Temple Shir Tikvah, Winchester, Massachusetts
Temple Shir Tikvah, Winchester, Massachusetts
In Pillars & Foundations I intend to share my exploration and
experiences of many different organizations of faith, predominantly near where I
live in Massachusetts. These institutions are important, often overlooked and
even misjudged centers of our communities that seek to make a positive impact
on their participants as well as others through their generosity and public
service. It is possible that through this activity I may eventually consider a
long term relationship with one of these pillars and foundations of the
community, however I am eager to do a lot of exploring first.
I was honored to be approached by fellow Wakefield residents Caroline and Dan Lieber, who had expressed appreciation of these blog posts. They extended an invitation to attend Shabbat with them at their Temple in nearby Winchester. This was the first experience attending a Jewish service for my wife and I and this entry is written with that context. As a consequence I may take more time to explain various aspects of the service with a level of detail usually absent from these posts. Regardless, I may overlook various details, and I welcome comments and clarifications to assist areas where the descriptions could use support.
The Building and Temple History:
What strikes me is that the story of Shir Tikvah may be a more contemporary one, but it mirrors the stories of generations past setting up various centers of worship in these quaint New England communities that many of us call home. Shabbat potlocks and Hanukkah parties were hosted out of homes starting in the 1970s. Through the years the community grew, merging with Temple Judea, a conservative Stoneham based synagogue, before ultimately acquiring their current temple location in 1998. The structure used to be a former apartment building and underwent extensive renovation for two years. As can be seen from the photo above Shir Tikvah's location is a beautiful Winchester neighborhood of colonials perched on a hill, overlooking picturesque Wedge pond. When we attended, it was another gloomy spring day but the flowering tree, and the pop of the green grass is perhaps starting to complement some of the vibrancy of the congregation within. For more details on the history of Shir Tikvah, their website is incredibly informative.
Caroline was kind enough to escort my wife and I to our seats and provide us with copies of the prayer/song books, which read left to right. The books read in Hebrew on the left page showing both the Hebrew text, as well as the phonetic pronunciation to be sung. The right page provides English translation and commentary.
We were introduced to Rabbi Cari and Cantor Beth, who answered several basic questions about the temple prior to the ceremony. A representation of the Ten Commandments can be seen behind and above the podium area and Menorah. Below the Commandments is a cabinet called The Ark which contains the Torah scrolls. These can be seen in more detail in the photo below. Between the darkness and the glare of the lights, in retrospect, requesting to use a flash when taking these may have been beneficial.
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| The Ark and The Commandments: To the left, the text reads "BEHOLD-HOW GOOD AND HOW PLEASANT IT IS FOR US TO DWELL TOGETHER IN UNITY." (Psalm 133:1) |
On the first day, you will take for yourselves a fruit of a beautiful tree, palm branches, twigs of a braided tree and brook willows, and you will rejoice before the L-RD your G-d for seven days. -Leviticus 23:40
Rabbi Cari had mentioned that this design was a choice in part to exemplify the values of the Reform Jewish Temple that is Shir Tikvah. A resource which I link to here notes that this symbolism is thought to represent the different types of Jews.
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| Prayer Books: Read left to right. These are picked up by the congregation at the wall upon which members enter the hall. |
The Congregation:
The invitation for us to join a Shabbat service is indicative of the warmth and acceptance of the congregation as a whole. Caroline guided us through everything we needed to know, introducing us to others, explaining things when needed, and kindly guiding us through prayer. Shir Tikvah describes its exemplary efforts of inclusivity in depth on their web page, and it was clear through the service and the hospitality extended to us that members are living these values.
As mentioned the Temple is a member of the Union for Reform Judaism, which takes progressive stances towards interfaith families and marriage equality.
Participation seems very strong as the temple was filled when we attended. Congregation members largely participated in the songs, which are the basis of much of the prayer. Announcements were made about ongoing activities. A sizable group of children played and working on various activities during service, adding life and occasional levity to the atmosphere.
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| The view from inside the temple hall. Located on the second floor it gives a wonderful vantage point over Wedge Pond where the sun often sets during Shabbat |
The Service:
As I was largely unfamiliar with Shabbat upon attending, I thought I would take some time to explain the service, as I assume many others outside the faith haven't had the opportunity to learn such details. The Commandments instruct remembrance of Shabbat, and recognizing that it is a "commemoration of creation," and also "a commemoration of freedom from slavery in Egypt." Shabbat is not merely a day of rest, with some strict rules in orthodoxy, but it is intended to be a joyous occasion.
I can say with certainty that at Shir Tikvah, this time was indeed joyous. The singing of the prayers led by Cantor Beth must be a terrific way to end a week of work with friends, and loved ones by your side. Time for both exaltation in ones faith, but also for meditation and reflection when appropriate.
The service proceeded through several defining moments. Shabbat is a day, not just a service and it begins at sunset. A lighting of candles is symbolic of this moment at which the day begins. Following this several boisterous songs are sung as part of the Kabbalat Shabbat portion of the ceremony where the Bride of Shabbat is welcomed. The congregation turns as though to welcome The Bride of Israel in through the door at the end of this sequence.
As part of this ceremony we were lucky to see a ritual for two young men having their Bar Mitzvahs on the following Saturday. In addition an adult convert also joined the young men as an official convert to Judaism. The ceremony was very touching, Rabbi Cari, getting a little emotional at one point to the pleased laughter of the congregation.
Next came the SH'ma and her blessings. This is a prayer series sung in Hebrew that expresses joy in creation, thankfulness in the gift of revelation (awareness of God), and oneness with God, a prayer known as the Shema. I found the following link relating to Sh'ma, from which the following lyrics I recollect as a portion of this sequence: "Hear, O Israel, Adonai is our God, Adonai is One."
Rabbi Cari ordered her sermon before a redemption prayer in order to tie the theme of Israel and redemption together. The Jewish people are promised redemption in the future as it has occurred in the past (exodus from Egypt). This is an example, however redemption requires people to be accountable.
Rabbi Cari's sermon was a touching recollection of her experiences of visiting Israel as a child, through living their as a young adult. She recounted the joys when the peace process appeared to have so much promise, and the heart ache when events such as the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin occurred. She recounted befriending and interacting with Palestinians and nourishing her understanding and empathy. And she expressed a hope that Israel can be a place for all of its citizens.
Another portion of the service was the Amidah which is the central prayer of all Jewish services. It is comprised of 18 blessings that are within the prayer. Details on this prayer can be found here. The first three blessings are read together, and these praise G-d (sometimes written this way without the "o" out of respect to prevent erasure or destruction of the word). The remainder are read in private with congregation members standing until they have completed the prayer.
The conclusion of the service is Aleinu a prayer said at the closing of services that speaks to the duty of worshiping God. Time is taken to remember those who have passed away near the conclusion of the service.
Following the service my wife and I accompanied Caroline and the congregation downstairs for Kiddush a ceremony where a blessing with wine and Challah (bread) are shared with the congregation. Other food options such as pastries were also available.
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| Dedication in the front cover of the Prayer book, excuse the shadow of my hand |
Outreach
Tikkun Olan is a Hebrew phrase that means repairing the world and Shir Tikvah's outreach is detailed on their webpage under this label. Amongst the activities they participate in are preparation of meals for the Somerville Homeless Coalition. The Temple has a book collection for Chesterbrook Learning Center, an after-school program in Waltham. Congregation members volunteer to tutor children struggling with reading. Shir Tikvah gets involved with Habitat for Humanity, and the JF&CS Family Table food pantry. Congregation members volunteer at Winchester Hospital on Christmas and prepare holiday meals with Project Ezra. Blood drives are also occasionally hosted at Shir Tikvah. The Temple advocates for various other policy positions from fighting against discrimination to supporting environmental causes.
Conclusion
Shir Tikvah is an incredibly vibrant and active organization that makes the communities it touches in Massachusetts better for its presence. It is clear to see that this organization would make a very welcoming home to those looking for spiritual connection, and to give back to their community. I am thankful for having the opportunity to experience it.
Thank You
I want to thank Dan Lieber for reaching out to me and inviting me to Shir Tikvah very early in my project, and to his wife Caroline for kindly hosting my wife and I. I also want to thank Rabbi Cari, and Cantor Beth for warmly welcoming us and answering questions. Rabbi Cari kindly provided me an outline to help me write this, as the "bulletins," which I rely upon heavily from other services are not distributed typically at Shir Tikvah. Jewfaq.org, and reformjudaism.org were two valuable resources suggested to support this post.
Text and photographs by George Parks
Sources are embedded in links
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