The Temple supports the Temple Sinai Charitable Trust and encourages contributions to it.  See below for how to donate and obtain a receipt to enable you to claim 33% of your donation back from IRD.  You can also provide for the Trust in your will.

The Trust was established by trust ded dated 26 October 2024 drawn up by independent legal experts.  It can be viewed HERE.  The Trust is a registered charity under the Charities Act 2005 (registration number pending).  

The Trust's primary purposes stated in the trust deed are to further the religious and educational purposes of the Progressive Jewish beliefs and practices primarily in the Wellington region.  The deed provides that these primary purposes may be furthered by supporting the activities of Temple Sinai in fulfilment of the Temple's objects and according to its values as contained in the Rules.  

The Trust is in nature of an endowment fund.  The trustees are asked by the Trust deed to ensure as far as possible that the capital of the Trust fund is preserved over time, and that it is not eroded by inflaction.  The Trustees are further asked to have recourse to the capital of the Trust fund is preserved over time, and if that occurs, not make distributions in excess of 5% of capital in any one year or 25% over a five year period.  Thus, the general approach is for the Trust to provide benefit out of income rather than the capital.  This means that donors to the Trust can have confidence that their contributions will provide benefit in perpetuity.  

The Trust is not intended as a substitute for donations directly to the Temple.  The Trust is an additional means for donors to support Progressive Judaism in general, and the Temple more specifically.

The Trustees must be members of Temple Sinai, although there is provision for up to two independent Trustees who need not be members.  The four current Trustees are: 

Dr Richard Stein 
Richard is the Chairperson of both Temple Sinai and the Trust.  He is a consultant physician specialising in gastroenterology, and holds medical qualifications in both New Zealand and the United States.  He is Chairperson of the Crohn's and Colitis New Zealand Charitable Trust and has undertaken trustee roles in relation to muscular dystrophy and cancer charities, amongst others.  He was an elected member of the Hutt Valley District Health Board.

Jenny Livschitz
Jenny is treasurer of both Temple Sinai and the Trust.  She is a chartered accountant and Group Chief Financial Officer of Hutt City Council which has assets of $2.1 billion and an annual operational budget of $280 million.  At the Council she leads a finance team of 33 full-time equivalents.  Before that, she was Manager Financial Planning and Performance at the Department of Internal Affairs, and Manager Corporate Performance and Reporting for the Auckland Council.

Helene Ritchie
The daughter of refugees from Poland and Czechoslovakia who escaped the Holocaust, Helene practised as a registered psychologist and mediator in the public sector and privately.  She was Deputy Mayor of Wellington and a city councillor for 30 years.  She has also been a regional councillor and a district health board member.  She is a published author.  Helene is currently President of the Aotearoa/New Zealand International Council of Jewish Women and undertakes a range of civic roles.

Sam Segal
Sam has been an active member of Temple Sinai since 2011.  He was the Temple's treasurer for seven years and is currently on its Ritual Comittee.  Sam is an actuary with over fifteen years experience in the insurance industry in both New Zealand and the United States, including the Accident Compensation Corporation.  He is currently employed by the accounting firm, Deloitte.


The Trust is required to report annually to Temple Sinai and to the Charity Services, and amongst other things, provide a statement of financial performance.  

The Trust's email address is trust@sinai.org.nz.  Click HERE to email the Trust.  Telephone messages for the trustees may be left with the Temple office on 04 385 0720.