I started doing this weird thing ever since I moved to Cambridge from Chicago. I go around to…read moredifferent places of worship and harass - I mean, I ask tons of questions of clergy and churchgoers. A couple weeks ago, the place of worship was Temple Beth Shalom. I called before and asked to meet with a member of the congregation - you know, for the customary questions: Is there a dress code? Are women and men seated separately? Is there any special 'bread and wine' protocol? [This is more important than you'd think - some places of worship extend this to believers of all faiths, others solely to the baptized or members of that congregation - you never know...] So, I went to a service. Chicago's big on diversity, but not so much on the integration of said diversity. We sort of hover around each other. I'd had minimal exposure to the faith/culture; mainly the history of Jewish-Black relations during the Civil Rights era. To sum things up, it was a foreign experience. Thank god for hymnals with English translations alongside the original Hebrew and kind people that simply smile when you respond to their open 'Shabbat Shalom' with a feeble 'Um, thank you?'. At the end of the service, I got to ask even more questions. What was davening? Why do women only count in some of the services? Can Judaism be considered a forward-facing culture with such old-school roots? It was so worth it.

Their congregation is environmentally conscious and this was an appealing reason to write this…read morereview. Tradition is no reason to hurt our wildlife. Hurting another living being to repent for our sins is a bit hypocritical.

This shul is a diamond in the rough, and truly work checking out. Drop by any Friday night at 6…read morefor a short, warm and spiritual service, and you won't be sorry. I started going about 15 years ago, but just recently have become more involved as the energy has been growing after the hiring of a new assistant rabbi, Eliana Jacobowitz.

I attended a wedding (I'm not Jewish). I can't speak to the religious subtleties, but I was very…read moreimpressed at the building - it's clearly been well-maintained, and it has a much better airiness and feel than European cathedrals that I've visited. I was also impressed at the education level of the Rabbi, the Cantor's enthusiasm was obvious (even if I didn't understand the words), and everyone clearly had a strong sense of what I would call a joyous sense of community. Something that Christian churches rarely have, unfortunately. People were really happy to be there, and to see and help each other. An inspiration.

This is a wonderful Jewish synagogue in the heart of Brookline, MA. A beautiful, large building,…read morewith a gorgeous main sanctuary, function hall, large daily minyan, and Hebrew School. They are open to interfaith couples who choose to raise their children Jewishly; they are open to gay and lesbian Jews; Jews of any ethnic background; Jews by birth and Jews-by-choice (halakhic conversions to Judaism); they are open to Jews who range from the very observant to not-so-observant. Their all-night Tikkun for the holiday of Shavuot is something to be experienced; the best that I have ever gone to. Make no mistake about it, this is a Conservative Jewish synagogue, in the broadest and most traditional sense of the term "conservative Judaism". Conservative Judaism, as it was intended by those who developed it, is trans-denominational, or if you prefer, non-denominational Judaism. They do not hew to a strictly rigid and narrow set of beliefs (theology) and practices (halakha), like so much of the Orthodox. Nor do they jettison all beliefs and practices, as did most of the Reform. As Reform Rabbi W. Gunther Plaut admitted, "there is no such thing as a [Reform] Jewish theological principle, policy, or doctrine", robbing people of the very thing people seek when they become part of a community, or religion. Instead, this synagogue follows the classical rabbinic Jewish path of acknowledging there are Jewish principles of faith, but recognizes that no one code of them ever developed canonical status, thus encouraging members to study many Jewish texts on the subject, and approach them intellectually; the same is true for halakhah (Jewish law and custom); Jewish law is considered to be normative (what one is supposed to do, as opposed to a mere suggestion), yet at the same time following the classical rabbinic Jewish path in which more than one interpretation of the law may be considered valid. This worldview is the basis of classical rabbinic Judaism in the Talmud, and of Conservative Judaism itself, whether or not a synagogue is formally a member of the Conservative movement. By the way, this definition also includes most of the Chavurah movement, the Union for Traditional Judaism, and the more liberal Partnership minyans which are nominally Modern Orthodox :-)

I grew up in a Conservative-oriented family, but I have the spiritual sense of a (modern…read moremachine-cut) brick and no interest in practicing Judaism, but the loss of my wife to cancer earlier this year and some things surrounding that got me feeling more culturally Jewish, and I started looking at synagogues. Temple Israel hadn't even been on my list, but they were hosting Tisha b'Av this year (the Reform synagogues in that area rotate it annually) and I decided to check it out. I found that I really liked the larger size, active and varied (in age and other characteristics) community, and inclusive approach. "Inclusive" in this regard doesn't simply mean diverse -- Temple Israel certainly is -- but also the participatory atmosphere. For example, they called all new members up -- quite a few of us -- for the aliyah on Yom Kippur morning (and followed that up with the entire congregation during the afternoon). Rabbi Elaine Zecher, the senior rabbi, is very influential in the Reform movement, and listening to her and talking with her it's very apparent why, but one wouldn't necessarily know that the way the clergy interact. I've seen synagogues where the assistant rabbi(s) would better be described as rabbi's assistant or even apprentice, filling in only as needed, but that is not the case here. They rotate who delivers the sermon and tag team during services such that all of the rabbis lead for roughly equal amounts of time and don't "specialize". They are all very approachable and have their own distinct personalities. Despite (or not) it being a large synagogue, I find it very easy to talk with people, which isn't something that comes naturally to me. The clergy is very innovative indeed, but I cannot think of anything that we do that I can say is fundamentally out of line with Jewish tradition. It likely would not be to the taste of someone familiar and comfortable with Orthodox practice. They do use different (and varying) melodies for many of the usual prayers and songs, but that makes it more interesting. As far as the building and location goes, it's historic but well-maintained and updated and fully accessible. Fully validated parking in an enclosed garage right across a street that's really a driveway, along with convenience to the Longwood T stop, make it very easy to attend.

In the hunt for a synagogue in Boston, there were many to choose from! I think I made a good choice…read morewith Temple Israel for many reasons: + It is very accessible via bus or car, and they validate parking in a secured garage. + The facility is old and historic, and very very beautiful + The congregation is the most diverse and varied I've ever, ever experienced. They are open to interfaith, homosexual, young, and old. + Very affordable dues and payment options. The only downsides to this synagogue is that despite the fact that I love the inclusion and diversity, it is a little too "modern", I guess. They break away from the usual "Gates of Repentance" book that most of us are familiar with, using different melodies for standard prayers (sh'ma, viahavta, avot, etc.) that, unless you have always gone to this temple, you won't know.

Welcoming congregation. All seeking a spiritual home should try a service. Hold services twice a…read moremonth and have many other events. Open to interfaith couples and rabbi performs interfaith weddings. LGBT community welcome.

Very welcoming, liberal congregation. Services are currently only held once a month (it's a very…read moresmall, new congregation) at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Boston. Rabbi Berman is also the rabbi-in-residence there and offers sermons during the church services, while members of Emmanuel often come to services at Boston Jewish Spirit. It's a good congregation for people coming back to Judaism - there are no assumptions made about how much you know or don't know/remember about Jewish worship services. It's also a very welcoming congregation for interfaith couples and lgbt people.

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.

Temple Sinai is a Reform Jewish Temple in Coolidge Corner. The building was a Unitarian Church…read moreyears ago which explains why it looks like a church. The physical space is small and the layout a bit strange but somehow it makes TS feel all the more alive. Every corner of space is in use most of the time for classes, various committees and meetings, etc. Temple staff and clergy are approachable. The religious education programs for both youth and adults are truly stellar. More than just lip service is paid to the inclusion of people who traditionally have felt excluded such as gay families, inter-faith couples, single parents, Jews by choice, lower income folks... There are many more members now than when I joined ten years ago but it still occupies the same building with a footprint that can't change. (Check out the location and you will understand why.) A good challenge to be facing, IMHO. The one major negative is parking. It is Coolidge Corner, after all. If you are willing to walk a bit, or better yet take the T, this is a really lovely Synagogue to become a part of.

A warm, inclusive, progressive community that's conveniently located and welcoming to all. Great…read moreevents, worship services and educational opportunities for all ages.

I have only been here twice, but I came during a critical time in my life. Right after Rosh…read moreHaShana, my dad had a stroke. I live in California, but rushed to be with him in Boston. Where was I going to go for Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur? I felt alone and so scared and depressed. I left the ICU and came here. A friend of mine told me he was going and must have assumed that, being from Berkeley, this might be a good fit for me. So I tagged along and was struck by the "haimish" feeling right away. [This is hilarious to me that I'm using a Yiddish word for "home" given that, as a West-coast Jew, I never encountered much Yiddish growing up. But this is what comes to mind. The place was haimish to the max.] I was in such a vulnerable place, and one of the women took me under her wing and looked me deep in the eyes. It was powerful to feel like I had a place and a Jewish community I could fit in with, even if I was just passing through. I've never forgotten the place and now that I'm moving to Boston (as fate would have it), I do hope to visit again.

Havurat Shalom is a wonderful, warm, welcoming Jewish spiritual community…read morewith progressive values. This is a loving, caring, enlivening place I can come to deepen and integrate my intellectual, emotional and my prayer life. The services are full of singing, some helpful readings, poems, and space for my own inner experience. They davinn (pray) with a full heart. I am so grateful for a Jewish community that addresses God and people as both feminine and masculne in the Hebrew, which is unique to Havurat Shalom. The Torah discussions are meaningful, with folks putting a lot of good thinking into them. I often leave services feeling both uplifted, peaceful, and connected to community, ready to give more in the rest of my life.

Overall, just an amazing Kehilla. Very Jewishly literate, friendly people, and the most hospitality…read moreI have seen in a shul. Need a meal for Shabbat? It's as easy as using the website the Thursday before Shabbos. Beautiful new building, and is condusive to any number of events. Great Cholent on Shabbos, as well as the normal Ice Cream kiddush. Check it out.

This is the creme de la creme in Jewish community. Here you will find a highly educated and very…read morewarm community of people. Every Shabbat you will find something new, friendly faces, tasty food and intelligent classes. You can get a great tasting hot free meal and you will also enjoy learning with people who really know what they are praying about and who care deeply about Judaism and Life! L'Chaim