Temple Sinai of Las Vegas - Union of Reform Judaism - Synagogue in Summerlin Las Vegas

Larry was born “Twin A” in Baltimore, Maryland.  He spent his early childhood in the Pikesville area of Baltimore then moved during Middle school to Columbia, Maryland.  His family belonged to Temple Oheb Shalom, the second largest Reform congregation in the city.  He was a member of the first graduating class of Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, which has had some notable graduates including mystery writer, Laura Lippmann, and actor Edward Norton.

Larry’s family in Columbia was involved in the founding of Temple Isaiah, the first Reform synagogue in Howard County.  Services and religious school were conducted in an interfaith center.  While still in high school, Larry assisted his cousin Marvin in teaching religious education for the temple.

Larry’s college years were spent at the University of Maryland, College Park Campus.  The University of Maryland had a large percentage of Jewish students, but provided limited courses in Jewish history, literature, or language.  This provoked Larry and a few of his friends to come to together and form the Jewish Student Union.  With recognition by the University, funding for Jewish programming and courses was eventually achieved.  Larry graduated from the University with a B.S. in Biochemistry and subsequently graduated from the University of Maryland Medical School in Baltimore.

Larry moved to Las Vegas in 1982 to complete a residency in Internal Medicine.   He was out of the religious spotlight for years.  He and his better half, Linda, were married in June, 1985 and became members of Temple Beth Am.  In 1987, Larry was approached and asked to be ‘window dressing’ for the board of the Temple.  He was told, “It always looks good to have doctors and lawyers on the board for prestige!”  He was informed that he would only have to show up at meetings and would not really have to do any work.

Twenty-five years later and with three Temple presidencies (Beth Am, Adat Ari El, and Temple Sinai) under his belt, Larry brings with him a wealth of experience to his role as President of our Board of Trustees.

Dr. Copeland has practiced Internal Medicine for more than 26 years in both group and solo practices.  He has served on several committees at UMC, Valley, and Summerlin Hospitals.  He held the position of Chief of Staff, and was on the Board of Governors of Summerlin Hospital from 1998-2001.

Larry has three children and five grandchildren.  He currently resides in Summerlin with his wife, Linda and daughter, Danyel.

Seymour Kaplan was born and raised in Irvington, New Jersey.  He received his Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania.  As a teacher, he taught industrial arts and worked with autistic children at a time when autism was just being recognized as a developmental disorder. After teaching for several years, he became a business executive in the corporate world.

Kappy lived in southern Florida for 22 years.  He moved to Las Vegas in 1984.  He owned an operated a 24 hour wholesale printing plant, which he ran with his wife, Ann, until he retired.  Kappy is on the Executive Board of Temple Sinai and is very involved with many aspects of its operations.  He also serves on the Summerlin, Nevada Compliance Board and is a delegate to the Homeowners Association of his residential community.  Seymour and his wife, Ann, had two children, are the proud grandparents of five, and have four great grandchildren.

Julie has been a member of Temple Sinai (formerly Temple Beth Am) for 11 years. She currently holds the position of Treasurer on the synagogue’s Board of Trustees. Julie has taken on many leadership roles including chairing the Volunteer, Chanukah, Passover and Caring committees and has been an integral part of many others. She is an active member of the Sisterhood and huge supporter of the Men’s Club.

Julie has a Master’s Degree in Education and a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration. She has owned and operated five businesses and sat on a number of non-profit boards, one of which she co-founded. Julie, and her husband Eric, have been married for 18 years and have two children, Danielle and Joseph, who are actively involved with Temple Sinai.

Jack has been involved with synagogues since his teenage years when he was president of his local Senior Judea.  Before moving to Nevada, he served on the Board of Directors and worked on numerous committees at his temple in Northridge, California. Upon moving to the desert, he served on the Board of Temple Beth Am in Las Vegas.

At Temple Sinai, Jack is very active in the Men’s Club. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the Fundraising Committee and as the Recording Secretary for both the General and Executive Boards.

Jack has a BS in Engineering and an MS in Management Sciences. He is a retired engineer, who owned his own electronic manufacturing business for 28 years and spent another 30 years working in the corporate world. Jack and his wife, Elaine, have been married for 52 years and have a granddaughter who is actively involved as a teacher’s aide in the temple religious school.

Rick’s experience with Jewish organizational boards dates back to 1972 with Young Leadership and various posts in the Chicago Jewish Federation.  Since that time, he has participated on, or been actively involved with the boards of many Jewish organizations. These include the Jewish Community Center and Jewish Federation of Chicago, the Jewish Federation of Lee County, Florida, and the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas.

Rick is one of the original members of Temple Sinai and was an active member of the Rabbi Selection Committee for the synagogue. He currently serves as the Religious School Committee Chairman and is a member of the temple’s Executive Board.