The Benjamin and Claire Petluck Memorial Fund was established to honor the memory of two people who left a lasting mark on the Temple Sinai community. Ben and Claire Petluck were recruited to the young Temple Sinai on Limekiln Pike in 1948 and Binyamin served as teacher and ritual director until his retirement and aliyah in 1968.

Binyamin’s enthusiasm for Am Yisroel was infectious and fierce, and the depth of his Jewish learning and his love for it served as a stimulus to others to deepen their commitment to Torah and to Jewish education. Minyans with Binyamin were times for discussion and fellowship as well as prayer. He was always ready with candy and light cheek pinches for the Gan children and he was especially proud and fond of the boys he prepared for Bar Mitzvah. Ask a Temple Sinai member of a certain age about Bar Mitzvah at Temple Sinai and observe the smile as the memories of Mr. Petluck emerge. Claire was a bright, loving, capable and hospitable lady, always ready to pitch in to help people and to contribute to projects, in spite of considerable physical problems. Many remember the Fayette Street house around the corner from Temple Sinai’s West Oak Lane location as the place to be for the Yom Kippur break. Ben and Claire were much loved by the entire Temple Sinai community; they loved people and people loved them.