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!).

Rabbi Goldstein is fantastic and has a way with children that helps to create a warn and inviting…read moreenvironment. Cantor Idan is an iconic musician who has a few cds out as well as leading all in house music. It is exciting to come to services and watch they two ordained officials work their magic. The temple has a very large sisterhood and brotherhood both of which host tons of events during the year which in many cases are opened to non members of the temple.

I love this Temple! They have a great preschool program with 3 grades. They have Hebrew Sunday…read moreschool which is on sundays, Monday's, and Wednesday's. They have a program for older children to do fun activities. The rabbi is very funny. The cantor is a great singer and is from Israel. They have a beautiful synagogue and a great temple. They are very accepting and is open to anyone who wants to come. The high holidays are always packed so get your tickets early! The building itself is beautiful, and is in a beautiful place. Although I only go during the holidays, I love this temple overall.

Love the relaxed atmosphere . High Holiday services were wonderful. Great community of all ages.read more

From the owner: We are a Synagogue serving the Jewish community of greater Newburyportread more

Felt like I received a giant hug the first time I walked into Shabbat morning services. Services…read moreare beautifully done with Conservative liturgy. There are Friday nights with an assist from Bashert, the in house band. True community with a range of activities from dairy pot luck dinners, book discussions, guest speakers, and giving back to the larger community. The Purim Spiel is pure joy.

Ive visit this synagogue last shabbat morning and it was a special service for a baby naming. I was…read moreinformed it is the synagogue of andover inwhich, moved hoping to meet its members in the middle of Andover and Lawrence. The members and visitors were very friendly. I even gave aliyah and, thats a 2nd time experience in a conservative synagogue I do not belong to. Very friendly people, the sanctuary and social hall is in one large space but, well seperated. To me it was nice and its definetly complamented by the Ark. As far as location, it wasnt hard to find however, GPS may label it as Cube3 studio because its in the same building 5 on the 3rd fl.

This is a wonderful and welcoming synagogue. It is a Conservative synagogue has recently become…read morevery vibrant again. There are many young families of every type and race, who are leading the way and their are lots of family activities. The Tot Shabbat is is packed and is led by a really incredible woman who has all of the kids singing along. My family joined last year and feel as is we have really found a home.

This is a special, sacred place filled with warmth and community. They welcome you with open arms…read moreas you are, without any pretense, and regardless of how observant you are.

Went here for the holiday today. The most spiritual experience. Not uptight, not snobby. The canter…read morewas upbeat and brought the room to life. I felt at home and I'm looking forward to Yom Kipper.

Ansha Sholum is like a beautiful flower that is growing out of a cement sidewalk. It is in one the…read moregrittiest neighborhoods in Lawrence, yet is not "just OK" inside. It looks and feels like a museum, like you have stepped back in time, or maybe outside of time entirely. It feels very peaceful. It's a very small, cozy congregation of older believers, more like a gathering of aunts and uncles than a typical congregation experience.

This is a great place to go if you are interested in the close, warm relationship that comes from a…read moresmall congregation. It is perfect for unaffiliated adults who are NOT looking for a synagogue with a school, or who are empty nesters. All are welcome, everyone participates, and (bonus) there is a very low almost nonexistent membership. Nervous about the location? It's considerably safer than it looks, gets an unnecessarily bad rap. If you are interested in an experience that feels like a chavurah that happens to have a building, this is the place!

What? No reviews? It's the best unaffiliated synagogue in the metrowest area! What other place has…read morea rabbi that's been with the congregation since its inception? If you just moved to Acton and you're Jewish, send your kids to Hebrew School here. Come on, people...

This community is family for me. I have a home for my heart, my mind, my spirit and my music. It is…read moretruly a blessing!

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.