I've been a member of Temple Isaiah for almost 30 years, and a member of Yelp for as long as it has…read moreexisted. Until now, I never thought of linking the two, but I guess you can review anything. T.I. is in Lexington, but it also serves Bedford, Burlington, Waltham and other surrounding communities. With about 800 families it is large enough to be many things to many people. The religious school is famously innovative. The clergy is caring and erudite. The congregation includes people with many different religious views. Social action is a high priority both for the adult members and for the teen group, LEFTY. LGBT members are welcome - and have been for many years. Temple Isaiah is a great place for families with kids, young professionals, anyone who is looking for a vibrant Reform Jewish community in the Western suburbs. Since this is Yelp, I should say something about the food, right? The Brotherhood holds bagel and lox breakfasts with amazing speakers, many of them world famous. Community Shabbat dinners are a highlight. And for credibility, let me say that the coffee is only fair. But Starbucks and Peets are just minutes away.

We worked with Amy Hertz of Temple Isaiah to plan the ceremony for our wedding. She was amazing --…read morethoughtful, kind and responsive. The congregation is also very welcoming and their space beautiful. A true center of Jewish life in Suburban Boston.

Temple Shir Tikvah is a wonderful, warm, vibrant congregation, embracing a diverse community of…read morepeople. We have been members for 12 years, and have made many close friends here -- people of all ages. My husband, who is not Jewish, is welcomed openly and able to participate fully. Our children got a fine Jewish education in the religious school and Hebrew high school. In addition, the temple offers numerous adult learning courses each year -- some recent classes offered: Jewish Music, Kabbalah, Yiddish Literature, Jewish History, Jewish Feminism, Ethics, and introduction to the Talmud. Shabbat services are a joy, as mentioned in another review. I can't imagine a nicer place to belong.

Temple Shir Tikvah is a reform congregation that is a good fit for individuals and families that…read morewant an inclusive Jewish experience focusing on the meaning of Judaism with a very healthy dose of education and music. The lessons taught are about how to be a good person and have a largely huministic perspective. It is not for those who want a literal interpretation of ancient readings, a strict set of rules, or conservative approach (there are other congregations in the area with those attributes). The membership includes many interfaith families and those from both "traditional" and "non-traditional" styles. The services for adults are just beautiful with many songs, chants, and other musical elements. The programs for families and children of all ages are spectacularly done -- from the 45-minute long "Tot Shabbat" celebrations to the "Exploring Jewish Life" program which is fantastic for parents to learn about and examine their personal values. The membership includes families from many cities and towns, including Winchester, Woburn, Arlington, Cambridge, Wakefield, Stoneham, Reading, and Melrose (this is only a partial list!).

This is Waltham's only Synagogue. Temple Beth Israel was established in 1914 and a traditional…read moreegalitarian synagogue serving the Jewish community of Waltham. Lead by Rabbi Foust, the synagogue is under a revitalization as new young Jewish families are moving back to Waltham.

Having grown up a part of a Conservative Congregation, my recent visit for Shabbat Services at this…read moreReform Synagogue was a revolution. A guitar playing rabbi, A Tefilah Band, and singing and dancing congregants are not something I am used to, not that there's anything wrong with that. The hour and a half service was a pleasure to sit through and seemed much shorter than it was. If we lived a bit closer, we would be regular attendees.

Yeah, I'm reviewing a shul on Easter. So?…read more This is the only temple in Burlington. Many people go to the larger, 'prettier' Reform synagogues in Lexington or Newton. It's true the grounds of Temple Shalom Emeth are not much to look at and all three buildings are in desperate need of a huge cash injection to the capital fund. Please G-d, at the very least do something about that bathroom; your worshippers are freezing. But it isn't about that, is it? It's about the rabbi, the cantors, and the community. And that's why this temple gets five stars. A published author children's books, Rabbi Dr. Susan Abramson was one of the first fifty women ordained and is the longest-serving female Rabbi in Massachusetts, has founded an all-encompassing Jewish and interfaith adoption information & support network, is involved in many progressive political organizations, and much more. She is a deeply impressive human being and a thoughtful, truly inspiring Rabbi. Although I am most familiar with the exceptional creative talents of Don Levey, both cantors are fantastic. Every synagogue has 'temple politics' and Shalom Emeth is no exception, but the community is great. It was too many years ago that I was in pre-Hebrew school or Hebrew school to comment on them but the option of three years continued education post-Mitzvah with the Rabbi is an amazing experience (and I believe they have another two-year program following that now). The youth group, SEFTY, is fantastic. There is adult education, interfaith groups, and special events. While some shuls are better for young single people or families etc, this temple has an unusually wide demographic range and seeks the involvement of both old and new members. I am very fond of this synagogue. Try it! You'll like it.

Amazingly welcoming and open Temple. The community here is warm and quick to welcome new members…read more The Rabbi writes awesome kids books and is wonderfully nice. They have a great Hebrew school program with some of the nicest teachers I've ever met! My son has loved it since day 1. Lots of events and lots of chances for the children to participate in various activities and services. This temple could never be described as stuffy or uptight and everyone is clearly accepted and welcomed. It's a great place for families who want to be involved in community events. For me a big plus was that my young sons are welcome at service and no one glares at us if the baby babbles a little.

We love My Weekday School! Our son is currently enrolled in his first year, and we are so happy…read morethat we chose MWS. Everyone is so caring and very attentive, and as first time pre-school parents the staff really helped us be prepared and put us at ease. My son has food allergies and his teacher has been amazing to ensure they only provide snacks that are safe for him. Our son absolutely loves MWS and is excited to go to school each day. He comes home full of stories about the activities they did and stuff he learned. We especially enjoy the storyboard from Mrs. Levine's class that our 3 year old son can recite back all by himself. It's really a great school and overall community.

My Weekday School is the most amazing preschool in our area. It has been open for over 55 years and…read morestill going strong. I went there as a child and now my own children attend. The teachers are loving and caring while at the same time preparing the children for elementary school. The days are structured and fun. Our oldest child is in first grade in the Lexington public school system. He was more than prepared to start elementary school after going to My Weekday School. This preschool sets the foundation for your child's education. This affordable preschool is a must see. You will be welcomed with open arms.

I've been attending since summer 2007, and, through years of expected and unexpected changes, I've…read morefound that Reservoir Church has remained accessible to those with a lot, a little, or no organized religious background ("Christian" or otherwise) with the central unifying theme of a benevolent God who is eager to connect with us individually and as a community, simply and helpfully, in our daily lives. Sunday morning service comprises free coffee and bagels, welcoming smiles, and a simple program. But, if the talks are thought-provoking and applicable and the music uplifting and participatory, the real opportunity to maximize your experience is to engage the community: chat with a seat mate after service, attend a class or a weekly small group, help out on a Sunday morning team, or volunteer with community outreach such as the local summer youth "Soccer Nights" (totally according to your comfort and availability)! By and large, the community is diverse, smart, scientific, artistic, networked, compassionate, old, young, curious, humble, hopeful, and committed. One of the mainstays for me has been the safe place to get (and offer to others) dynamic prayer (for literally anything and everything). Say hi if you visit!

I am writing this review so others are aware of the experiences of some, so potential attendees and…read moremembers can make a holistic decision about whether or not to attend and commit their time, resources, and relationships to this church community. I will also self-disclose that all I write here I have brought directly to Steve Watson (Senior Pastor), Trecia Reavis (Executive Pastor), Ivy Anthony (Director of Community Life), and Lydia Shiu (Director of Social Justice). I will focus on stating facts vs offering commentary. It's too long to rehash the details of 7-8 years, so I will provide two select examples. When my father passed away suddenly after a ~20 year struggle with illness and increasing disability in May 2019, I received a text from Steve expressing his condolences and apologizing he could not attend the Sunday memorial services. After that, none of the pastoral staff reached out to me directly other than to comment on my social media postings processing my grief. After an extended time of grieving and letting the staff know about my sense of hurt/disappointment and confusion at navigating a major personal loss without pastoral care, I was told that the norm and expectation is that my community group members and friends were tending to me: the pastoral staff would not be able to directly care for congregants in these ways given the large attendee size of the church. Furthermore, if I needed more engagement, I should initiate to schedule a meeting. The staff will often offer times to connect during business hours, when many adults are working. After the church leadership decision to lay off a long time staff member in 2025 with limited congregation communication, lack of community dialogue, and low process transparency, I made the decision to attend services elsewhere. After nearly 5 months of absence on Sundays, I received an email from Steve noting this and asking me not to attend a meeting that was scheduled to "heal" and "reconcile" after the aforementioned lay-off. Rather than calling or reaching out to check in if I was okay, I was sent an email to make it clear I should not attend what was announced as an open meeting if it was not my intention to continue my Sunday attendance. Ultimately, I was able to make my case to attend by insisting on speaking to Steve and articulating that it is unhelpful to delineate "insidership" and "outsidership" in this way given the intention of the gathering. There is more that I can write, but I will leave it here to allow others to make their own decision about the church.