From Carrie Watkins Hebrew College Rabbinic Intern
The Month of Kislev
Kislev-Tevet-Shevat 5786
The month of Kislev brings us into the heart of winter, right up to the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice. The Talmud (in Avodah Zarah 8a) shares a story that when Adam, the first person, reached his first winter and saw the days getting progressively shorter, he feared that the world was descending back into the darkness that preceded creation, that the light would never return. How could he have known what was happening?
Having grown up in Southern California, the darkness of Boston winter was something of a shock when I first moved here, though thankfully I had more context than Adam did and didn’t think it meant the end of the world. Still, a kind of dread would sink into me every time I walked out of my office at 5 pm into the cold night. While I slowly got used to it, it wasn’t until last year that I had a full shift in my relationship to winter.
I realized that the winter darkness is natural. It sounds obvious, because on one level it is, but some part of me had continued to read the shortening days like Adam did, that it meant that something was going wrong.
This embrace of the darkness has completely changed my experience of winter. I can delight now in leaning into the rhythms of the season. While humans don’t hibernate, some ancient animal part of us feels the cold and the dark and wants to cozy up and slow down. When I let myself lean into that instinct instead of pushing it away, I have been finding great
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GLATZER WEEKEND
Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2026
with Scholar-in-Residence
Rabbi Josh Warshawsky
See page 5 for details.
Addressing Antisemitism: Questions of the Current Moment
with special guest James Carroll
Author of Constantine’s Sword: The Church and the Jews
Monday, December 8
7 pm Community dinner with representatives from all attending groups
8 pm Presentation and discussion for all
Note that minyan will begin at 6:45.
See page 3 for details.
Community H . annukah Dinner and Celebration
Wednesday, December 17 6:15-8:15 pm
• Preschool program at 5:30 pm
• Performance by Kolot Emunah Choral Group
• Candle lighting • Arts and crafts for kids
• Sufganiyot, latkes, and dairy dinner
• Sing-along and more!
Social Justice Shabbat
Weekend of Jan. 16-17
Guest Speaker: Rev. Mariama White-Hammond
Pastor and founder of the New Roots African Methodist Episcopal Church in Dorchester
She will join us at Friday night services, preach on Shabbat morning, and lead a session for teens during Saturday kiddush and one for adults at 1 pm after kiddush.
See page 14 for details
A Newsletter for Temple Emunah members
9 Piper Road, Lexington, MA 02421-8199 www.TempleEmunah.org
Main Office: 781-861-0300 Fax: 781-861-7141
Senior Rabbi David G. Lerner 781-861-0300, ext. 22 dlerner@templeemunah.org
Bulletin Editor Linda Silverstein lindags@comcast.net
President's Message
A Season of Peace and Renewal
Today, October 13, 2025, I sit down to write with a heart full of joy. The living hostages have been returned from Gaza and are receiving medical care. There is a cease-fire. IDF soldiers are finally able to go home and recover. And in Gaza, people are dancing in the streets at the beginning of peace — returning to their towns, rebuilding their lives.
Life is sweet when there is peace. May it continue.
My heart is also full after our beautiful High Holy Day services. So many of you shared warm and heartfelt praise for our rabbis’ inspiring messages. Now, as we move into the new year, we are blessed with a wonderful series of B’nei Mitzvah celebrations, beginning with Jocelyn Kahn on October 11, and continuing through June 2026.
From Planning to Action: Our Strategic Initiatives
We are now working to turn your feedback from the Strategic Planning process into actionable initiatives that will strengthen our synagogue and community.
Many of these projects will launch in Year 1 of our threeyear plan with the help of both Board and community volunteers. Initiatives needing more time or support will move into Years 2–3 .
Here’s a glimpse of what’s ahead:
Spiritual Life and Prayer
Our rabbis and the Religious Committee will review your input and explore ways to enrich our prayer experiences and deepen spiritual engagement for all.
Organizational Strength and Leadership
We’re focusing on ways to strengthen our structure, culture, and leadership practices, including:
• Encouraging more members – and USY youth – to take on leadership roles
• Adding a Staff Appreciation Week featuring professional development, team building, and recognition
• Supporting committee sustainability by involving more volunteers in leadership
• Improving calendar coordination to reduce scheduling conflicts and overlap
Facilities, Technology, and Safety
We’re assessing how our facilities and technology can best meet both current and future needs – for our schools, offices, and community spaces.
A top priority is parking lot safety. We’re also working on a communication strategy to ensure everyone stays informed about synagogue programs and events.
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Around Emunah
President’s Message (continued from page 2)
Building Community and Connection
Strengthening our sense of community is at the heart of all we do. We are exploring ways to:
• Revive Shabbat activities for children – such as the Gaga pit, ping pong, board games, and creative play – that were paused during COVID
• Host neighborhood gatherings to connect new and longtime members, encourage carpooling, and make “Shabbat in the Neighborhood” a reality
• Create more social and learning opportunities for Religious School parents
• Add more non-holiday social events with music and informal engagement
• Explore a new, non-gendered “Connections Committee” that partners with Brotherhood, Sisterhood, USY, and young adults
Sustaining Our Future
To ensure our long-term financial stability without major dues increases, we will be launching a Capital Campaign in about two years. This campaign will be led by Rabbi Lerner along with dedicated synagogue volunteers.
The Board reviewed and volunteered to address some of the list of initiatives on October 21.
The first Board - Community working meeting to create partnerships to bring initiatives to life was held in November.
Join Us — Many Hands Make Light Work
Your participation will make all the difference. These ideas can only come to life through community involvement. Please consider lending your time, talents, and creativity as we move forward together.
Wishing us all a peaceful, joyful, and successful 2026!
Arleen Chase, president@templeemunah.org
The Piaseczno Rebbe’s Hashkata (Quieting) Practice
Join Hebrew College Rabbinic Intern Carrie Watkins on Saturday, December 6 at 1 pm (just after kiddush) for a special learning session. We’ll study a letter written by a student of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, a H . assidic Rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto, describing a spiritual meditation practice called the Quieting Practice. This letter is among the most precise descriptions of a Jewish mindfulness practice that we have, and the story of the letter’s discovery highlights an often overlooked consequence of the Holocaust: the loss of Jewish spiritual wisdom. After learning it, we’ll spend a short time trying the practice out for ourselves. Everyone is welcome!
The Month of Kislev (continued from page 1)
joy – in lighting candles (not just on H . anukkah!), in cozying up with a cup of tea and a blanket, in inviting friends over for soup.
In modern Hebrew, the word Kislev can, with some creative spelling, be broken down into the words kis, meaning pocket, and lev, meaning heart. Kislev, the pocket of the heart. It feels right, cozy and tucked away.
May we learn to welcome the darkness, trusting that the light will return.
Carrie Watkins
Temple Emunah Fights Antisemitism
The Temple Emunah Antisemitism Task Force is inviting the greater Lexington interfaith, racial, and ethnic communities to come together to explore:
Addressing Antisemitism: Questions of the Current Moment
Monday, December 8, 7:00-9:00 pm at Temple Emunah
Leading the conversation will be James Carroll former Catholic priest and novelist
Antisemitism continues to grow in the United States and Jews everywhere feel the threat of it. We are committed to fighting antisemitism and the hatred that would see us limit our Jewish expression. Confronting the current growth in hate must be a central priority, not only for the Jewish community, but for all.
James Carroll’s 2001 book Constantine’s Sword: The Church and the Jews: A History, explores the long history of religious antisemitism within the Catholic Church and its impact on Jewish-Christian relations. Carroll’s work has sparked heated debate and calls for a fundamental rethinking of the deepest questions of Christian faith.
Carroll has been a Shorenstein Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a Fellow at the Center for the Study of Values in Public Life and a member of the Dean’s Council at the Harvard Divinity School.
This program will take place both in-person and be livestreamed and recorded. We invite you to join us on December 8 and stand together with your Jewish neighbors.
The program is co-sponsored by Temple Emunah’s Antisemitism Task Force, Lexington United Against Antisemitism (LUAA), Lexington Interfaith Communities Association (LICA), and Temple Isaiah Combatting Antisemitism Now (TICAN), and is supported by the Phyllis Klein Thrope Fund of Temple Emunah.
To register, go to: https://forms.gle/Jr4Qd92qD4oDbFik6 Questions? Contact Terri Swartz Russell at terrisrussell@yahoo.com.
Adult Education
Adult Education Offerings
Winter is here. The days are short, and it’s getting dark in the afternoon, but the Adult Education committee is inviting you to bring your bright ideas and warm presence to our meeting on December 10 after evening minyan. We’d love to hear from you. What Adult Ed programs would you like to see in the next year? We welcome all of your ideas. Join us. Brainstorm with us!
Meanwhile, our regular programs continue with:
• Meditation on Tuesday mornings at 8:30 am, with Barbara Neustadt (barbneus7@gmail.com) See below.
• Perek Yomi – read and discuss the Bible on Zoom (for dates contact Larry Marin at lbmlbm@aol.com)
• Talmud Study with Dr. Isaac Ely Stillman on Zoom (contact Louis Stuhl at lstuhl@verizon.net)
• Ivrit LaKol – has several classes at different levels (contact Nancy Lefkowitz at IvritlaKolHebrew@gmail.com). See details on page 18.
• The Bess Ezekiel Rosh H . odesh Group – upcoming dates, Sunday, December 14, 10 am, and Tuesday, January 20, 6 pm, see next column for details. (Contact Amy Rosenstein at rosensteinamy@gmail.com)
• Minyan/Study/Breakfast – weekly with the rabbis, Wednesdays, 7 am
Emunat HaLev Meditation Institute
We have two weekly opportunities to meditate with our Emunah community: Tuesday mornings 0n Zoom from 8:30-9:20, and Musaf meditation every Shabbat in person after the rabbi’s d’var Torah. No meditation experience is needed!
The Tuesday Zoom link can be found in the Emunah calendar or in the weekly Emunah Happenings email. The format includes a guided meditation by Barbara Neustadt, sitting in silence, a niggun sung by Cantor Louise Treitman, and a teaching by Rabbi Lerner. There is also time for people to share their experiences.
All are welcome regardless of their meditation experience! Please contact Barbara Neustadt at barbneus7@gmail.com if you would like more information or have questions.
Barbara Neustadt barbneus7@gmail.com
Our Hadar course – Judaism is About Love – has begun. Many participants are already engaged in this thought- provoking, stimulating class led by Rabbi Eliana Willis and Hebrew College Rabbinic Intern Carrie Watkins.
The course is exploring what it means to place love at the center of Jewish life and practice. Participants are considering together how this vision of love might transform not only our understanding of Judaism, but also the way we live it every day.
Although the course has begun, there are still openings in the online Dessert and Discussion sessions on Zoom. Contact Beth Whitman (bwhitman@templeemunah.org) for information.
Bess Ezekiel Rosh H . odesh Group programs:
Sunday, Dec. 14 at 10 am, program on Breast Cancer Awareness followed by h . allah making.
Sharsheret is the Jewish breast and ovarian cancer community. Sharsheret improves lives through psychosocial support and saves lives through educational outreach, serving women and families before, during, and after a diagnosis of breast or ovarian cancer. We will have an overview of the topic from a genetic counselor and a physician from our community, then will make braided hallah together to take home and bake.
Thursday, January 2, 6 pm: Book Talk, “Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times,” by Jonathan Sacks, led by Grace Benveniste
We hope to see you at one of our activities!
Wishing us all a H . odesh Tov, a month of light in the darkness.
Sandy Goldstein and Terri Swartz Russell Co-chairs of Adult Education sandgold4@gmail.com
Volunteer Opportunity Fair
You are invited to join the Welcoming Committee’s Volunteer Opportunity Fair on Sunday, December 14, after the Rosh H odesh Group.
Tables in the Upper Lobby will have information about volunteering opportunities, from greeting at an event or service to Hineni pairing B’nei Mitzvah-age students with seniors.
For more information, contact Beth Whitman at bwhitman@templeemunah.org
Glatzer Memorial Weekend: Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2026
Rabbi Josh Warshawsky is this year’s Scholar-in-Residence at Glatzer Weekend
Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2026
This year marks the 48 th year since the inception of the Nahum and Anne Glatzer Memorial program at Temple Emunah, an annual event that honors the memories of the Glatzers, distinguished and active members of Temple Emunah. Each year, our community comes together to learn from a noted scholar-in-residence.
This year, Rabbi Josh Warshawsky will be our Glatzer scholar. He is a pray-er, gatherer, music creator, and lifelong meaning seeker.
Josh is the rabbi at Congregation Agudas Achim in Bexley, OH, and a nationally touring Jewish musician, song leader, composer, and teacher of Torah. Seeking to build intentional praying communities, he travels to synagogues and Jewish communities across the country sharing his music and teachings on prayer and meaningful living. He has released four albums of Jewish music, filled with melodies written intentionally to express the deep meaning of the words of our tradition. His latest album, “Chaverai Nevarech Vol. IV,” comes out February 6!
Josh describes his mission and music as follows:
Professor Nahum and Anne Glatzer
The Glatzer weekend honors the memories of Professor Nahum Glatzer and Anne Glatzer, long-standing members of Temple Emunah.
Anne Glatzer was trained as a teacher and worked with students in Germany and then in the US, where she taught at the prestigious Shady Hill School for approximately 20 years.
Professor Nahum Glatzer was a religious leader at Temple Emunah, leading services and chanting Torah and Haftarah In the academic world, Professor Glatzer was an internationally renowned scholar and teacher of Judaica. He was a disciple of Franz Rosenzweig and succeeded Martin Buber as the University of Frankfort Chair of Jewish Philosophy and Ethics. Professor Glatzer was a highly respected member of the faculties of Brandeis University and Boston University.
My mission is to help people find a spiritual and meaningful home for themselves in order to live lives filled with purpose. I am guided and motivated by my belief that human beings are spiritual seekers and meaning makers. We can find that meaning through Jewish sacred text and ritual, and in the chain of tradition passed down from generation to generation. These texts and rituals have great power to guide us as we live our lives today, if only we can seek to better understand them and make them our own. Through prayer, through song and harmony, through spirituality, through ritual, through community, and through justice and fairness, the way is illuminated and becomes clear.
Check out Josh’s website and listen to some of his music at https://joshwarshawsky.com/
Save the dates, watch for details and registration, and plan to spend this weekend filled with joy, music, and prayer at Temple Emunah!
Become a “Friend of Glatzer” and donate for this and future Glatzer programs on the Emunah website. We look forward to seeing you throughout Glatzer Weekend!
Temple Emunah Members at the Prayers for Liberty Labor Day Walk
Preschool
Preschool Highlights
Our school year got off to an amazing start as we welcomed many new and familiar families back after a fun filled summer. With five lively classrooms, we are always a busy hive of activity. The first two months of school were all about the H agim and through multi modalities, the children embarked on the sweetness of bringing in 5786… early childhood style!
Rosh Hashanah saw lots of red and yellow paint, apple printing and tasting, and sticky, delicious, amber honey. Painted apples, bees, honey sensory jars, and visits to our own beehive were ever present as we talked, read, and sang about the New Year! A hearty todah rabbah to Rabbi Lerner for teaching the children about the Shofar and then blowing such a glorious T’kiah Gedolah! Sukkot was all about engineering. From Amazon boxes to graham crackers, which building materials do you think made the sturdiest sukkahs? Rave reviews poured in about which ones were the yummiest. The children loved visiting the Garber Sukkah and shaking the lulav and smelling the etrog with Rabbi Lerner. With celery, dill, parsley, and lemons, each child crafted their very own lulav and etrog to bring home. The delicacies continued on Simhat Torah, which we celebrated as part of our Shabbat Sing. The children, ably guided by our amazingly talented hallah Chef Nareeluck, crafted Torah shaped h . allahs, complete with popsicle stick Etz H . ayim!
We are so fortunate to be part of the larger synagogue community where so many natural collaborations exist. We are so blessed to have Rabbi Lerner, Rabbi Willis, and Hebrew
College Rabbinic Intern Carrie Watkins take part in Shabbat Sings, holidays, and rituals with the children. Tova Weinronk, Director of Educational and Young Family Programming, and Sydney Bluman, Synagogue Educator and Social Media Coordinator, create a magical Shabbat Sing for the children and families weekly, complete with the silliest of all dinosaurs. Kfir Sherer-Mizrahi, one of the Religious School educators, regularly teaches the children the joys of Israeli Dance. We love that our school is part of such a wonderful, larger community filled with people who love to share their gifts with us! Another collaboration we adore and are looking forward to once again this year is with Temple Isaiah and Temple Emunah’s Families with Young Children programming: the three-part series Mini Mitzvah Makers! The first installment’s theme is thankfulness and doing what we can to help others in our community. Perhaps our biggest collaborators are the families! We cherish our families and love coming together to welcome in Shabbat multiple times throughout the year at our community Kabbalat Shabbat dinners. We pray, eat, and shmooze all night (well, until about 8!) in loving community.
Laura Cohen-Gordon, Director lcohengordon@templeemunah.org
Library
Winter Library News
We need help in the Library, so if you have time to volunteer, please email Toni or Marci, emunahlibrary@gmail.com.
Have you seen these missing books? Several copies of Dara Horn’s People Love Dead Jews and Josh Wikoff’s Contested Land have disappeared from our Library.
Israel is on everyone’s mind these days, so we have decided to remind you about the Library’s many excellent books on this country, recognized as a state by the United Nations in 1948. This is just a small sample from our collection:
Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict, by Oren Kessler (317 pages)
Spies of No Country: Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel, by Matti Friedman (272 pages); and also Who By Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai, same author (224 pages)
Catch 67: The Left, the Right, and the Legacy of the Six-Day War, by Micah Goodman (243 pages)
Till We Have Built Jerusalem: Architects of a New City, by Adina Hoffman (368 pages)
Lone Star: Based on a True Story, tr. from Hebrew, by Devorah Rosen (411 pages)
A Tale of Love and Darkness: A Memoir, by Amos Oz, tr. from Hebrew (505 pages)
The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel, by Uri Bar-Joseph (372 pages)
The Dovekeepers, by Alice Hoffman (505 pages)
The Sea of Galilee Boat: An Extraordinary 2000-Year-Old Discovery, by Shelley Wachsmann (385 pages)
Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle, by Dan Senor and Saul Singer (336 pages); The Genius of Israel, by the same authors (316 pages)
Operation Thunderbolt: Flight 139 and the Raid on Entebbe Airport, the Most Audacious Hostage Rescue Mission in History, by Saul David (446 pages)
1949: The First Israelis, by Tom Segev (379 pages)
My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel, by Ari Shavit (445 pages)
Woman of Valor: The Story of Henrietta Szold, by Irving Fineman (448 pages)
Ben Gurion: Prophet of Fire, by Dan Kurzman (544 pages)
Saving Israel: How the Jewish People Can Win a War That May Never End, by Daniel Gordis (262 pages)
Shalom, Friend: The Life and Legacy of Yitzhak Rabin, edited by David Horovitz (310 pages)
Contested Land, Uncontested Truth: The Essential Guide to Israel’s Legitimacy, by Josh Wikoff (264 pages)
Babel in Zion: Jews, Nationalism, and Language Diversity in Palestine, 1920-1948, by Liora Halperin (313 pages)
Toni Stechler, emunahlibrary@gmail.com
Temple Emunah Library
Religious School / Youth
TEMPLE EMUNAH RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
Temple Emunah hosts a kindergarten through twelfth grade Religious School for children and teens. Children in Gan (kindergarten) through Kitah Zayin (grade 7) attend our Kindergarten through Seventh Grade program. Children in Kitah Het (grade 8) through Kitah Yud Bet (grade 12) continue with us and attend YAD (Y’mei Dalet), our Wednesday night program.
Dec.-Jan. Religious School Calendar
NO Religious School Tues., Dec. 23 – Sun., Jan. 4 (includes YAD)
NO Religious School Sun., Jan. 18
Gr. 6 Learning Service Sat., Jan. 31
TEMPLE EMUNAH YOUTH PROGRAMS
Temple Emunah hosts three age-based youth groups: USY Chaverim (Grades 3-5), USY Gesher (Grades 6-8), and Sr. USY (Grades 9-12). In addition, we run Shul-ins and Retreats.
See below and next page for details of upcoming events.
Recent youth activities included excursions to Roller World (left) and Davis Mega Maze.
Gan students learning Hebrew
Students join for shira (singing)
Sisterhood
Wow! Another year of holidays complete. Each year I look back and I say, “There’s so much energy and enthusiasm at Temple Emunah.” We pack in everything during the holidays and they wind down with Sukkot, S h’mini Atzeret, and Simh . at Torah. Some years we make it out of the sukkah dry and others we do not. But our takeaway is always, “we tried.” During Sukkot, Sisterhood held our membership dinner, BBQ in the Booth. It was wonderful, attended by 65 participants. Donna Jauvtis presented opening remarks about the holiday, and then the participants enjoyed a delicious dinner, “inside the building or outside the Sukkah,” as it was 52 degrees. Many thanks to our many kitchen helpers who helped make the event happen.
Shortly after the holidays, I was part of a discussion with three others at the synagogue. The focus of the meeting was on 1) succession planning, 2) how we make so much happen each year, and 3) programming or engagement for Religious School parents while they are in the building. This demographic feels short on programming.
Immediately we knew, “Well, succession planning isn’t going to be answered tonight!” The discussion
about “making it happen” is simple, “we just do it.” The demographics’ programming discussion was interesting and took on many meanings for each of us. Two participants representing Adult Education stated that there is always lots of encouragement to get “all” involved – but maybe the interest is not there.
Then I spoke: “I try so hard with the Sisterhood (and our board) to promote what I call “Community Events” – most open to all genders but some events will be women only. I write personal emails to many younger people and people my age, always asking them to come (have you seen this email before?)”
When I joined the shul at age 31, I immediately got involved with the Kitchen Committee. It was fun, I got to meet people on Shabbat, and it was just a short time commitment. I encourage others to volunteer.
Moving forward on my message: Sisterhood held its signature Dinner and a Movie in November, featuring the movie Nafkot – Yearning. Many thanks to Joelle Gunther for spearheading this program and to all who helped to make it happen. See page 19 for photo. Also in November, we worked with the Religious School by helping to fund the Havdalah program for students in grades K-2 and their families.
Coming Up:
Tuesday, December 9: Crockpot Dinner and H . anukkah Celebration with guest artist Frann Addison, who will present an artistic program on the History and Evolution of Jewish Ritual Objects used in the House. The dinner menu will be Dafina, which is the Moroccan equivalent of Cholent, Crockpot Garlic Chicken and Barley, a vegan chili, Samosa Latkes, and dessert. This program is open to all.
The gift shop is open on Sunday mornings during Religious School. All proceeds benefit the Sisterhood. If you would like to shop, but can’t make these times or the December sidewalk sale, please reach out to Tali Rojem at trojem@icloud.com.
Tuesday, January 13: A “double deal” – “Taco Tuesday Dinner” followed by a performance by Hal Slifer, Host of Chagigah Radio on WERS, showcasing his live inperson multimedia presentation, American Jewish Music – a Jewish Journey of music including Barbra Streisand, Leonard Cohen, Matisyahu, and more. This program will be free and is intended for “Adults Only.” Registration details will be publicized at a later date.
We also hope to participate in Mitzvah Day in February with a project with Religious School students.
In closing, I believe the dates on our calendar to be complete, inviting, and welcoming to a diverse group of participants. Sisterhood will have additional programs in the springtime, which will be announced later.
In the spirit of the holiday season and the upcoming new year, I wish everyone a happy and healthy 2026 and I look forward to the many wonderful events Sisterhood has in store for the months to come.
L’shalom, Janet Goldberg, Sisterhood President janet.goldberg2@verizon.net
Brotherhood / Ladle Fund
October was a month full of energy, learning, and connection for our Temple Emunah Brotherhood!
We kicked off the new year of programming with our first speaker event, featuring Professor Alexander Kaye. His engaging and thought-provoking presentation drew an excellent crowd and set the tone for a year of meaningful discussion and community engagement.
right: Alexander Kaye
Of course, October wouldn’t be complete without the sukkah! A big thank you to the dedicated crew who came together to build and later take down the sukkah – your hard work (and teamwork!) made it possible for our community to celebrate Sukkot in style and comfort.
We also joined together for the Keeper of the Flame celebration in Natick, honoring Max Klein, whose dedication and service truly exemplify the spirit of Brotherhood. It was wonderful to share in this regional event with our brothers from other lodges and to celebrate such a deserving honoree.
November brought our much-anticipated Whiskey Tasting Night, always a fun evening of camaraderie and discovery. And before we know it, H anukkah will be upon us! Stay tuned for details on our h . anukkiyah construction – there’s much to look forward to as we close out the calendar year together.
As always, thank you to all who make these events possible through your time, spirit, and participation. Here’s to a great season of learning, laughter, and light!
Ben Bloomenthal, Brotherhood President brotherhood@templeemunah.org
The Ladle Fund
The Ladle Fund and the Bess Ezekiel Memorial Fund continue to support a myriad of programming in the community. The synagogue staff uses $10,000 for Shabbat dinners, holiday programming, and intergenerational programming including Barbecue and Barekhu.
We continue to subsidize well-attended (twice/year) brunches for our senior community and plan to have an extended kiddush this winter along with our Winter Warmer event in follow up to last year’s debut!
Special Ladle Fund contributions continue to pay for Café Emunah each Sunday morning and subsidized the synagoguewide retreat this past May.
Under the loving guidance of Amy Rosenstein, the monthly Women’s Rosh H odesh Group continues to hold innovating and inviting monthly programs. And, we still have the occasional Theme Night After Minyan (always looking for new ideas) thanks to Joelle Gunther.
We hope to continue making investments in meaningful, impactful events which are all made possible by the generosity of Fred Ezekiel z”l whose spirit will continue to infuse the community for years to come.
If our programming inspires you, please do consider making a contribution to either the Ladle Fund or the Bess Ezekiel Memorial Fund to continue this important work.
David Ezekiel
What you put in the pot, comes out in the ladle!
The Ladle Fund sponsors Café Emunah (left) and senior brunches (above).
Solar Canopies Celebration
Celebrating Five Years of Sunlight and Sustainability at Temple Emunah
On Sunday, October 19, Temple Emunah hosted its Sun Day Solar Canopies Celebration, marking the fifth anniversary of our solar canopy system—an event that shined as both a milestone and an educational opportunity for the wider community.
More than 80 people – Emunah members, guests, and representatives from local organizations – came together to reflect on the success of a visionary project that benefits Temple Emunah and the planet. Serving as master of ceremonies, Alan Sherman connected the theme of the event to the week’s Torah portion: “God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light,” noting how fitting it was to celebrate a project centered on sunlight.
Installed in 2020, our 336-kilowatt system is the largest synagogue installation in Massachusetts and one of the top five among houses of worship statewide. The system was made possible through a Power Purchase Agreement with Sunwealth, which financed, owns, and maintains the installation – at no cost to the shul. The arrangement saves Temple Emunah 10% annually on its $50,000–$60,000 electricity costs, and provides rental income from Sunwealth.
The system, which produces 162% of the congregation’s energy needs, both reduces Emunah’s carbon footprint and benefits the community; the excess electricity is sold at a discount to low-income families as part of a Community Solar initiative. As Rabbi Eliana Willis noted, “You see the
solar canopies and you think this is an amazing high-tech synagogue, a modern project. But really, they’re here because of the very ancient, spiritual, and deeply Jewish idea that we are partners with God in being caretakers of the earth.”
Additional speakers included:
Carrie Watkins, Hebrew College Rabbinic Intern
Senator Michael J. Barrett, Chair of the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy
Fred Davis, President of the Massachusetts Climate Action Network
Michael Reed, Executive Director of Massachusetts Interfaith Power & Light
Mark Sandeen, Member of the Lexington Select Board
Madeleine Barr, Chief Growth & Impact Officer of Resonant Energy, the project’s developer
Together, they offered insights on solar policy, comminity partnerships, and the power of collaboration among faith communities in the fight against climate change.
Attendees enjoyed sun-themed refreshments and birthday cake while discussing solar opportunities for their own homes and institutions. Tours of the canopies offered a closer look at the system and how it operates.
The solar celebration was more than a look back – it was a call forward. As Alan Sherman concluded, “Our canopies remind us that when we work together, we can build something that not only sustains our community, but also supports the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam – healing the world.”
To view a recording of the Solar Canopies Celebration, go to: https://bit.ly/3LfLnsM
Alan Sherman, VP of Facilities
Senator Michael Barrett spoke about the importance of solar energy in Massachusetts and how the legislature supports it. Audience members, including Grades 5-6 Religious School students, came together to listen, learn, and celebrate. Madeleine Barr led a tour of the solar canopies.
Ark Restoration
Restoration of the Original Temple Emunah Ark
The time is September 1963. Temple Emunah is about to have High Holy Day services in the newly constructed building. The congregants have long been looking forward to seeing the dramatic art installation designed by artist Nathaniel Jacobson, who was identified for the task by TE founding members Gil and Lillian Garber, z”l. As all gather in the new sanctuary, they marvel at the beauty of the Aron HaKodesh, the holy ark decorated with triangular blue, olive green, and purple tiles arranged to evoke Magen Davids, Stars of David. Indeed, the tiles put a contemporary and beautiful accent on the centerpiece of the synagogue’s Sanctuary.
As the years passed, tiles fell off and, in the process, their enamel surfaces were often damaged. Barbara Wissoker, who for many years had been a member of the Beautification Committee, was able to repair the enameling on some of them. About ten years ago, Temple Emunah’s House Chair Susan Rubenstein fastened back into place fallen tiles that had been placed inside the ark for safekeeping. But during the subsequent decade, tiles continued to fall off.
Jump to Rosh Hashanah, October 2024. Simon Rubenstein is sitting with his mother, Susan, who still serves Temple Emunah as House Chair, in this same space, though now it is the “Old Sanctuary.” Simon remembers that he spent a lot of time in the Old Sanctuary as a child and always liked looking at the colorful tiles on the ark. This time the obvious loss of tiles disappointed him. The vibrancy of the art as he remembered it was mostly gone. As he summed it up, “It hit me hard. I grew up with these tiles. Saving them meant everything.” Simon made a commitment to himself that he would somehow arrange to restore the tiles and preserve the beautiful Aron HaKodesh for future generations.
Barbara Wissoker was able to provide several photos to Simon in which the ark could clearly be seen. These photos showed the placement of the missing tiles. But now came the challenge of finding artisans to make new tiles to replace missing ones and those that were too damaged to be reused. The tiles were made with enamel painted on copper, requiring both an enamel artist and a metalsmith.
A neighbor of the Rubensteins, Emily Patel, owner of “The Roasted Granola” coffee shop in Arlington, encouraged Simon to look at the work of Barbara Marder, (barbaramarder. com), a multitalented artist whose work was being showcased in the coffee shop’s gallery. Barbara has extensive experience as an enamel artist. In March 2025, Barbara introduced Simon to metalsmith Eli West, (eliwest.myportfolio.com/metalwork). Just by coincidence, Eli and Simon had been classmates in the Lexington Public Schools. Now that both an enameller and a metalsmith had been found, the project could proceed.
Barbara Marder found that she had a supply of the exact kind of enamel used on the tiles in 1963. Barbara says, “I am probably the only person on Earth who still has this material and it’s an honor to restore this beautiful art.” Barbara and Simon experimented with the vintage enamel colors and, after many attempts, were able to produce the perfect shade that would blend seamlessly with the original tiles.
Eli West created 35 new copper triangles on each of which Barbara painted 7 layers of enameling. In June 2025, the new tiles were completed.
Now the tiles needed to be installed. Simon discovered that pencil marks could still be seen on the wood from the original installation indicating the tile locations and orientations. Triangle-shaped paper cutouts were temporarily put in place to indicate the locations of all the new and saved tiles. After consulting with professional installers to learn the proper technique, Simon, his girlfriend Samm Hilston, PhD, and Susan spent one week installing the tiles and making sure that all the tiles still on the ark were securely fastened.
If you haven’t had a chance to see the beautifully restored Aron HaKodesh, it’s time to visit the “Old Sanctuary.” Thank you to Simon (Simonrubenstein.com) and his team for undertaking this project.
Beth Levine
Social Justice / Kolot Emunah
Social Justice Shabbat Weekend
Please join us in welcoming Reverand Mariama WhiteHammond who will speak at Temple Emunah about “The Importance of Interfaith Collaboration and our CitySuburb Connection.”
When: Friday. January 16, from 5:30-6:30 with a dinner to follow and Saturday morning services, January 17, with a session for teens during kiddush and one for adults at 1 pm after kiddush.
Temple Emunah’s Racial Justice Education Committee and its Greater Boston Interfaith Organization core group invite the congregation to attend this exciting weekend of learning and discussion. Hearing Rev. WhiteHammond preach on Saturday morning will certainly be a highlight.
Guest Speaker: Reverend Mariama White-Hammond
Rev. White-Hammond was born and raised in Boston and began her community engagement in high school, mostly pointedly with Project HIP-HOP (Highways Into the Past - History, Organizing and Power), a youth organization focused on teaching the history of the Civil Rights movement and engaging a new generation of young people in activism. After college, she became the Executive Director of Project HIP-HOP, where she served for 13 years. In 2017, she graduated with her Master of Divinity at the Boston University School of Theology and was ordained an elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In 2018, she founded New Roots AME Church in Dorchester where she currently pastors.
Rev. White-Hammond uses an intersectional lens in her ecological work, challenging folks to see the connections between immigration and climate change or the relationship between energy policy and economic justice. She has received numerous awards, including the Barr Fellowship, the Celtics Heroes Among Us, the Roxbury Founders Day Award, and the Boston NAACP Image Award. She was selected as one of the Grist 50 Fixers for 2019 and Sojourners 11 Women Shaping the Church.
Kolot Emunah Update
The Jewish new year represented a new beginning in many ways. In early September, we received the good news that our application to be a Hadar Community Group was approved. This new program offered by the Hadar Institute (hadar.org) seeks to support peer-led communities engaged in Jewish learning (Torah), meaningful prayer or song (Avodah), and acts of kindness ( H esed). Our choir fit in the Avodah category. In addition to providing tools and support to help us make Kolot Emunah happen and be a successful program at Temple Emunah, Hadar also provides funding that supports expenses of the new choir, such as licensing sheet music, software, and supplies.
Our new beginning was marked by three musical offerings. The traditional Selih . ot repertoire was sung with the Temple Isaiah choir on September 13. On Erev Rosh Hashanah (September 22), our talented conductor, Seth Maislin, led us in singing a novel version of Sim Shalom by Joan Makepeace (https://bit.ly/4oSa7Wr), a nine-part piece reminiscent of a drum circle with different rhythms and harmonic melodies. On Yom Kippur (October 2), we chanted Ahavat Olam by Gabriel Mann and Piper Rutman (https://bit.ly/4oqR6e4), an uplifting melodic piece in three voice parts. The joy we experienced singing together was contagious. We hope you enjoyed hearing these pieces.
We are now in our “second season,” rehearsing for our H anukkah offering to the Temple Emunah community on Wednesday, December 17. As a part of the shul’s celebration, we will be singing a musical selection related to the themes of H . anukkah and freedom. The program will include choral pieces as well as a singalong of traditional H . anukkah songs and rounds. We hope you will join us and the Emunah community for this musical joy together.
Future plans include bringing the “Voices of Emunah” to Shabbat Shirah (January 31) and the Lexington Interfaith Choral Festival in the Spring (March 15).
We welcome new singers of any age. If you are curious and would like to join us, contact Carolyn Schwartz (carolynemily.schwartz@gmail.com) or Sharon Kalus (sk4samk@hotmail.com) for our weekly rehearsal schedule. Carolyn Schwartz and Sharon Kalus
Kolot Emunah performs Sim Shalom on Erev Rosh Hashanah
Rabbi Lerner and Rev. White-Hammond at the Prayers for Liberty Walk.
5786 Sustaining Members
PILLAR
Alexis Borisy & Lia Meisinger • Jon & Randy Hirschtick • David Kahan & Lori Harrison-Kahan • Deanna Wolk
LEADER
Harvey & Joan Bines • Ronald Chaney & Julie Greenberg • David & Janet Goldberg
David & Becky Landis • Adam Medros & Jennifer Brown
BENEFACTOR
Anonymous • Robert & Deborah Cohen • Mark Druy & Johanna Rothman • Gil & Linna Ettinger • Fred & Rhoda Feldman
Buzz Hausner & Beth Hardiman • Edward & Marcy Lidman • Steven & Susan Lipson • Jerome & Sharon Smith • Marsha Tucker
PATRON
Michael Buonaiuto & Sandy Goldstein • David Ezekiel & Elise Richman Ezekiel • Mark & Nancy Goldberg
Stuart Jacobson & Suzanne Cooper • Michael Klein & Susan Cohen • Joshua Namias & Ellen Bubrick • Gordon & Lorri Owades
Benjamin & Sylvia Perlman • Paul & Ronni Skerker • Louis Stuhl & Sheila Kojm • Sue Wacks
SPONSOR
David Abelman & Marilyn Weil-Abelman • Jerrold & Ellen Baum • Caron Bleich • Mark & Cynthia Bobrow
Jeffrey Brown & Rachel Haft • Kenneth & Lois Bruss • Kurt Franzen & Miriam Cohen Franzen • Gary & Sharon Curhan
Barbara Delfiner • Alan & Gail Fields • Eric & Natalie Gornstein • Joel Grodstein & Grace Benveniste
Joshua Guthermann & Ilana Blatt-Eisengart • Eric & Susan Hailman • David & Sara Jewett • Morton & Eileen Kahan
Jeremy & Jody Kieval • Max Klein & Anne Oaklander
Benson Margulies & Karen MacKenzie
• Peter Lacombe & Rachel Lerner • Joel Marcus & Lisa Diamant
• Carl Mikkelsen & Barbara Posnick
Stephen Quatrano & Doreen Karoll
• Eric & Julie Shapiro
• Irving & Janet Plotkin
• Nathan & Alison Shnidman
Alan Silver & Ruth Aronson • Laurie Speicher
SUSTAINER
Anonymous • Susan Abkowitz • Mark & Michelle Abramson • Bob & Kathie Becker • Marina Bers • Deborah Bershel
Mitchell Feldman & Andrea Fribush • Leora Fishman • Mike & Catharyn Gildesgame • Richard Goldberg
Wayne & Robin Goldstein • Judith Himber • David Hirsh & Allison Cook • Michael & Tracy Horn • Taylor & Nicole Horst
Daniel & Jennifer Hurwitz
• Geoffrey & Laura Jarbeau • Harvey & Donna Jauvtis • Matthew & Lesley Kanef
Len Kardon & Leah Sugarman • Kyle Karhohs & Sonia Rosner • Larry & Kathryn Kerstein • Steven & Laura Krich
Scott Lerman & Malcah Effron • Stuart Lerman & Miriam Sadofsky • Alan & Beth Levine • Sandra Levine • Elliot & Kim Lovy Harvey Lowell & Carolyn Keller • Sheldon & Cheryl Lowenthal • Morgan MacLeod & Hannah Marcus
Rich Maidman & Elana Bloomfield • Alan & Karen Musnikow • Paul & Barbara Neustadt • Barbara Newman • Daniel & Jodie Parmer
Robert & Elizabeth Pressman • Howard & Lori Reubenstein • David & Krana Rosen • Charles Rosenbaum
Stephen Sachs & Amanda Schwoerke • Marc & Naomi Sacks • David & Lori Schechner • Jonathan & Jonina Schonfeld
Brian Schultz & Melissa Warneck • Alan & Leslie Sherman • Meli Solomon • David & Carol Srebnick • Sharon Stein
Steve Tavan & Ellen Laderman • Martin Thrope • Marilyn Tracey • David Waldman & Carolyn Schwartz
Clifford & Georgia Weinstein • Barnet & Harriet Weinstock • Barbara Wells • Edward Willins & Alison Dick
Stanley Wolf • Lawrence & Roni Woods • Albert & Judith Zabin • Judith Zola
Sustaining Members’ gifts of tzedakah help bring Temple Emunah’s values of inclusion, diversity, and accessibility to life. Their ongoing support enriches the experience of everyone who calls Temple Emunah their Jewish home. Because of their generosity, our community remains open and welcoming to all, regardless of need.
To learn more about adding your name to the growing list of Sustaining Members, contact Elissa Oppenheim at eoppenheim@templeemunah.org
Family Table
Family Table Needs Your Ongoing Help More Than Ever
Bernice Behar, The Director of Family Table at Jewish Family & Children’s Service, has requested that we pass on information to you related to hunger in Massachusetts and the state of food insecurity.
She stated in the October newsletter:
Hunger remains a critical issue across Massachusetts as many struggle with stubbornly high food prices alongside high costs for housing, healthcare, and childcare. Recently we are also hearing from more people who are worried about slated cuts to important benefits such as SNAP (food stamps).
According to a recent report from the Greater Boston Food Bank (Food Access Report 2025), food insecurity remains very high across Massachusetts, with 1 in 3 households reporting that they were food insecure at some time in the past 12 months. Even more worrisome is the worsening trend among people who report not only being food insecure, but who also have low nutrition security, meaning that the food that they are able to access (and which may be more affordable) is of lower nutritional quality. Essentially, more people are relying on cheap, highly processed foods to feed themselves and their families. Survey data from the GBFB indicates that among households with food insecurity, 58% reported low nutrition security, up from 51% two years ago, a sign that access to nutritious food (not just calories) has become even more challenging for those who are already struggling.
Family Table provides consistent access to nutritious food and emergency groceries to families in crisis. During the
past 12 months, Family Table has served an average of nearly 700 households each month, an increase of 20% over the past two years
The mission of Family Table is to end hunger in the Greater Boston Jewish community while serving people who need assistance regardless of religious affiliation.
Family Table fulfills its mission by providing kosher food, creating a caring Jewish connection, and empowering people to make healthy eating a part of their daily lives.
Just a reminder that there are several ways for you to support Family Table with food collections and monetary donations:
1. We encourage you to donate small bags of brown rice and boxes of whole wheat crackers in the dedicated bins as you enter the main entrance of the shul.
2. Contribute monetary donations to help purchase such things as hallah and holiday foods. Currently we are also encouraging donations for the JF&CS Holiday Gift Card Drive (https://bit.ly/4nAAuiJ).
Please continue to support Family Table. The need is greater now than ever.
Sincerely,
Michelle and Mark Abramson, mhabramson@gmail.com, markabramson619@gmail.com, 781-861-7152
Nancy Lefkowitz, nancylef@gmail.com, 781-696-2085
Temple Emunah Coordinators of JF&CS Family Table
Temple Emunah Members Assemble Before Heading to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.
See photos on back page.
BBQ & Barekhu / Blessing of Animals
Some 200 members of the Temple Emunah family attended the BBQ & Barekhu event, enjoying a musical Kabbalat Shabbat, featuring the Sheband led by David Srebnick, and a delicious dinner. The experience was spiritual and uplifting – both emotionally and physically moving.
Blessing of the Animals
Ivrit la-Kol
Ivrit la-Kol: Hebrew for All
Ivrit la-Kol: Hebrew for All, an adult Hebrew literacy collaborative, is in its 27th year of providing and supporting Hebrew literacy in the community. The mission of Ivrit la-Kol is to enable all individuals, regardless of skill level, to acquire, improve, or enhance knowledge and comfort with Hebrew in a supportive and motivating learning environment.
Collaborative members include Temple Emunah and Temple Isaiah. Affiliating synagogues are Beth El Temple Center in Belmont and Temple Shir Tikvah in Winchester. Non-affiliating individuals are welcome to attend classes.
Classes run on a rotation basis. A new beginning class would start if four people were interested and an instructor was available. New students are welcome to join ongoing classes with the approval of the instructor to be sure the class meets each person’s level.
Here are the class descriptions:
FUNDAMENTALS OF HEBREW
Learning to Read Hebrew
Mondays 7:30-9:00pm
Instructor: Caroline Nudelman
Are you tired of reading Hebrew in transliteration? Do you regret never having learned the Hebrew alphabet and vowels? This class is for absolute beginners who want to learn the alef bet. It is focused on decoding skills for Hebrew reading.
There are no required texts. We use online resources based on Z’man Likroh: Time to Read Hebrew. If you would like to purchase your own set of Flash Cards, contact the instructor prior to the first class, they cost $35.
Reading Our Prayers
Thursdays 7:30-9:00pm
Instructor: Caroline Nudelman
The purpose of this class is to build Hebrew reading fluency and is geared for those who already know how to read Hebrew. Using the Hineni Prayerbook Hebrew for Adults*, we explore prayers for home practice and synagogue participation. Students will start to build a vocabulary and learn the concept and to identify common root words.
*Available for purchase on Amazon, Behrman House, and from The Israel Book Shop in Brookline.
MODERN HEBREW
Beginning Modern Spoken Hebrew
Tuesdays 5:30-7:00 pm
Instructor: Sigalit Davis
Start your Hebrew journey through speaking, writing, reading, and listening. This class begins with phrases and everyday vocabulary and build skills slowly to reach fluency in understanding modern spoken Hebrew, with focus on speaking skills. No preliminary knowledge of Hebrew required. Resources: Hebrew from scratch Vol 1 and CD Vol 1.
Advanced Conversational Hebrew
Mondays 7:30-9:00 pm Ongoing Class
Instructor: Sigalit Davis
This class continues to focus on enhancing and developing Hebrew skills using a variety of learning modalities including: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students reinforce previously acquired skills, to sharpen thinking and grammatical constructions. The class uses original materials including short stories, songs, podcasts, video clips ,and newspaper articles. The emphasis is on expanding speaking skills.
CONTINUED OFFERING OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY
“Informal” Drop-In Conversational Hebrew Chat All Are Welcome, No Fee, Come and Try It Knowledge of Conversational Hebrew Required Practice Your Speaking Skills
Great Opportunity to See if the Advanced Conversational Hebrew Class Is Right for You
Time: Most Thursday evenings 7:00-7:30pm
Unsure if the advanced Hebrew class is appropriate for you? Contact: Sharon Kalus at sk4samk@hotmail.com or 781-710-3141.
Ivrit la-Kol / Coming Up
BIBLICAL HEBREW
Intermediate/Advanced Biblical Hebrew
Thursdays 8:00-9:00 pm
Instructor: Michael Singer
NEWCOMERS are welcome! Speak to instructor.
Enjoy reading and discussing biblical Hebrew in this interactive class that will make the Tanakh come alive. Students are empowered to understand and translate the text of the Tanakh and the Siddur. Each class features a review of newly introduced vocabulary and grammatical concepts, and we will continue to delve deeply into the Hebrew verbal system. The ability to read Hebrew is a prerequisite for this class.
For information, contact: Sharon Kalus at sk4samk@hotmail.com or Nancy Lefkowitz at nancylef@gmail.com
To register, go to: https://www.templeemunah.org/wp-content/ uploads/2025/10/ivrit-la-Kol.pdf
Prepapring for Sisterhood’s Dinner and a Movie Night are Donna Jauvtis, Susan Rubenstein, Cindy Bobrow, and Joelle Gunther.
Dec 1 / 11 Kislev
Marion Feldman
Mother of Bobbi Tornheim
Harriet Rosenberg
Mother-in-law of
Dawn Rosenberg
William Schwartz
Father of Ruth Antonoff
Dec 2 / 12 Kislev
Herbert Cooper
Father of Suzanne Cooper
Lesser Paley
Grandfather of Ann Ben-Horin
Evelyn Silver
Mother of Alan Silver
Abraham Waldman
Father of David Waldman
Julius Weinstock
Father of Barnet Weinstock
Frieda White
Sister of Phyllis Blumberg
Dec 3 / 13 Kislev
Linda Abromson
Mother of Leslie Sherman
Harold Ingram
Uncle of Sandra Levine
Joseph Rothstein
Brother-in-law of Marvin Menzin
Norman Tavan
Father of Steve Tavan
Dec 4 / 14 Kislev
Louis Ablove
Grandfather of Michael Ablove
Abe Bobrow
Father of Mark Bobrow
Jerry Bubrick
Brother of Ellen Bubrick
Esther Cooper
Mother of Sheila Frankel
Herbert Glantz
Father of Carol Glantz
Grete Hirsch
Mother of Susan Menitoff
Roberte Levy
Grandmother-in-law of Eveline Weyl
Clifford Librach
Husband of Miriam Librach
Father of Max Librach
Abraham Shnidman
Father of David Shnidman
Rita Speier
Mother of Susan Garsh
Dec 5 / 15 Kislev
Paul Bain
Father of Susan Wilner
Minnie Becker
Mother of David Becker
Grandmother of Bob Becker
Stephen Fish
Husband of Phyllis Fish
Michael Gampel
Father of Sonia Mirkin
Rose Glantz
Mother of Freyda Zieff
Adele Mascott
Mother of Beth Whitman
Philip Shack
Grandfather-in-law of Ryan Asher
Harvey Solomon
Uncle of Phyllis Fish
Elsie Goldenberg Zabelle
Mother of Elaine Wiesen
Max Zelermyer
Father of Mark Zelermyer
Dec 6 / 16 Kislev
Tina Brooks
Mother of Ted Brooks
Gayle Golden
Sister of Mark Zelermyer
Ella Kaufman
Grandmother of Laura Jarbeau
Howard Menzin
Brother of Marvin Menzin
Jennie Reubenstein
Grandmother of Howard Reubenstein
Rachael Sonkina
Mother of Irina Zeylikman
Shirley Zorn
Grandmother of Amy Goldminz
Dec 7 / 17 Kislev
Sunny Greenspan
Mother of Jennifer Hurwitz
Elsie Wiesen
Mother-in-law of Elaine Wiesen
Dec 8 / 18 Kislev
Sarah Davis
Sister of Mark Lichtenstein
Michael Klein
Grandfather of M. Jane Epstein
Cecelia Moskowitz
Mother of Elyssa Towers
Faye Rosenbaum
Wife of Ronald Rosenbaum
Dec 9 / 19 Kislev
Charles Bernstein
Grandfather of Matthew Stephenson
Celia Foster
Grandmother of Craig Foster
Gertrude Kravetz
Mother of Janet Hollander
Philip Stark
Husband of Marsha Stark
Dec 10 / 20 Kislev
Kathy Brailove
Sister of Paul Chernick
Ruth Beatrice Jacobson
Mother of Lori Weinronk
Grandmother of Dalya Asher and Tova Weinronk
Yahrzeits
Helen Lerner
Grandmother of David Kuznick
Dec 11 / 21 Kislev
Fanette Cantor
Mother of Barbara Palant
Ethel Evenchick
Grandmother of Ann Chait
Gladys Fine
Mother of Thomas Fine
Andrew Hasenfeld
Brother of Robin Hasenfeld
Robert M. Natkin
Father of Lissa Natkin
Don Picarro
Friend of Harvey Lowell
Dec 12 / 22 Kislev
Carol Chomsky
Sister-in-law of Sylvia Schatz
Rose Friedhaim
Grandmother of Ryan Asher
Norman Halperin
Husband of Minna Halperin
Father of Robert Russman-Halperin
Louis Shapiro
Grandfather of Robert Gordon
Ginger Speicher
Mother-in-law of Laure Speicher
Dec 13 / 23 Kislev
Henry Dan
Father of Ervin Dan
Mildred Ettelson
Mother of Linda Kimerling
Esther Green
Mother of Georgia Weinstein
Ruth Katz
Mother of Joyce Nelson
Dec 14 / 24 Kislev
Michael (Mike) G. Hirsh
Father of David and Susan Hirsh
Esther Lipszyc
Grandmother of Doronit
Shlank-Bloomenthal
Dec 15 / 25 Kislev
Irwin Bernstein
Father of Brian Bernstein
Gabriel Diamant
Father-in-law of Lisa Diamant
Herman Greenbaum
Grandfather of Ellen Laderman
Betsy Kardon
Mother of Len Kardon
Seymour Moskowitz
Father of Elyssa Towers
Bernard Olshansky
Stepfather of Catharyn Gildesgame
Celia Pearlstein
Grandmother of David Geller
Samuel Porton
Grandfather of Martin Thrope
Mary Yaffee
Mother of Jane Singer
Dec 16 / 26 Kislev
Phyllis Nerenberg
Mother of Anna Nerenberg
Alan Zimmer
Brother of Barbara Wissoker
Dec 17 / 27 Kislev
Israel Diamond
Father of Margo Zelermyer
Lewis Levitt
Husband of Reva Levitt
Father of Rana Hebert
Martin Zolondick
Father of Steven Zolondick
Dec 18/ 28 Kislev
Elliot Case
Father of Miriam Librach
Rudolphe Moos
Father of Eveline Weyl
Dec 19 / 29 Kislev
Steven Jay Bang
Nephew of Charlotte Kupiec
Herbert Turney
Father of Linda Skolnik
Dec 20 / 30 Kislev
Henry Brown
Father of Wendy Damsky
Michael Diamant
Brother of Lisa Diamant
Lilah Groisser
Mother of Susan Lipson
Bess Jacobs
Mother of Hal Miller-Jacobs
Dec 21 / 1 Tevet
Saul M. Bergman
Father of Naomi Kielar
Sam Greenberg
Grandfather of Sharon Smith
Walter Tauber
Brother of Stephen Tauber
Jerry Zimmerman
Brother of Roberta Perlmutter
Dec 22 / 2 Tevet
David Bruss
Father of Kenneth Bruss
Victor LaVallee
Grandfather of Jillian Pesin-Fulop
Carol Lipson
Mother of Steven Lipson
Irving Robinovitz
Grandfather of Melissa Foster
Elsa Winthrop
Mother of Philippe Winthrop
Dec 23 / 3 Tevet
Lillian Frankel
Mother of Robert Frankel
Israel Greenberg
Grandfather of Julie Greenberg
Rose Simon
Mother of Susan Stering
Dec 24 / 4 Tevet
Patricia Dick
Mother of Alison Dick
Barbara Pineles-Grossman
Mother of Steven Grossman
Moshe Yosef Schwarzberg
Father of Henry Schwarzberg
Samuel Sheldon
Father of Allen Sheldon
Dec 25 / 5 Tevet
Mary Cherny
Grandmother of Miriam Boucher
Saul Soffar
Father of Cindy Jacobs
Esther Tibe Stoler
Mother of Sue Wacks
Max Wieselthier
Uncle of Alice Gordon
Dec 26 / 6 Tevet
Beatrice Foster
Mother-in-law of Gloria Foster
H. Bernard Liberty
Uncle of Terri Swartz Russell
Cynthia Kovey Powell
Sister of Gail Taylor
Jean-Philippe Weyl
Brother-in-law of Eveline Weyl
Bertha Wissoker
Mother-in-law of Barbara Wissoker
Dec 27 / 7 Tevet
Betty Levitt
Mother of Alisa Billings
George Peretsman
Stepfather of Ellen Baum
Hannah Rotner
Aunt of Alice Gordon
William Russell
Father of David Russell
Melvin Schreibman
Father of Phillip Schreibman
Minnie Seiden
Grandmother of Suzanne Cooper
Dec 28 / 8 Tevet
Lorraine Abkowitz
Mother of Susan Abkowitz
Henrietta Canter
Mother of Mark Canter
Ruth Hurwitz
Mother of Daniel Hurwitz
Israel Kornitsky
Father of Rosalind Segaloff
Barnett Laderman
Grandfather of Ellen Laderman
Harry Rotenberg
Grandfather of Elliot Lovy
Barry Seidman
Husband of Valerie Seidman
Harold Sharff
Father of David Sharff
Kenneth Tucker
Husband of Marsha Tucker
Dec 29 / 9 Tevet
Barbara Blachman
Mother of Edward Blachman
David Fader
Brother of Linda Laredo
Amalie S. Katz
Grandmother of Katherine Hermann-Wu
Ira Kuznick
Father of David Kuznick
Esther Milgram
Mother of Marsha Stark
Max Rosenbaum
Father of Ronald Rosenbaum
Guy Weyl
Husband of Eveline Weyl
Abraham Wolk
Father-in-law of Deanna Wolk
Dec 30 / 10 Tevet
Samuel Babchuck
Grandfather of Laura Jarbeau
David Blau
Grandfather of David Kuznick
Leo Bressler
Father of Lawrence Bressler
Benjamin Chessman
Father of Daniel Chessman
Michael Damsky
Father of Scott Damsky
Harriet Lake
Mother of Debra Sheldon
Harold Miller
Father of Sandy Miller-Jacobs
Dec 31 / 11 Tevet
Betty Levison
Grandmother of Julie Levison
William Palant
Father-in-law of Barbara Palant
Marc Weinstein
Brother of Clifford Weinstein
Jan 1 / 12 Tevet
Joan Feuer
Mother-in-law of Charles Rosenbaum
Victoria Leipner
Mother of Carol Srebnick
Allen Misiph
Father of Natalie Gornstein
Harold Osher
Father of Judith Osher
Jan 2 / 13 Tevet
Nathan Alpert
Father of Irwin Alpert
Irwin Andler
Father of Larwrence Andler
Robert Fisher
Father of Arthur Fisher
Barney Pearlman
Father of Valerie Seidman
Jan 3 / 14 Tevet
Yolanda Bleich
Grandmother of Lauren Bleich
Eva Brostoff
Mother of Carolyn Lichtenstein
Hugh Flynn
Father of Maureen Kaplan
Howard Levingston
Father of Judd Levingston
Hiram Paley
Uncle of Ann Ben-Horin
Benjamin Rubinovitz
Father-in-law of
Phyllis Rubinovitz
Esther Sherer
Mother of Me’ir Sherer-Mizrahi
Jan 4 / 15 Tevet
Estelle Eisenkraft
Mother of Meryl Post
Stuart Fay
Father of Aaron Fay
Ruth Flink Ades
Mother of Stephen Ades
Victor Harris
Father of Elizabeth Pressman
Clarice Pressner
Mother of Warren Bruce Dalwin
Arlene Redstone
Sister of Betsy Nissenbaum
David Speicher
Husband of Laurie Speicher
Gerald Stechler
Husband of Antonia Stechler
Ilya Veksler
Father of Elena Gorlovsky
Jan 5/ 16 Tevet
Paul Abkowitz
Uncle of Susan Abkowitz
Rebecca Ackerman
Grandmother of Alan Musnikow
Henry Berger
Father of Robert Berger
Shaoul Ezekiel
Uncle of David Ezekiel
Dick Hess
Father of Pam Hess
Victor Himber
Husband of Judith Himber
Howard S. Katz
Brother of Joyce Nelson
Isadore Kornblum
Grandfather of Sandra Levine
Irma Mass
Mother of Charlotte Kupiec
Yahrzeits
Jack Schwartz
Brother of Ruth Antonoff
Norton Zieff
Husband of Freyda Zieff
Jan 6 / 17 Tevet
Herbert A. Behrmann
Husband of Vivian Cohen
Stepfather of Marcy Lidman
Meir Ben-Horin
Father of Gideon Ben-Horin
Henry Hasenfeld
Father of Robin Hasenfeld
Lou Sandler
Father of David Sandler
Jan 7 / 18 Tevet
Gershon Goldberg
Father of Richard Goldberg
Isadore L. Kovey
Father of Gail Taylor
Scott Meyerson
Brother of Roni Woods
Fanny Pildis Rubin
Aunt of Marilyn Tracey
Norman Seltzer
Husband of Dorothy Seltzer
Jan 8 / 19 Tevet
Patricia Gross
Sister of Charles Hollander
Elliott Keller
Father of Carolyn Keller
Abraham Kroopnick
Father-in-law of John Stayn
Meyer Waldman
Father of Jane Aronson
Bess Zimmer
Mother of Barbara Wissoker
Jan 9 / 20 Tevet
Samuel Foster
Grandfather of Craig Foster
Leonard Hurwitz
Father of Daniel Hurwitz
Jonathan Krant
Husband of Tamar Krant
Hyman Seiden
Grandfather of Suzanne Cooper
Marilyn Tarmy
Sister of Arnold Tarmy
Jan 10 / 21 Tevet
Margaret A. Garvey
Mother of Margaret Moses
Dorothy Kerstein
Mother of Larry Kerstein
Bessie Ledewitz
Mother of Phyllis Blumberg
Harold Heskel Mukamal
Father of Kenneth Mukamal
Jan 11 / 22 Tevet
Henry Delfiner
Husband of Barbara Delfiner
Father of Hannah Delfiner
Thelma Jacque LaVallee
Grandmother of Jillian Pesin-Fulop
Evelyn Myers
Mother of Michael Myers
Jan 12 / 23 Tevet
Harriet Blumenthal
Mother of Eileen Kahan
Harold Briskin
Uncle of Marsha Tucker
Barnet Lieberman
Father of Sylvia Schatz
Sylvia Rosenbaum
Mother of Ronald Rosenbaum
Steven R. Teitelbaum
Son of Maddy and Ken Teitelbaum
Jan 13 / 24 Tevet
Rose Aptakin
Grandmother of Harvey Lowell
Suzan Davis
Mother of Gary Davis
Vicki Morgenstern
Daughter of Doris Morgenstern
Jan 14 / 25 Tevet
Beth Ann Baskies
Sister of Janet Hollander
Irving Feldman
Brother of Fred Feldman
Benjamin Ledewitz
Father of Phyllis Blumberg
Lila Rifken Pearlman
Sister of Valerie Seidman
Jean Presser
Grandmother of Ellen Mazow
Stella Schwarzberg
Mother of Henry Schwarzberg
Edith Wiland
Mother of Paulette Binder
Jan 15 / 26 Tevet
Frances Mahler Diamant
Mother of Lisa Diamant
Vera Unterberg Feigelson
Mother of Thelma Marin
Dolores Polakoff
Cousin of Lois Bruss
Jan 16 / 27 Tevet
Harry Friedlander
Grandfather of Louis Stuhl
Dorothy Ginsburg
Mother of Beth Levine
Linda Kahn
Mother of David Kahn
Rose Littman
Grandmother of Stuart Jacobson
Jan 17 / 28 Tevet
Marion Barros
Sister-in-law of Sylvia Schatz
Anne Rebecca Feifke
Mother of Derek Feifke
Bessie Kaplan
Mother of Marlene Karshbaum
Clara Miller
Mother of Sandy Miller-Jacobs
Jan 18 / 29 Tevet
Frederick Bufe
Father of Janet Plotkin
Charles Cohen
Father of Norman Cohen
Lillian Pildus Escor
Mother of Marilyn Tracey
Grandmother of Michael Tracey
Jeffrey Lee Savitz
Father of Bennett Savitz
Lawrence Zirkin
Father of Sharon Zirkin-Dagan
Sylvia Zirkin
Mother of Sharon Zirkin-Dagan
Jan 19 / 1 Shevat
I. Joel Abromson
Father of Leslie Sherman
Edward Hattenbach
Brother of Esther Bass
Dorothy Keller
Grandmother of Carolyn Keller
Ruth Kroopnick
Mother-in-law of John Stayn
Lillian Lerman
Mother of Stuart Lerman
Gerard Moskowitz
Father of Naomi Brooks
Judith Sumner
Mother of Howard Sumner
Jan 20 / 2 Shevat
Saul Geller
Grandfather of David Geller
Fred Mascott
Father of Beth Whitman
Judith Moskowitz
Mother of Naomi Brooks
Edwin Reder
Father of Richard Reder
Shlomo Rotman
Father of Tal Rotman
Jerry Wacks
Husband of Sue Wacks
Jan 21 / 3 Shevat
Bertha Ablove
Grandmother of Michael Ablove
Priscilla Fishman
Mother of Leora Fishman
Zvi Galani
Husband of Bobbi Galani
Brother-in-law of Ellen Gordon
Celia Goldberg
Grandmother of
Richard Goldberg
Lillian Kaminsky
Aunt of Ann Chait
Miriam Katzman
Aunt of Barbara Palant
Helen Lion Zieken Oppaser
Mother of Rudolph Lion
Jacob Stark
Father-in-law of Marsha Stark
Jan 22 / 4 Shevat
Louis Cohen
Father of Naomi Sacks
Albert Hoffman
Father of Rose-Billie Canter
Jonah Miller
Father of Bonnie Levy
Leo Munash
Grandfather of Carolyn Keller
Michael Turkanis
Father of Lauren Shkolnik
Ida Wacks
Mother-in-law of Sue Wacks
Jan 23 / 5 Shevat
Dorothy E. Marshall
Mother of Jeffrey Marshall
Alfred Zenner
Father of Sylvie Haffer
Jan 24 / 6 Shevat
Arthur Blumberg
Husband of Phyllis Blumberg
Father of Lester Blumberg
Judith Epstein
Mother of Stacie Simon
Ben Friedheim
Grandfather of Ryan Asher
Joseph Golden
Father of Ilene Weiner
Ethel Menitoff
Mother of Paul Menitoff
Jan 25 / 7 Shevat
Julius Schrager
Father of Daniel Schrager
Jan 26 / 8 Shevat
Harry Aptakin
Grandfather of Harvey Lowell
Joseph Koren
Father of Annette Koren
Harry Lerner
Father of Deanna Wolk
Arthur Witzer
Father of Evan Fray-Witzer
Geoffrey Zola
Husband of Judy Zola
Father of Sara Zola
Yahrzeits
Jan 27 / 9 Shevat
Gussie Alper
Mother-in-law of Charleen Alper
Bernard Feuer
Father-in-law of
Charles Rosenbaum
Alvin Goldsmith
Father of Pamela Goldstein
Dorothy Greenberg
Aunt of Benjamin Brosgol
Ohjoon Kim
Grandfather of Jenni Smirnova
Bessie Leipner
Grandmother of Carol Srebnick
Jan 28 / 10 Shevat
Marilyn Bernard
Mother of Maddy Teitelman
Hershel Bromberg
Father-in-law of Carol Bromberg
Leonard Lehrman
Uncle of Nancy Bloom
Doris Rubinstein
Mother of Sidney Rubenstein
Max Streit
Grandfather of Miriam Sadofsky
Coat
Boston Winter Coat Drive
Now until December 7!
Coat Boston is a charitable program based on the belief that everyone deserves to have a warm coat during the winter – especially the youngest and most vulnerable in the community. Leave donations in the light blue box by the Main Entrance. You can also donate online at coatboston.org.
WHAT IS NEEDED: New coats, gloves, and hats for children in need, living in underserved neighborhoods in Boston. Gift cards to Target, Stop & Shop, or Amazon are also welcome!
Jan 29 / 11 Shevat
Ruth S. Bourke
Grandmother of Julie Shirazi
Allen Bromberg
Brother-in-law of Carol Bromberg
George Bromberg
Husband of Carol Bromberg
Marcelle Hechemy Egbert
Stepmother of Louise Treitman
Fred Ezekiel
Father of David Ezekiel
Charles Fish
Father of Rachel Fish
Anne Isky
Grandmother of Sandra Levine
Jan 30 / 12 Shevat
Rabbi Nathan Burstyn
Father of Don Burstyn
Leonore Miller
Mother of Ellen Mazow
Manny Smith
Brother of Jerome Smith
Bernice Zalesznick
Aunt of Lois Bruss
Jan 31 / 13 Shevat
Herbert Abkowitz
Uncle of Susan Abkowitz
Mary Cutler
Mother of Krana Rosen
Philip Gold
Father of Harriet Weinstock
Harry B. Goldberg
Father of Phyllis Sokolov
Samuel Leader
Father of Barbara Newman
Diane Lindner-Goldberg
Stepmother of David Goldberg
Aunt of Dan Pion
Harold Lipseir
Husband of Frances Lipseir
Marina Stewart
Sister of Susan Goldman
Peter Vagi
Husband of Arlene Frank
Esther Waldman
Mother of Jane Aronson
Lillian Wisnia
Mother of Jeffry Wisnia
Lexington Town-wide H . anukkah Candle Lighting
Thursday, December 18, 6 pm
All are invited to a special town-wide celebration of Hanukkah in Lexington Center. Jewish communities from around town, friends, and the Lexington Fire Department will be joining together for a menorah lighting. This is a great event for all ages! Bring your family’s menorah and candles, and your H . anukkah hats and gloves!
Emunah members at Burlington ICE Detention Center
Order Your Purim Mishloah . Manot
Place Your Orders Between January 12 – February 13
Purim is March 3. It’s a mitzvah to send Purim gift bags and it’s the Religious School’s biggest fundraiser!
We will deliver Purim bags to your friends, neighbors, and relatives in our delivery area (Acton, Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Billerica, Burlington, Carlisle, Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, Waltham, Winchester, and Woburn), as well as to Temple Emunah staff, Preschool and Religious School teachers, and aides.
Those outside our delivery area will receive an email acknowledgement of your gift. Ordering is through ShulCloud. Please make sure your address information is up to date in the member database and let the office know if you are not going to be in town over Purim. If you have a valid email address in the Temple Emunah database, you will receive ordering instructions by email.
You may also get a paper order form from the Temple office.
Bags are $10/bag or you can send to all members, staff, and educational staff for $180.
Everyone is welcome to be involved in the mitzvah of creating and distributing Purim bags.
Mishloah . Manot Volunteers Needed Feb. 24-26
Please join us to help assemble Mishloah . Manot bags and boxes. To volunteer, go to: https://tinyurl.com/Packers2026
Mishloah . Manot Delivery Drivers Needed Mar. 1-3
Please join us in the mitzvah of delivering Mishloah Manot to our community. Kids earn one CJE credit if they help with the deliveries and teens can get community service credits. Sign up at: https://tinyurl.com/Drivers2026
Thank you for participating and for supporting your Religious School.
H . ag sameah . from the MM Team: Nancy Capparelli, Marci Yesowitch Hopkins, Jonathan and Jonina Schonfeld, and Elissa Oppenheim
Questions: emunahpurim@gmail.com
Donations
The congregation gratefully acknowledges the following contributions from Aug. 1-Oct. 31, 2025:
Abkowitz Family Israel & Camp Scholarship
Yahrzeit of:
George Rosen, beloved father of David David & Krana Rosen
Howard Kaufman, beloved father of Margo
Margo & Rick Reder
Adult Education
In celebration of the birth of Lily Jaclyn Wood, granddaughter of Sheila Kojm and Louis Stuhl
Yahrzeit of Abraham Solomon, beloved grandfather
Meli Solomon
Beautification
In memory of Ilene Reibstein, beloved sister of Lois Bruss
Marsha Tucker
Alison Dick & Ed Willins
Yahrzeit of:
Myrna Alpert, beloved wife of Irwin Alpert and mother of Lisa, Dan, and Gary Alpert
Irwin & Lisa Alpert
Greeba Case, beloved mother
Miriam Librach
Harold Mintzer, beloved father of Linda
Norm & Linda Cohen
Bereavement Fund
In memory of Abigail Myers, beloved daughter of Rose and Michael Myers
Laurel Ann Brody
Bess Ezekiel Memorial Fund
Susan Davidson
In memory of Bess Ezekiel, beloved mother of David Ezekiel
Margaret Moses
Billy Dalwin Preschool
In appreciation of Rabbi Lerner on the occasion of Sarah Baker and Gideon Feifke’s aufruf and the aliyot.
Carole & Derek Feifke & Family
Yahrzeit of Glorine Schweitzer, beloved mother
Randi Silverman
Bimah Flowers
Yahrzeits of Fred Ephraim Yarkoni, beloved father of Sharon Kalus and Martin Kalus, beloved father of Joseph Kalus
Joseph & Sharon Kalus Circle of Life
In celebration of our 50 th wedding nniversary at Temple Emunah
Steven & Susan Lipson
Dalwin Memorial Scholarship Fund
In appreciation of Annette Koren for her invaluable and selfless help with the bereavement meals
Carole Feifke
Emunah Scholarship Fund
Yahrzeit of Esther Lutwak, beloved mother of Susan Lutwak
Ken Maser & Susan Lutwak
Family Education
In celebration of the Brit Bat of Josephine
Maeve Mullins
Benjamin Gerson
Family Table
In celebration of:
The birth of Isaac Asher Mikkelsen, grandson of Barbara Posnick & Carl Mikkelsen
Arleen Chase
In memory of:
Abigail Myers, beloved daughter of Rose and Michael Myers
Arleen Chase
Ilene Reibstein, beloved sister of Lois Bruss
Harry & Bonnie Levy
Yahrzeit of Max M. Librach, beloved father-in-law
Miriam Librach
GBIO Donation
In celebration of:
The birth of Isaac Asher Mikkelsen, grandson of Barbara Posnick & Carl Mikkelsen
Paul & Barbara Neustadt
David Landis’ 60 th birthday
Jonathan & Jonina Schonfeld
General
In appreciation/celebration of:
Raveetal Celine and all the office staff
Lester Blumberg & Robin Hasenfeld
Ed Willins for his help
Steve & Amira Aaron
Suzanne Cooper and all she does for Temple Emunah
The anniversary of Bobby and Julie Shirazi
Sandra Levine & Family
The engagement of Abraham (Avi) Waldman, son of Carolyn Schwartz and David Waldman, to Lea Yakov
The births of: Baby Lerman Effron, daughter of Scott Lerman and Malcah Effron; Reya Leung-Glieberman, daughter of Aaron Glieberman and MinWah Leung; Chloe Sierra Sumner-Flores, granddaughter of Howard and Elizabeth Sumner; Lily Jaclyn Wood, granddaughter of Sheila Kojm and Louis Stuhl, and Caleb Howland Klein, grandson of Max Klein and Anne Louise Oaklander
Bob & Kathie Becker
The births of Marcy and Ed Lidman’s grandson, Michal Saul Lidman, and Isaac Asher Mikkelsen, grandson of Barbara Posnick & Carl Mikkelsen
Ken & Lois Bruss
Ellie Feldman’s Bat Mitzvah
Zoe Shnidman’s Bat Mitzvah
Marty & Alice Gordon
The marriage of Jenny Skerker, daughter of Ronni and Paul Skerker, to Sam Heller
Alan & Naomi Kielar
In memory of:
Rabbi and Mrs. Kessler
Arnold Reinhold
Alan Marcus, beloved uncle of Joel Marcus
Elisheva Apple, beloved niece of Leora Fishman
Ilene Reibstein, beloved sister of Lois Bruss
Abigail Myers, beloved daughter of Rose and Michael Myers
Ted Wolk, beloved brother-in-law of Deanna Wolk
Bob & Kathie Becker
Ted Wolk, beloved brother-in-law of Deanna Wolk
Charleen Alper
Sandra Levine & Family
Lewis Levitt, beloved husband
Hinda Samuel Levitt, beloved mother-in-law
Annie Harris Frankel, beloved mother
Ben Frankel, beloved father
Claire Frankel, beloved sister
Reva Levitt, Rana Levitt Hebert, & grandchildren
Jake Rosencranz
Michael Tracey
Ilene Reibstein, beloved sister of Lois Bruss
Barney & Harriet Weinstock
Yahrzeit of:
Miriam Sidman
Sidman-Storer Family
Margarethe Schudawa, beloved mother
Max Delfiner, beloved father-in-law
Barbara Delfiner
Eleanor Slate, beloved mother
Jonathan Slate
William Katz, beloved father
Leonard Katz
Anne Gold, beloved mother
Barney & Harriet Weinstock
General Fund for Security
In memory of the victims of October 7
Czarnecki Family
Golda Dockser Fund
In appreciation of Susan Lipson
In memory of Ilene Reibstein, beloved sister of Lois Bruss
Joel Alpert & Nancy Lefkowitz
Inclusion Committee
In celebration of Jeff Marshall’s special birthday
Alison Dick & Ed Willins
Israel Committee
In celebration of:
The birth of Emma Marysia Bines, granddaughter of Harvey and Joan Bines
Richard Hochman & Esther RosenmanHochman
The birth of Nathanael Tuchmuntz, grandson of Sophie and Jacques Goldenberg
Margo & Rick Reder
In memory of:
Ilene Reibstein, beloved sister of Lois Bruss
Richard Hochman & Esther RosenmanHochman
Arnold Aaron, beloved brother of Steven Aaron
Alison Dick & Ed Willins
Yahrzeit of Nancy Kaufman, beloved mother of Margo
Margo & Rick Reder
Kiddush Fund
In appreciation/celebration of:
Janet Goldberg and the Kitchen Committee for all of their help with Zoe’s Bat Mitzvah Kiddush
Alison, Nathan, and Zoe Shnidman
David & Becky Landis and all the volunteers for Break the Fast
Marty & Alice Gordon
Barbara Posnick and Marcy Lidman for chairing the Honors Committee
Alison Dick & Ed Willins
The birth of Lily Jaclyn Wood, granddaughter of Sheila Kojm and Louis Stuhl
David & Janet Goldberg
Kol Nidrei Appeal
In memory of Alvin Wolfe, beloved husband
Susan Wolfe
Ladle Fund
In appreciation/celebration of:
Susan Lipson
Alison Dick & Ed Willins
Leslie Sherman’s birthday
Stu Jacobson & Suzanne Cooper
Robin and Wayne Goldstein
In memory of Gail Oxfeld Kanef, beloved sister-in-law of Matthew and Lesley Kanef
Anna Nerenberg & Marc Bernstein
Yahrzeit of:
Robert Stuhl, beloved father of Louis Stuhl
Louis Stuhl & Sheila Kojm
Paul B. Alper, beloved husband
Charleen Alper
Landscaping Fund
In celebration of:
The birth of Marcy and Ed Lidman’s grandson
The birth of Baby Lerman Effron, daughter of Scott Lerman and Malcah Effron
Amram Migdal being honored as Hatan Torah
Liz Levin being honored as Kallat Bereisheet
Ben Cohen’s 90 th birthday
David Landis’s 60 th birthday
Max Klein being named Keeper of the Flame
Jerome & Sharon Smith
In memory of:
In memory of Ilene Reibstein, beloved sister of Lois Bruss
Jerome & Sharon Smith
Yahrzeit of:
David Smith, beloved son of Jerome & Sharon
Israel Smith, beloved father of Jerome
Eve Abramsky Smith, beloved mother of Jerome
Jerome & Sharon Smith
Doris Solomon, beloved mother
Meli Solomon
Library Fund
In appreciation/celebration/honor of:
Yom Kippur honor
Marilyn Tracey’s 96th birthday
Michael Tracey
Ellie Feldman becoming a Bat Mitzvah
Michael Tracey
Marilyn Tracey
In memory of:
Ilene Reibstein, beloved sister of Lois Bruss
Marilyn Tracey
Abigail Myers, beloved daughter of Rose and Michael Myers
Alice and Marty Gordon Yahrzeit of:
Hilda Stuhl, beloved mother of Louis Stuhl
Louis Stuhl & Sheila Kojm
Rabbi Eliana Willis Discretionary Fund
In appreciation/celebration of:
Rabbi Willis’s and Rabbi Lerner’s efforts to broaden outreach and build a sense of a shared community at Temple Emunah and to promote civil conversations across the spectrum of beliefs
Stanley Wolf
Rabbi Willis for her generosity with her time, advice and help with Zoe’s Bat Mitzvah!
Alison, Nathan, and Zoe Shnidman
Rabbi Willis for her guidance, support, and the inspirational and meaningful funeral service she led in memory of our beloved mother, Eva Glaser
David Glaser, Steven Glaser, & Susan Glaser Goodman
The superb High Holiday services. Yasher Koach!
Marty & Alice Gordon
The Brit Milah of Shmuel Lerman Effron
Scott Lerman, Malcah Effron, & Sarah Lerman Effron
The bat mitzvah of Jocelyn Kahn and with appreciation to Rabbi Willis for making Shabbat service extra special as Jocelyn was called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah. We appreciate all you do for our community and children to help them learn and grow constantly and are lucky to have you at Temple Emunah
Dave & Trish Kahn
Donations
The birth of Emma Marysia Bines, granddaughter of Harvey and Joan Bines
Paul & Barbara Neustadt
Yahrzeit of:
Robin Goldberg, beloved sister of David
David & Janet Goldberg
Edward Kossoi, beloved grandfather
Richard & Elise Goldberg
Rabbi Lerner Discretionary Fund
Michael Roskind & Pam Hess
In appreciation/celebration of:
Rabbi Lerner’s support of our family
Ilana Glazier & Lowell Schmeltz
Rabbi Willis’s and Rabbi Lerner’s efforts to broaden outreach and build a sense of a shared community at Temple Emunah and to promote civil conversations across the spectrum of beliefs
Stanley Wolf
Rabbi David Lerner for performing the funeral of Dr. Bruria Falik
Daniel Judson
Rabbi Lerner for his compassion, guidance and support at the time of our mother’s passing
David Glaser, Steven Glaser, & Susan Glaser Goodman
All Rabbi Lerner did at the Jewish affirmation of our daughter Josephine
Benjamin Gerson
Weekday Minyan
Meli Solomon
The superb High Holiday services. Yasher
Koach!
Marty & Alice Gordon
The bat mitzvah of Jocelyn Kahn and in appreciation for Rabbi Lerner for leading such a wonderful Shabbat service while Jocelyn was called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah. We appreciate all the guidance and help along the way and enjoy being part of Temple Emunah community.
Dave & Trish Kahn
The birth of Shmuel Effron, daughter of Scott Lerman and Malcah Effron
Alison Dick & Ed Willins
Skye Silverman’s aliyah on Rosh Hashanah
Marilyn & Ronald Silverman
In memory of:
Joan Greenberger, beloved mother, and with appreciation for Rabbi Lerner’s incredible support to our family
Czarnecki Family
Adeline “Addie” Bain, mother of Sue Wilner
Tessa Goott, sister-in-law of Carol Feifke
Eric & Julie Shapiro
Ilene Reibstein, beloved sister of Lois Bruss
Marc & Naomi Sacks
Tessa Goott, sister-in-law of Carol Feifke
Margo & Rick Reder
Yahrzeit of:
Dr. Stanley Bleich, beloved husband
Caron Bleich
Jean Elovich, beloved grandmother of Bob
Bob & Kathie Becker
Marilyn Gabriel, beloved sister of Jack
Jack & Vicki Markuse
Robin Goldberg, beloved sister of David
David & Janet Goldberg
Rose Rosendorn, beloved mother of Muriel
Muriel Shapiro
Gertrude Dinner, beloved mother
Charleen Alper
Morris Segaloff, beloved father of Harvey
Harvey & Rosalind Segaloff
Mildred Pillar, beloved mother
Bonnye Pillar
Simhat Mitzvah Fund
In appreciation/celebration of:
Janet Goldberg, Annette Koren, David Goldberg, Joelle Gunther, and Susan Rubenstein, all for helping with the seudah mitzvah for the brit milah of Shmuel Lerman
Effron
Scott Lerman, Malcah Effron, & Sarah Lerman Effron
The birth of Josephine Maeve, daughter of Benjamin Gerson and Kevin Mullins
Meli Solomon
Sisterhood
David Feldman & Lauren Bleich
Refu’ah Sh’leymah to Elizabeth Pressman.
Hope your recovery is swift. Thanks for the happiness you have brought Bob.
Rebecca Pressman
Social Justice Committee
In celebration of:
The birth of Isaac Asher Mikkelsen, grandson of Barbara Posnick & Carl Mikkelsen
Alison Dick & Ed Willins
The marriage of Sophie and Jake
Mark & Judi Canter
In memory of:
Tom Hill, beloved brother of Jamie Hill
Arthur Kreiger & Rebecca Benson
Ilene Reibstein, beloved sister of Lois Bruss
Paul & Barbara Neustadt
The beloved mother of David and Wendy Wall and our dear aunt, Lolly
Mark & Judi Canter
Yahrzeit of:
Carl Nerenberg, beloved grandfather of Anna Nerenberg
Maurice Uditsky, beloved grandfather of Anna Nerenberg
Anna Nerenberg & Marc Bernstein
Lillian Mazow, beloved mother of Richard Barnett Mazow, beloved father of Richard Ervin Miller, beloved father of Ellen Richard & Ellen Mazow
Special Needs
Yahrzeit of Dorothy Lippman, beloved mother of Susan
Marvin & Susan Mason
Thrope Memorial Fund
Yahrzeit of:
Phyllis Klein Thrope, beloved wife
Carol Thrope, beloved wife
Shirley Thrope, beloved mother
Martin Thrope
Wednesday Minyan Study
Yahrzeit of:
May Botbol, beloved mother of Donna Joseph Botbol, beloved brother of Donna Benjamin Botbol, beloved brother of Donna Donna Jauvtis
Phyllis Klein Thrope, beloved wife
Carol Thrope, beloved wife
Shirley Thrope, beloved mother
Martin Thrope
Youth Fund
In celebration of the marriage of Sarah Baker and Gideon Feifke, son of Carole and Derek Feifke
Margo & Rick Reder
Yahrzeit of:
Melinda Robins
Eric & Jessica Baim
19, 2026
December 2025 / Kislev-Tevet 5786
S M T W Th F S
1 11 Kislev
Shaharit 7 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
Israeli Folk Dancing 8 pm
2 12 Kislev
Shaharit 7 am
Meditation 8:30 am
Parashat Hash. 4 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
7 17 Kislev
Café Emunah 8:45 am
Shaharit 9 am
Brotherhood speaker
9:45 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
14 24 Kislev
1st Hanukkah candle
Café Emunah 8:45 am
Shaharit 9 am
Rosh Hodesh Group 10 am
Wisdom Project 12 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
21 1 Tevet
Rosh Hodesh
Hanukkah 7 (8 candles)
Café Emunah 8:45 am
Shaharit 9 am
Hanukkah Puppet Show
9:30 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
28 8 Tevet
Shaharit 8:45 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
8 18 Kislev
Shaharit 7 am
Ma’ariv 6:45 pm
James Carroll talk 7 pm
9 19 Kislev
Shaharit 7 am
Meditation 8:30 am
Parashat Hash. 4 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
15 25 Kislev
Hanukkah 1 (2 candles)
Shaharit 7 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
Israeli Folk Dancing 8 pm
16 26 Kislev
Hanukkah 2 (3 candles)
Shaharit 7 am
Meditation 8:30 am
Parashat Hash. 4 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
3 13 Kislev
Shaharit 7 am
Spirituality of Shabbat
Observance 7:30 am
Adult Ed. 12 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
LIJS class at Temple
Isaiah 7:45 pm
Talmud class 8 pm
10 20 Kislev
Shaharit 7 am
Spirituality of Shabbat Observance 7:30 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
LIJS class at Temple
Isaiah 7:45 pm
17 27 Kislev
Hanukkah 3 (4 candles)
Shaharit 7 am
Spirituality of Shabbat
Observance 7:30 am
Community Hanukkah
Celebration 6:15 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
4 14 Kislev
Shaharit 7 am
Chess Club 1 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
Adult Ed. 8 pm
Perek Yomi 8 pm
5 15 Kislev
Shaharit 7 am
Kabbalat Shabbat/ Ma’ariv 5:30 pm
6 16 Kislev
Shabbat Service 9:30 am
Lucy Ross Bat Mitzvah Junior Cong. 11 am
Tot Shabbat 11 am
Musaf Meditation 11:30 am
Minhah/Learning/Ma’ariv/ Havdalah 4 pm
USY Chaverim Havdalah & Movie Night 5:30 pm
11 21 Kislev
Shaharit 7 am
Chess Club 1 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
12 22 Kislev
Shaharit 7 am
Men’s Torah Study 7:30 am
Preschool Kabbalat
Shabbat 5 pm
Kabbalat Shabbat/ Ma’ariv 5:30 pm
Gr. 5-6 Oneg 6:30 pm
18 28 Kislev
Hanukkah 4 (5 candles)
Shaharit 7 am
Chess Club 1 pm
Lexington Hanukkah
candlelighting 6 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
19 29 Kislev
Hanukkah 5 (6 candles)
Shaharit 7 am
Kabbalat Shabbat/ Ma’ariv 5:30 pm
13 23 Kislev
Shabbat Service 9:30 am Musaf Meditation 11:30 am
Minhah/Learning/Ma’ariv/ Havdalah 4 pm
20 30 Kislev Rosh Hodesh
Hanukkah 6 (7 candles) Shabbat Service 9:15 am
Elizabeth Sachs Bat Mitz. Tot Shabbat 11 am
Musaf Meditation 11:30 am
Minhah/Learning/Ma’ariv/ Havdalah 4 pm
USY Fire & Ice 5 pm
22 2 Tevet
Hanukkah 8
Shaharit 7 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
Israeli Folk Dancing 8 pm
23 3 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Meditation 8:30 am
Parashat Hash. 4 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
29 9 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
Israeli Folk Dancing 8 pm
30 10 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Meditation 8:30 am
Parashat Hash. 4 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
24 4 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Spirituality of Shabbat
Observance 7:30 am
Dinner & Movie 5 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
31 11 Tevet
Shaharit 8:45 am
Spirituality of Shabbat
Observance 7:30 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
25 5 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
26 6 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Kabbalat Shabbat/ Ma’ariv 5:30 pm
Dinner and a Movie on December 24!
Join us for a viewing of Freakier Friday. 5:00 pm Chinese food dinner catered by Tova’s 6:00 pm Movie
27 7 Tevet
Shabbat Service 9:30 am Musaf Meditation 11:30 am
Minhah/Learning/Ma’ariv/ Havdalah 4 pm
Elizabeth Sachs, child of Amanda Schwoerke & Stephen Sachs (Dec. 20)
Lucy Ross, child of Judi & Spencer Ross (Dec. 6)
4 5 Tevet
Shaharit 9 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
January 2026 / Tevet-Shevat 5786
5 6 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
Israeli Folk Dancing 8 pm
6 7 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Meditation 8:30 am
Parashat Hash. 4 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
11 12 Tevet
Shaharit 9 am
Café Emunah 8:45 am
Brotherhood Bd. 9:45 am
USY Chaverim 12-3 pm
Gr. 6-7 Prog. 12:30 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
18 19 Tevet
Shaharit 9 am
Café Emunah 8:45 am
Youth Ski Trip 9 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
25 26 Tevet
Regional Gesher USY
Shabbaton
Shaharit 9 am
Café Emunah 8:45 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
12 13 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
Israeli Folk Dancing 8 pm
13 14 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Meditation 8:30 am
Parashat Hash. 4 pm
Taco Tuesday 6 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
19 20 Tevet
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Rosh Hodesh
Shaharit 7 am
Mini Mitzvah Makers 10 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
Israeli Folk Dancing 8 pm
26 27 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
Israeli Folk Dancing 8 pm
20 21 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Meditation 8:30 am
Parashat Hash. 4 pm
Rosh Hodesh 6:30 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
27 28 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Meditation 8:30 am
Parashat Hash. 4 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
7 8 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Spirituality of Shabbat Observance 7:30 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
Talmud Class 8 pm
14 15 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Spirituality of Shabbat
Observance 7:30 am
Judaism is Love 12 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
21 22 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Spirituality of Shabbat Observance 7:30 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
Talmud Class 8 pm
28 29 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Spirituality of Shabbat Observance 7:30 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
1 2 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
8 9 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Chess Club 1 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
2 3 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Kabbalat Shabbat/ Ma’ariv 5:30 pm
9 10 Tevet
Gr. 5-6 Shul-in
Shaharit 7 am
Kabbalat Shabbat/ Ma’ariv 5:30 pm
3 4 Tevet
Shabbat Service 9:30 am
Meditation 11:30 am
Minhah/Learning/ Ma’ariv/Havdalah 4 pm
10 11 Tevet
Gr. 5-6 Shul-in
Shabbat Service 9:30 am
Isaac Baim Bar Mitzvah Jr. Congregation 11 am
Tot Shabbat 11 am
Meditation 11:30 am
Minhah/Learning/ Ma’ariv/Havdalah 4:15 pm
15 16 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Chess Club 1 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
Judaism is Love 8 pm
22 23 Tevet
Shaharit 7 am
Chess Club 1 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
29 1 Shevat
Shaharit 7 am
Chess Club 1 pm
Ma’ariv 7:30 pm
16 1 Tevet
Social Justice Weekend
Shaharit 7 am
Kabbalat Shabbat/ Ma’ariv 5:30 pm
Racial Justice Shabbat
Dinner 6:30 pm
23 24 Tevet
Regional Gesher USY
Shabbaton
Shaharit 7 am
Kabbalat Shabbat/ Ma’ariv 5:30 pm
30 2 Shevat
Glatzer Weekend
Shaharit 7 am
Kabbalat Shabbat/ Ma’ariv 5:30 pm
17 18 Tevet
Social Justice Shabbat
Shabbat Service 9:30 am
Meditation 11:30 am
Minhah/Learning/ Ma’ariv/Havdalah 4:15 pm
24 25 Tevet
Shabbat Service 9:30 am
Nadav Cutler Bar Mitzvah
Tot Shabbat 11 am
Meditation 11:30 am
Minhah/Learning/ Ma’ariv/Havdalah 4:30 pm
31 25 Tevet
Glatzer Weekend
Shabbat Service 9:30 am
Gr. 6 Family Learning Service
Meditation 11:30 am
Minhah/Learning/ Ma’ariv/Havdalah 4:30 pm
Temple Emunah is a dynamic, engaging, and welcoming congregational family. We build Jewish identity through learning and praying together in the spirit of Conservative Judaism, caring for each other and the world, and working to create an enduring Jewish community in the United States and Israel.
Nadav Cutler, child of Rachel Fish & Dave Cutler (Jan. 24)
Isaac Baim, child of Jessica and Eric Baim (Jan. 10)
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 57433
Boston, MA
Address Service Requested
Temple Emunah Trip to Portugal, Spain, and Morocco
Forty-two members of the Temple Emunah community recently returned from an extraordinary 18-day journey with Rabbi Lerner through Portugal, Spain, and Morocco. Together, the group explored centuries of Jewish history – its triumphs, its challenges, and the enduring resilience of our people.
Along the way, they celebrated Shabbat with a new egalitarian Masorti community in Madrid and joined a vibrant Moroccan congregation for Kabbalat Shabbat in Marrakesh. The group also had the privilege of holding its own egalitarian service in a 500-year-old synagogue, a moment of deep connection to our shared heritage.
Throughout the trip, the Emunah participants learned, sang, danced, shared meals, and built meaningful relationships with Jewish communities across three countries. There is much more to share – stories, photos, and reflections will be coming soon.
We are also excited to share that planning is underway for our next adult trip, tentatively scheduled for January/February 2028, which will take us to South America. Stay tuned!
