BY-LAWS OF SINAI TEMPLE OF CHAMPAIGN-URBANA
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this Congregation shall be SINAI TEMPLE OF CHAMPAIGN-URBANA.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
The purpose of this Congregation shall be to worship God in accordance with the Jewish faith; to
cultivate a love and understanding of Jewish heritage through education; to stimulate fellowship
in the Jewish community; to strengthen bonds of loyalty with Jewish people everywhere; and to
bring nearer the Dominion of God on earth through an emphasis on righteousness (tzedekah),
commandments (mitzvot), and goodwill (gemilut hasidim) to one another and to society at large.
ARTICLE III: AFFILIATION
The Congregation shall affiliate with the Union for Reform Judaism.
ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 Any person eighteen (18) years or older, who is of the Jewish faith or wishes to
associate with the Jewish faith, may become a member of Sinai Temple by submitting an
application which is then approved by the Board of Trustees. The Board may establish
special memberships with such provisions as it shall deem advisable.
Section 2 Membership shall be as an individual or a family. A family shall be construed
to include (a) married persons and their dependents, (b) committed partners and their dependents
and (c) an individual and his/her dependents.
Membership shall be interpreted broadly to continue the Congregation’s custom and practice of
promoting inclusiveness. Divorce or separation shall not terminate membership of either person.
A member seeking to resign from the Temple shall notify the President or Vice-President.
Section 3 Members are in good standing when they have met their financial obligations set
forth in Art. IV, Section 4 or have made arrangements with the Financial Secretary for payment.
Members in good standing shall have all privileges of membership, subject to rules and
regulations established by the Board. Privileges of membership shall include, but are not limited
to, worship, religious school, burial and life cycle events which shall be in
accordance with local Jewish custom and ritual, as determined by the Rabbi. The Board may
withdraw or withhold privileges from members not in good standing.
Section 4 Members shall be responsible for support of the Congregation through payment
of financial obligations, including dues, assessments, and other fees, as recommended by the
Board and approved by the Congregation.
Sinai Temple’s fiscal year shall start July 1 and end June 30. Financial obligations of members
are payable in full for the current fiscal year
by September 1 unless other arrangements have been made with the Financial
Secretary. If the member has not paid or made arrangements by November 1, the Financial
Secretary or the Vice-President shall contact said members to establish their financial
commitments. If no financial commitment is made by January 1, such members may be dropped
from membership in the Congregation, upon approval of the Board. The Financial Secretary
shall report to the Board in advance of the January Board meeting the members who are not in
good standing.
Members who have not paid their financial obligation or satisfied their arrangement from the
prior fiscal year will not be in good standing as of the start of the current fiscal year. The
Financial Secretary shall report to the Board in advance of the August Board meeting members
who are not in good standing due to failure to pay their financial obligation or to have satisfied
their arrangement for the prior fiscal year. Such members may be dropped from membership in
the Congregation, upon approval of the Board.
Section 5 Members in good standing shall have the right to vote on all matters coming
before the Congregation. Individual members are entitled to one vote. Family member units are
entitled to one vote for each adult but limited to 2 votes per family, regardless of the number of
adult household members.
If a member in good standing is unable to attend an annual or special meeting, that member may
request that another member in good standing vote on his/her behalf (proxy). A request for
proxy vote shall be in writing and signed by the member who cannot attend the meeting. It shall
also state the name of the proxy and the meeting at which the proxy is to be used. The request
for proxy must be received by the Secretary prior to the beginning of the annual or special
meeting at which the proxy will be used. Said proxy shall only be valid at the annual or special
meeting designated in the written proxy request.
Section 6 Members not in good standing are ineligible to serve or be nominated to serve as
an Officer, Board member, or chair of any committee and may not serve on the nominating
committee.
Section 7 Officers, Board trustees and chairs of all committees shall be Jewish. Such
determination, if needed, shall be by the Rabbi according to principles and guidelines of the
Central Conference of American Rabbis.
ARTICLE V: OFFICERS
Section 1 The officers of the Congregation shall be President, Vice President, Secretary,
Treasurer, and Financial Secretary, all of whom shall be members in good standing at time of
election and throughout their term. The Vice President and Financial Secretary
shall be elected in odd-numbered years, and the Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected in even-
numbered years. Officers shall be elected to serve a two-year term, or until successors are
elected, and their terms of office shall begin at the close of the annual meeting at which they are
elected.
An officer shall not hold more than one (1) office at a time. The Secretary, Financial Secretary
and Treasurer shall not be eligible to serve more than two (2) full consecutive terms in the same
office. The President and Vice President shall not be eligible to serve a second consecutive full
term in that office.
Section 2 Officers shall have authority to sign legal documents as required.
Section 3 The President shall chair meetings of the Congregation or Board, call special
meetings, and perform other duties pertaining to the office. The President shall approve or
appoint chairs for all committees and shall be an ex-officio nonvoting member of all committees
except the Nominating Committee.
Section 4 The Vice President shall act for the President in the
President’s absence or incapacity. The Vice President shall be the chair of the Finance
Committee, shall be an ex-officio nonvoting member of all committees except the Nominating
Committee, and shall perform other duties pertaining to the office. The Vice-President shall
become President upon expiration of the President’s term.
Section 5 The Secretary shall be responsible for:
1. Recording minutes of meetings of the Congregation.
2. Advising the President if a Board Trustee has missed 4 consecutive board
Meetings or 7 board meetings in a fiscal year.
3. Keeping on file minutes, records, bylaws, and legal documents in a designated
location at Sinai Temple.
4. Making records and bylaws available to members upon request
5. Publishing monthly to the Congregation a summary of minutes from Board and
Congregational meetings.
6. Maintaining a list of existing committees (along with names of chairs and their
members), and be a repository of committee reports and files.
7. Calling or verifying the membership roll when required.
8. Sending to the membership a notice of each Congregational meeting.
9. Calling to order meetings of the Congregation or Board in the absence of the President
and Vice President, and preside until the election of a chairman pro tem, which shall be the
first order of business.
Section 6 The Treasurer shall have responsibility for all funds of the Congregation and the
disbursement of such funds as approved by the Board. The Treasurer shall supervise any
bookkeeper or accountant employed by the Board.
The Treasurer shall report to the Board at each regular meeting on the financial
condition of the Congregation and perform
other duties pertaining to the office, and, with approval of the Finance Committee and the Board,
establish uniform policies for the collection, disbursement, accounting and
investing of funds. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the Vice-President, the Treasurer
shall be the chair of the Finance Committee.
Section 7 The Financial Secretary shall administer the assessment and collection of dues
and other receivables. The Financial Secretary shall provide to the Board by August 1 the
number of members in good standing as of July 1.
Section 8. An officer is subject to removal from office for failure to maintain good standing,
malfeasance or dereliction of duty by a vote of at least 9 members of the Board.
ARTICLE VI: COMMITTEES
Section 1 Standing Committees shall include Nominations (as needed), Personnel,
Religious Education, Building, Development, Cemetery, and
Finance. Standing committees shall report to the Board on a regular basis. The President may
establish other committees as necessary. Within 30 days of being elected, and at the start of each
fiscal year during the President’s term, the President shall appoint Chairs of all standing
committees, except Finance. The Chair of a committee may select its members with consent of
the President.
Section 2 The scope of a committee’s work shall be determined by the Board but shall
include:
Nominations: This committee shall nominate Officers and Board Members (see Article
X for the process).
Personnel: This committee shall be responsible for developing and implementing rules and
regulations subject to Board approval, for all Temple employees, excluding only the rabbi, and
act as a personnel grievance board.
Religious Education: This committee shall advise the Rabbi and Director of Education on
education issues including, but not limited to, staffing, employees, curriculum, policies and
procedures. This committee shall also provide day to day financial monitoring including
recommending an annual budget to the Board for each fiscal year.
Building: This committee shall oversee all building issues including, but not limited to,
buildings, grounds, garden, internet infrastructure, and equipment maintenance and updates.
Development: This committee shall develop and conduct all development and
fundraising events as approved by the Board.
Cemetery: This committee shall manage the cemetery in accordance with Article XII.
Finance: This committee shall advise the Board on financial issues and shall consist of
the officers and at least one at-large member of the Board of Trustees, each of whom shall be a
voting member of the committee. It shall act as the Temple’s budget committee and draft the
Temple’s annual budget for Board and Congregational approval. This committee may make
recommendations to the Board on any finance issue, including expenditures, financial policies,
banking, investments and accounting procedures.
ARTICLE VII: RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
The Board shall establish, maintain and operate a Religious School for the
religious and cultural education of Jewish youth.
ARTICLE VIII: BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Section 1 The Board shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer,
Financial Secretary, the immediate past President, and nine elected trustees as
provided for in Section 2 of this Article, each of whom must be a member in good standing of
the Congregation. The Rabbi, Director of Education and the President of the Champaign-Urbana
Temple Youth shall be ex-officio nonvoting members of the Board.
Section 2 At each annual meeting, three (3) of the nine (9) elected
trustees shall each stand for election to serve a three-year (3) term. A trustee may not serve more
than two full consecutive terms. Trustees shall be members in good standing at the time of
election and during their term.
Section 3 The Board shall manage the affairs, funds, records, and property of the
Congregation. The Board shall act on matters of policy, promulgate rules and regulations, select
the Rabbi and other professionals in accordance with Article IX, fill its vacancies in
accordance with this Article, and perform other necessary duties as members may prescribe.
The Board shall have authority to determine all categories of employment at Sinai Temple and to
enter into negotiations and contract with all employees as well as persons or businesses
performing services for Sinai Temple.
Section 4 A regular meeting of the Board shall be held each month except July, unless the
Board agrees otherwise. A special meeting may be called by the President or at the written
request of five (5) Board members. The President, through the Secretary, shall notify the Board
of time, place, and agenda for a regular or a special meeting at least three (3) days in advance.
Section 5 For a regular meeting, 8 members shall constitute a
quorum. For a special meeting, 9 members shall constitute a
quorum. A majority vote of members present is required to approve a motion, unless otherwise
provided for in these Bylaws. The Board may authorize electronic voting.
Section 6 If the office of President becomes vacant, then the Vice President shall become
President and shall serve for the remainder of the President’s term and the immediate
subsequent term.
Section 7 If a vacancy occurs in the office of Secretary, Financial Secretary, Treasurer or a
Board Trustee, then the President shall nominate and the Board shall approve of a replacement to
fill the vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term.
A vacancy in the office of vice-president shall not be filled except by election at the next
annual meeting for either the remainder of the original term and the immediate subsequent term
or for the beginning of the new term in accordance with Articles V and X.
Section 8 The Secretary shall advise the President if a trustee is absent from four (4)
consecutive regular meetings or from seven (7) meetings in a fiscal year. The Board
may vote to remove a trustee from office upon majority vote for failure to maintain good
standing, malfeasance or dereliction of duty.
Section 9 The Board shall convene, upon majority vote, in executive session to take up
matters of a sensitive nature, such as personnel or land acquisition. Only voting members and
invitees may participate in the business of an executive session.
Section 10 Except where prohibited by law, Sinai Temple shall indemnify any Board
Member, and may indemnify any employee, who is a defendant in a civil action arising out of
any act or omission occurring within the scope of the Board member or employee’s Temple
duties.
ARTICLE IX: RABBI AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS
Section 1 The Board shall select and employ the Rabbi and other professionals. The
Board shall approve of each hire by a vote of at least 10 members. The Board shall have
authority to enter into employment contracts with these employees. Each contract shall specify
compensation, terms of employment, and other conditions of employment.
Section 2 The Rabbi may be a non-voting ex-officio member of any committees, except
the Nominating Committee.
ARTICLE X: NOMINATIONS
Section 1 . As necessary, a Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the President.
The President shall provide a list of proposed committee members at least 10 days
prior to a Board meeting at which time approval of the committee shall be by consent of at least
9 members. The Nominating Committee shall consist of seven
(7) members: three (3) members of the Board, whose terms of office do not end at the next
election, and four (4) members of the Congregation, who are not members of the Board. Names
of members of the Nominating Committee shall be provided to the Congregation within seven
(7) days after the Committee is approved by the Board. Members of the committee shall be
members in good standing.
Section 2. Consistent with Article IV, V and VIII, nominations of officers and
trustees shall be made by the Nominating Committee. The list of nominees shall consist of
one nomination for each office and one for each trustee whose term expires at the close of the
annual meeting. Nominees shall be members in good standing at the time of their nomination.
Section 3 The list of nominees shall be provided to the Congregation along with notice of the
date, time, and place of the annual meeting at least thirty (30) days in advance of the annual
meeting.
Section 4 . Additional nominations for any elective office may be made by submitting a
petition to the Secretary at least twenty (20) days before the election. The petition must list
the name of the nominee, the position sought and the signature of at least ten (10) members
in good standing. The Secretary shall certify that the nominee consents to stand for election.
Notice of nominations by petition shall be provided to all members of the Congregation at
least ten (10) days before the election, along with a brief biographical statement from each
candidate for the contested election.
ARTICLE XI: MEETINGS OF THE CONGREGATION
Section 1 . The annual meeting of the Congregation shall be held in May on a date
designated by the President and approved by the Board. Members shall be notified of the
meeting at least 30 days in advance. The President, Treasurer and the Rabbi shall each submit a
report, which may be supplemented by committee or auxiliary reports. A proposed budget
for the upcoming fiscal year shall be distributed to members at least 10 days in advance of the
meeting. At the annual meeting, members in good standing shall vote on a budget for the coming
fiscal year, officers and trustees, and any other appropriate matters.
For an annual meeting, a quorum shall be five (5) percent of those members eligible to vote in
person or by proxy. The Treasurer shall advise the Congregation in his/her report
described in Section 1, the number of persons which constitutes a quorum. For an annual
meeting, each member in good standing shall be entitled to vote in person or by proxy. Except
as outlined in these by-laws, approval of any agenda item, including passage of the budget and
election of officers/trustees, shall be by a majority of the votes cast by members present and by
proxy.
Section 2 . At the request of a majority of the Board (8 members), the President shall call a
special meeting of the Congregation. The call for a special meeting shall specify the purpose of
the meeting. Written notice to the Congregation shall be provided at least ten (10) days
before the meeting. No business shall be transacted except that specified in the call.
For a special meeting, a quorum shall be at least ten (10) percent of members eligible to vote in
person or by proxy. The Financial Secretary shall advise the Congregation at the beginning of
the special meeting, the number of persons which constitutes a quorum. For a special meeting,
each member in good standing shall be entitled to vote in person or by proxy. Except as
outlined in these by-laws, on all matters submitted to a vote, a simple majority of votes cast shall
be sufficient.
Section 3 . If the business of an annual or a special meeting is not completed, then it may
be continued, provided that a ten (10) day re-notification is given to the Congregation.
ARTICLE XII: CEMETERY
Section 1 . The Congregation, in its corporate name may acquire and own land and other
property for use as a cemetery. Any purchase shall require approval of the cemetery committee
and approval of at least 10 members of the Board.
Section 2 . The Cemetery Committee shall manage the cemetery and establish policies
for its operation, subject to approval of the Board. Any such policy shall be consistent with the
following guiding principles: (1) To offer equal access to all Jews no matter what their affiliation
or lack of affiliation, and (2) To provide access at the lowest cost consistent with maintaining an
ongoing, self-supporting, Jewish cemetery.
Section 3 . Funds derived from the sale of burial rights shall belong to the Congregation in
its corporate name, and shall be segregated and be accounted for separately.
ARTICLE XIII: PURCHASE, SALE, OR ALIENATION OF REAL ESTATE
The Board shall ascertain relevant material facts when considering any contract for the purchase,
sale, or alienation of real estate by or for the Congregation. The Board shall inform the
Congregation of these facts at an annual meeting or at a special meeting called for that
purpose. Any purchase, sale, or alienation of real estate shall require approval of at least two-
thirds (2/3) of votes cast by members in good standing present or by proxy at the annual or
special meeting.
ARTICLE XIV: RULES OF ORDER
Rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern
the Congregation, unless expressly provided otherwise in the Bylaws.
ARTICLE XV: AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
An amendment to these Articles may be voted upon at the annual meeting or a special meeting
called for that purpose (consistent with Article XI). An amendment may be proposed by the
Board or by a petition signed by at least thirty (30) members in good standing. A petition shall
be filed in writing with the Secretary.
Any amendment to these Articles must comply with the following procedure. First, the proposed
amendment shall be presented at an informational meeting. The proposed amendment(s) shall be
provided to each member at least thirty (30) days before the informational meeting at
which the amendment(s) will be discussed. Second, after the informational meeting, notice of the
annual or special meeting at which the proposed amendment(s) will be voted upon shall be
provided to each member at least thirty (30) days before said meeting. At the annual
meeting or special meeting, approval by at least two-thirds (2/3) of votes cast by members in
good standing present and by proxy shall be necessary to adopt an amendment to these By-Laws.
Amended and Adopted at the Sinai Temple Annual Meeting, May 19, 2013
