish a fulfilling career while our experiment became a lifestyle. We have found the Saratoga Springs area and the Temple Sinai family to be just what we were looking for: a place to raise our children, to set down roots, to nurture our personal and professional goals, to be a part of a community.

We are happy to provide resources for those who are exploring Judaism or seeking to deepen their Jewish knowledge or practice, to provide counseling in times of distress or crisis, to assist in the development of meaningful life-cycle celebrations, and to share information with newcomers about the synagogue and the community that has become our home.

Rabbi Linda and Rabbi Jonathan's Bio:
Rabbi Linda Motzkin and Rabbi Jonathan Rubenstein have served since 1986 as co-rabbis of Temple Sinai in Saratoga Springs, New York. They were ordained in June, 1986, at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, and were the first rabbinic couple to share the sole rabbinic position in a synagogue. In addition to their duties at Temple Sinai, Rabbi Motzkin serves part-time as the Jewish Chaplain at Skidmore College, and Rabbi Rubenstein is Pastoral Care Director and Employee Assistance Program Counselor at Four Winds–Saratoga, a private psychiatric hospital.

Rabbi Motzkin is currently studying traditional Jewish scribal arts to become a soferet – a female scribe. She is in the process of writing megilat esther – a scroll of Esther – for Temple Sinai. She is also the author of the Reform movement’s four-volume adult Hebrew language series: Aleph Isn’t Tough, Aleph Isn’t Enough, Bet is for B’reishit and Tav is for Torah. In addition, she is co-author of The First Hebrew Primer: The Adult Beginner’s Path to Biblical Hebrew and Prayerbook Hebrew the Easy Way, from EKS Publishing.

Since 2004 Rabbi Rubenstein has been operating a non-profit, charitable bakery out of the Temple Sinai kitchen. “Slice of Heaven Breads” produces a variety of breads and baked goods for individual orders, for special events, and for limited retail distribution, employing community volunteers as well as individuals referred by partnering organizations. Proceeds from the sale of these products support hunger relief programs, Temple Sinai’s programs, and other charitable causes. The bakery donates and distributes challah weekly to nursing home residents, hospital patients, and the needy, in addition to donating products for local non-profit fund-raising efforts.

Rabbis Motzkin and Rubenstein are active in a number of civic and religious organizations. Rabbi Motzkin is a member of the Ethics Committee at Saratoga Hospital, and is on the steering committee of the Adirondack Religious Coalition for Choice. Rabbi Rubenstein is a member of the Board of Trustees of Saratoga Care–The Saratoga Hospital and Nursing Home. They are volunteer chaplains at Saratoga Hospital, and are members of the Capital District Board of Rabbis and the Rabbinic Cabinet of the United Jewish Communities.

Rabbi Linda grew up in Los Angeles and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. As a rabbinic student she served congregations in Montana, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Ohio, and was Adjunct Assistant Professor of Judaic Studies at the University of Cincinnati.

Rabbi Jonathan was raised in Minnesota and Connecticut, received his B.A. from Haverford College and earned an M.A. in Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University. Before entering rabbinical school he worked for B'nai Brith Hillel Foundations, held jobs in social service and counseling agencies, worked as a corporate personnel executive and as a baker.

They are the parents of three children: Rachel (Ruhi) Sophia, Ari Shalom and Shira Bracha.