A warm, welcoming synagogue. It's very small and it's easy to meet people. The synagogue is…read moretraditionally Orthodox and so are most of the members, however there is a large minority of less religious members who join for various reasons (it was their childhood synagogue, location, finances-it's very inexpensive), etc. Some of the less religious members have leadership positions, so it's not 'discriminatory' in that respect. Women also have board positions, though be aware that there is separate seating (women sit in a balcony; the Torah is supposed to be and usually is brought up at the appropriate time). At various points in term the synagogue has hired a part-time rabbi; otherwise the synagogue is lay-led. Sometimes rabbis or cantors are hired for High Holiday or other special services. There is no religious school (or wasn't when we were members a few years ago) as most of the children attend Jewish day school. It may be possible though for one of the members to help find an alternative (private instruction, etc) if the day school option does not work for you. The synagogue sponsors a number of educational and social events; most are open to non-members and they are usually very good. Physically, the synagogue, which I believe is on the National Register of Historic Places, is lovely. The building is fairly small and older but is very well kept up. It exudes an informal, welcoming atmosphere. Parking is not a problem and no one is going to condemn you if you drive rather than walk. I would definitely attend services here if you live in the area and are looking for a synagogue, or even if you already belong to another synagogue and just want to see what it is like. It is really a special place and worth attending a few services to see a type of synagogue that is pretty rare today,

From the owner: The Adams Street Shul is an independent, historic Orthodox synagogue that serves a diverse…read morecongregation and the broader community. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Shul hosts a welcoming volunteer community, now entering its 100th year of service, where everyone can contribute and be active in the life of the congregation.

Beautiful synagogue. Attended a cousin's bar mitzvah here. Very nice ceremony. The rabbi was…read morewonderful. Then the huge party across the hall. Must have been 150 people there and the food, service, and of course the DJ and music were all great and fun.

My fiancée and I looked into joining this temple and having our wedding there. I grew up in Newton…read moreand wanted to have our wedding at a temple in that area. After speaking the Rabbi Perlman who during the entire interview tried persistently to convince us that this congregation is not for us since we (30 years old) are too young and could not make use of what they have to offer. Yes they have many child oriented activities and at the moment my fiancée and I are childless, but this will probably not be for ever, but should that be the primary reason for letting people join a congregation? I believe that if you are jewish you should be welcomed to join in to any community not ostracized for not fitting into their particular demographic. Well low and behold, the rabbi calls us back flat out refusing our request to join their congregation because THEY don't believe that we would be a "good fit" aka don't have kids and are probably not very wealthy in order to be able to contribute monetarily to paying their fat paychecks, as if the exorbitant membership fee wasn't enough, to add to it they mask themselves under a flag of community and jewish prosperity, but in reality are a bunch of elitists, who just want to belong to an exclusive club. If you're an exclusive club.. then dont' call yourself a synagogue because then you're sending out a false symbol to those around you thinking that you're warm and welcoming.

Reyim helped my family to successfully navigate a very difficult situation with my father over a…read morelong period of time. They helped us in many different ways and for that, we are forever grateful.

A beautiful, loving congregation who supports one another through good times and bad. A learned…read moreRabbi who gives wonderful classes for congregants. A wonderful Limmud program with many wonderful programs. An active social action committee who support many important causes. An important B'Nai Mitzvah program with parents and children involved. The school uses experiential learning to enhance learning.

30 year member, part of this dynamic caring and learning community, many "gates" to membership, you…read morewill find all sorts of ways to be Jewish here. Brilliant clergy who relate our ancient traditions to today's world, both for individuals and groups.

Bad idea to come here to connect to god, the Jewish community, or for spiritual guidance. God would…read more not approve of what is going on inside these holy walls. Unless you donate large sums of money, the rabbis won't give you the time of day even in your greatest time of need. When my husband died, the main rabbi, Gardenshwartz refused to officiate the funeral because I couldn't afford his fee. I have been a loyal member for more then ten years and always gave generously until I fell on hard times. The congregants are mainly a bunch of old sheep to the rabbis flock, and everyone but his most inner circle are treated by him like children or outsiders. The sermons are braggadocious, cliche and a soapbox promoting the rabbis enormous ego. The female rabbi is a puppet to the overseers board and the main rabbi and is given the second class members to counsel. She is distracted and barely pretends to be paying attention. You will never find parking, friends or joy coming here. I am filled with sadness how I was treated.

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!).

Temple Beth Elohim Wellesley…read more This unusually special building was just built in 2009. While it is an active Reform Jewish Temple, it is open to all to individually visit, meditate and reflect (and/or to join in a service.) The photos on the web site will give you a very good idea of its uniqueness and the welcoming community it houses.The building, which is situated in a wooded area, is designed to seamlessly fit into the landscape; light woods and stone and large window expanses achieve that goal beautifully. And every season is 'the best season' to see it. We spent most of our time in the glorious sanctuary, sitting and taking in all the design details and outside views, and in the courtyard garden which serves as a lovely transition space to welcome you into the main building. The communal spaces in the atrium lobby's two floors- have a number of worthwhile displays and sculptures, and further opportunities to appreciate the wealth of architectural details, and think about the wise choices that were made in creating them. Pay special attention to the color palette and the woods, stones and textiles used to all complement each other and to bring the outside in. The Boston architects of William Rawns have received numerous awards for the Temple: 2013 AIA New England Honor Award; 2012 Faith & Form, Religious Architecture; 2012 Chicago Athenaeum, American Architecture Award; 2011 BSA Honor Award http://www.rawnarch.com/temple_beth_elohim The Temple is located only 5 minutes off Rt. 95/128. Wellesley has many architectural treasures further west in the town- including the Romanesque Town Hall, and the charming melange of the Wellesley College campus. Leisure exploring in Wellesley will take you down some of MA's prettiest country roads, past 18th and 19th c. clapboard houses and woodlands.

Joyous music filled Friday night and bar/ bat mitzvah services. Inspiring high holy day observance…read more Young compassionate rabbinate and cantor. Exceptional education program for children and adults. A strong community that will enhance your connection to Judaism and Israel and Jewish families in metro west.

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.

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.

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 :-)