Get to Know Cindy Davis

With more than 30 years of residing in New Milford, Cindy Davis knows about finding a place to call home. Her membership as a congregant of Temple Sholom since 2019 is of shorter duration than her New Milford residency, but finding a home and a family here, she has! Cindy happily serves on the board of Temple Sholom, describing herself as the temple “housemother.” We can find her staying after Shabbat services to make sure everything is put properly in place after the Oneg. And it is Cindy who lovingly plants the annual flora around the temple property, helping to keep the grounds cheerful and welcoming. One will also find her joyfully singing in the High Holy Days choir and during any other opportunity where singing at the temple is needed or desired.

Cindy is passionate about building community, whether at Temple Sholom or through her involvement in the arts. Her heart is ruled by her deep artistic roots, and she believes in “letting the heart know what the soul seeks to show, and letting the soul allow the heart to grow,” as she so poetically stated. She is known by many as a fine poet, storyteller, and puppeteer, connecting and creating community through her performances. She is a published poet and has created a quarterly poetry event at the JCC in Sherman that began last October and has attracted other local poets. Her storytelling and puppetry events are also part of the JCC’s calendar. She has also performed at the Sherman Library and the Kent Memorial Library.

Cindy’s professional career as a reading specialist informed her strong desire to serve. Her specific focus was teaching children to overcome dyslexia, allowing their world to expand by teaching them to surmount this difficult learning disability. Her BS in Education from Ohio State University, followed by an MS in Reading from the College of New Rochelle plus two additional years of postgraduate study, prepared her to be a dyslexia practitioner, a profession from which she retired in 2014. She will occasionally tutor students in reading and writing as time allows.

At Temple Sholom, Cindy seeks to promote increased opportunities for music and singing. She would especially like to see programming focused on Jewish storytelling with particular appeal to children and young families. Cindy said “I simply can’t imagine anything more joyful than combining my love for the temple community with my passion for the arts.” What a winning combo!