The Sylvia Reinstein Outdoor Worship Area and   In the fall of 1999, several parents were sitting in the lobby of Congregation Children of Israel chatting about how we could make our Temple a more welcoming place for young families. Our Carol L. Bush Education Wing had just been newly dedicated, but there was still a need for
an outdoor play area for preschoolers and other young children. At that time, there was not a place for parents or grandparents with young children to sit and watch their children play, nor was there a place for any outdoor activities. Several parents approached the President of the congregation, he appointed a committee to study the issue and several things began to happen.

The committee literally walked the property and chose a site which would lend itself to a new piece of playground equipment and a few benches. The committee then traveled to several churches and schools in the Athens area and to the Marcus Jewish Community Center in Atlanta to get some ideas. During its "search mission" a terrible tragedy occurred. Our beloved Bubbie of the Religious
School, Sylvia Reinstein, passed away after a very short illness in May of 2000. Everyone in the Temple was left with such a void and wanted to memorialize "Bubbie" in some meaningful way.  In a natural progression of events, the idea of an outdoor worship area took shape and the Temple Board
voted to call the project, "The Sylvia Reinstein Outdoor Worship Area and Playground."

Today, the project is complete and the dedication of the Sylvia Reinstein Outdoor Worship Area and Playground took place on Sunday, September 8, 2002. The area consists of a new piece of preschool playground equipment with a "zip-line," an outdoor Bima with nine Bima benches, three park benches and two full sized picnic tables. The Religious School Children planted lovely bushes the first day of Religious School,
and landscaping is expected to continue throughout the year.

We invite you to pack a picnic and come visit our new outdoor worship area. If Bubbie were still with us, she would wonder what the fuss was all about. Bubbie truly epitimized the committed congregant. She created a warm inviting atmosphere in our Religious School, and it is our prayer that the good feelings that she generated in us all with continue to linger on for many generations to come.

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