Lifecycle Rituals

kippa and tallit
B'nei Mitzvah

Becoming BMitzvah

Rabbi Jen Gubitz
 June 27, 2022
I love seeing how our students at Temple Shalom of Newton transform throughout the process of becoming BMitzvah. It's the end of my first year coordinating the BMitzvah program and my colleague Allison Lobron, an experienced leader in inclusion and social emotional learning, and I are hosting an end of year celebration for our BMitzvah students.
Ilene goldman's wedding, bride and groom standing under the chuppah
Lifecycle Rituals

My Father’s Tallit

Ilene S. Goldman
 July 6, 2021
As a child snoop, I was well acquainted with the contents of my parents’ dresser drawers. This came in handy often, like the night before a trip when my mom panicked because she couldn’t find her passport.
Small silhouette of a person standing against the night sky as if to represent the enormity of the universe
Spirituality

My Big Question: God, The Milky Way, Miracles, and More

Richard Reiss
 April 7, 2021
The enormous question for me, then, has always been: Is God watching? When I began to understand computers, I realized that, yes, one thing could follow billions of people if those people were nothing more than data points on a revolving planet with polar icecaps.
Sad woman sitting on a wooden floor holding her head in her hands as if in grief
Spirituality

Distancing Closeness: A New Way of Mourning

Rabbinic Pastor/Cantor Lisa L. Levine
 November 5, 2020
Gathering in grief gives us a window into the blessings of life. Jewish tradition does this so well – which makes it all the more difficult to cope with loss in the time of COVID-19.