ABOUT US
Congregation Sons of Zion was founded in 1904. Our membership derives from towns throughout the Pioneer Valley.
We are a warm, welcoming, independent Conservative Synagogue. Our congregation is vibrant and diverse in terms of age, religious background, and experiences.
At our small synagogue, we feel like we are part of a close family. We enjoy spiritual leadership in our beautiful and historic sanctuary. In addition to Wednesday minyan services and participatory Shabbat morning services, we also enjoy sharing potluck Erev Shabbat and services in one another's homes throughout the area.
We welcome visitors and new members!
MEET OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
Joan Rosner
PRESIDENT
-Religious Committee
Laura Marks
TREASURER
-Budget & Finance Committee
-Religious Committee
Lois Levin
RECORDING SECRETARY
-By-Laws
Joanne Saltman
FINANCIAL SECRETARY
-Cemetery Committee (Chair)
-Book Club (Chair)
-Building Committee
-Budget & Finance Committee
-Activities & Fundraising Committee
-Religious Committee
BOARD MEMBERS
Judy Katz
Ira Laby
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Stephen Levin
-Budget & Finance Committee
-By-laws
Deborah Levine
-Tikkun Olam (Chair)
-Membership Committee
Burton Resnic, Esq
Marjorie Bloom
David Carmen
-By-Laws
-Building Committee
Andrea Fox
-Religious Committee
-Building Committee
-Safety and Security Committee
Richard Freyman, Phd
-Religious Committee (Co-Chair)
-Membership Committee
Alfred Hutt, MD
-Budget & Finance Committee
Michael Rosner, MD
-Budget & Finance Committee (Chair)
-Religious Committee
Mady Schorsch
Barry Sparkes
Rick Tessler
Marjorie Resnic
Cindy Vieu
-Activities & Fundraising (Chair)
-Religious Committee
Ken Vieu
-Building Committee (Chair)
President Emeritus
Stephen Levine, MD
CONGREGATION SONS OF ZION LEGACY SOCIETY
Our Committees
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Budget & Finance Committee
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Activities & Fundraising Committee
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Membership Committee
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By-Laws Committee
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Tikkun Olam
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Building Committee
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Religious Committee
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Personnel Committee
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Cemetery Committee
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Future Planning Committee
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Safety and Security Committee
WHAT OUR MEMBERS SAY
Andrea
My partner (of a different faith) and I joined SOZ over 10 years ago when our son was very young. He attended Hebrew school and became bar mitzvah here. I am an active member of the synagogue. The community is warm, inclusive, and welcoming to LGBTQIA families. Our family experiences unconditional love here and we enjoy celebrating Shabbat, and the other Jewish rituals and holidays in such a friendly, compassionate, and vibrant shul.
Mady
I joined the synagogue six months before the shut-down and loved the welcome and friendliness of the members; I felt very much at home. I did not grow up in the Conservative tradition, but have become familiar with the services and the wonderful songs and now feel very comfortable. I especially love the study group discussions that have been initiated by the rabbi on subjects suggested by the participants. Zoom is not as good as showing up in the sanctuary, but it has turned out to have many unexpected pluses.
Rick
Although I didn't grow up with much Jewish education, and my command of Hebrew is limited, I am still able to find meaningful connection and spirituality at SOZ. I love listening to the Hebrew singing during shabbat morning services, and on our online choir during Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. I can't wait for the pandemic to be over so that I can get back to the synagogue.
Paul
I first met the good people who make up the SOZ family when I assisted with a Purim "Spiel" several years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed our time together and held the Community in my thoughts with great affection. In the winter of 2020, following the passing of my Mother as our nation entered quarantine, I took a risk and joined a Zoom Shabbat service one Saturday morning. I was deeply impressed by the sense of welcome and warmth that I felt from the SOZ Family and have returned consistently to listen and learn. Having spent time in many faith communities throughout my life, I have particularly been impressed and deeply moved by the kindness, intelligence, and open-minded approach demonstrated by Rabbi Saul Perlmutter and the entire SOZ family who have made a nontraditional congregant welcome as they continue to live out their deeply held traditions and faith.
Deborah
Congregation Sons of Zion is a very welcoming, warm community with a big heart. It is a small congregation that allows everyone to know each other well. There is a great spirit of participation whether on Tikkun Olam Projects, renewing the garden and yard, or producing "award worthy" Purim Shpiels.
Bonnie
To me, SOZ is far more than a synagogue. It is a spiritual home and a community that truly feels more like extended family. Services are consistently both meaningful and inspiring. Rabbi Perlmutter has a very warm, engaging, interactive manner that reaches and touches people in ways that make Judaism more accessible and personally meaningful to all. This is a loving community where people genuinely care about one another and stand together in both celebrations and difficulut, painful times. Not to mention that we love to spontaneously sing and laugh together.
Marjorie
I joined Sons of Zion synagogue several years ago because of the closeknit community I observed. As the pandemic evolved, I decided to live on Cape Cod. Thanks to Zoom, I have been able to remain connected to the synagogue community throughout these past many months. Rabbi Perlmutter creates a welcoming service every time we meet and has provided many opportunities for learning about our Torah and the Jewish tenets that have been passed doen through centuries.
Barry
My membership in the Sons of Zion congregation offers me a way to manifest the following aspirations:
-To manifest my Jewish identity and my wrestling relationship with the infinite cosmos
-To follow a family tradition in maintaining a Holyoke institution with a rabbi, leadership, and group of people I admire
-Because of their ability to maintain a balance of faith, ritual, and openness to others that meets our current needs as a congregation