Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto

Privacy Policy

Updated – 2016

TEMPLE SINAI CONGREGATION recognizes the importance of privacy and the sensitivity of personal information.  We take seriously our obligation to keep this information confidential and we protect it with physical, electronic and procedural safeguards.  This Privacy Policy outlines how we manage your personal information and safeguard your privacy.

Your Privacy Rights

From January 1, 2004, all Ontario organizations which engage in any activity which can be considered to be of a commercial nature must comply with the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, also known as PIPEDA.

Temple Sinai is responsible for the personal information we collect, use and disclose. To ensure this accountability, we have developed and implemented this policy.

TEMPLE SINAI CONGREGATION recognizes the importance of privacy and the sensitivity of personal information.  We take seriously our obligation to keep this information confidential and we protect it with physical, electronic and procedural safeguards.  In order to comply with applicable privacy legislation and to instill confidence in our members and potential members that the personal information they entrust to us is safe, we have developed this Privacy Policy.)

“Personal Information” means information about an identifiable individual but does not include the name, title business address or telephone number of any employee of any organization.

Why does Temple Sinai collect personal information from you?

Temple Sinai collects this information so that we can provide our members and our community with a range of services and activities, which include:

  • Yahrezeit reminders and aliyot
  • Bulletin and general notices and mailings
  • General announcements, including life cycle events, illness and death of family members
  • Assignment to dues category
  • Youth activity announcements
  • Dues collection
  • Membership privileges
  • Membership status determination
  • Our Fundraising efforts
  • To generally communicate with our members and their spouses and family members
  • To understand and assess the needs and requirements of our members and potential members and offering services, programming and events to meet those needs
  • To the extent that you have expressly elected to support affiliated Reform Judaism organizations (through our voluntary contribution program), Temple Sinai may provide such organizations with your contact info.

Please not that membership in Temple Sinai automatically entitles you to membership in the Union for Reform Judaism, with which we share your contact information.

Membership in a religious community brings with it certain “understandings”, one of which is that certain information or new about members and their life cycle events will be shared with the community.  We will continue to share this sort of information unless we are notified that it is not to be shared.

How Do We Collect your Personal Information

Temple Sinai collects information only by lawful and fair means and not indiscriminately.  We may collect personal information directly from you when you become a member, or during the course of your membership.

Consent

Consent for the collection, use and/or disclosure of personal information may be obtained orally or in writing and may be expressly given or implied.  We may also from time to tome ask you to give your written consent to the use and disclosure of specific personal information.  In determining how we obtain your consent, we will take into account the sensitivity of your personal information that we are collecting, using and/or disclosing.  We will use and disclose your personal information only in accordance with this policy.

If You Don’t Consent

The choice to provide us with personal information is always up to you.  Upon request, we will explain your options of refusing or withdrawing consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information and will record and respect your written choices.  However, your decision to withhold particular details may limit our ability to provide our services to you.  This measure is necessary to protect the integrity of the services offered by Temple Sinai.  Furthermore, any refusing or withdrawing of consent is always subject to any overriding legal requirements or commitments.

Disclosure of Your Personal Information

Under certain circumstances Temple Sinai may disclose your personal information without your consent:

  • When we in good faith believe the law requires or authorizes us to do so, including reporting to Canada Revenue Agency of donations received;
  • When the services that you have expressly requested from us require us to give your information to third parties (for example, to a funeral home, caterer, educator, non-employed clergy) your consent will be implied unless you tell us otherwise;
  • Where it is necessary to establish or collect dues or contributions; or
  • If the information is already publicly known.

We never make our membership list available to third parties in any form, except as set out in this document or unless we have your prior consent.  Personal information provided to third party service providers (such as accountants, computer back-up services, or archival file storage) with whom we have contractual arrangements will have comparable levels of protection to the internal protection which Temple Sinai maintains for personal information.

Is My Personal Information Secure?

Temple Sinai takes all reasonable precautions to ensure that your personal information is kept safe from loss, unauthorized access, modification or disclosure.  Among the steps taken to protect your information, depending on its type and sensitivity, are:

  • Premises security
  • Restricted access to personal information
  • Deploying technological safeguards such as security software and firewalls to prevent hacking or unauthorized computer access
  • Internal password and security policies; and
  • Where necessary or appropriate, by requiring third parties to sign a confidentiality agreement.

As Temple Sinai is responsible for any personal information under its control, including personal information that Temple Sinai may transfer to a third party for processing, we will use contractual or other means to provide a comparable level of privacy protection when personal information is being processed by a third party on Temple Sinai’s behalf.

Updating Your Information

Since we use your personal information to provide services to you, it is important that the information be accurate and up-to-date.  If any of the information changes, or if you should become aware that the personal information which we have is incorrect, please inform us so that we can make the necessary changes.

Access to your Personal Information

You may request access to any personal information we hold about you.  Summary information is available on written request.  More detailed requests that require archive, retrieval or copying costs may be subject to reasonable reimbursement for your actual costs.

Can I Be Denied Access to My Personal Information?

Your rights to access your personal information are not absolute.  We may deny access when:

  • Denial of access is required or authorized by law or the rules of a formal dispute resolution process, such as a Beit Din
  • Information relates to existing or anticipated legal proceedings against you
  • Granting you access would have an unreasonable impact on other people’s privacy
  • To do so would prejudice negotiations with you
  • To protect Temple Sinai’s rights and property; or
  • The request is frivolous or vexatious.

If we deny your request for access, or refuse a request to correct information, we will explain why.

How Long Do You Keep My Personal Information?

We retain your personal information for as long as you are a member and afterwards for as long as is reasonably necessary for us to complete our dealings with you, or as may be required by law or for purposes of compliance with our religious obligations.  Because synagogue records are often a valuable source of information which may be required for halachic or genealogical purposes, selected items of personal information may be retained indefinitely.

Web Site

Our Website, www.templesinai.net may contain links to other sites which are not governed by this privacy policy.  While no specific personal information is retained with respect to any visitor to our website, we may monitor traffic patterns, site usage and related site information to optimize our web service.  In the continuing development of our website we may provide aggregated information to third parties, but these statistics do not contain any identifiable personal information.

Communicating with Us

Email is not a 100% secure medium and you should be aware of this when contacting us to send personal or confidential information.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

This policy is effective January 1, 2004.  Since Temple Sinai regularly reviews all of its policies and procedures, we may change our Privacy Policy from time to time.  Please refer to our website for revisions and updates.

Requests for Access

If you have any questions, wish to review your personal information, comment on this policy, or make a complaint, please contact our Executive Director who is our privacy officer at 416-487-4161, ext.229.

Emergency Phone

If you are experiencing an after-hours life cycle emergency, please leave a message at 437.243.6301. This phone is monitored 24/7 and is for life cycle emergencies for members only.

Our Caring Community

Please keep us informed on what is happening in your life so we can support you and celebrate with you. Please contact info@templesinai.net.

Become a Member

For information, visit our Membership page.

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416.487.3281

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