Lifecycle Rituals

Becoming BMitzvah

Rabbi Jen Gubitz

June 27, 2022

I love seeing how our students at Temple Shalom of Newton transform throughout the process of becoming BMitzvah. It's the end of my first year coordinating the BMitzvah program and my colleague Allison Lobron, an experienced leader in inclusion and social emotional learning, and I are hosting an end of year celebration for our BMitzvah students.

Ilene goldman's wedding, bride and groom standing under the chuppah

Ritual Objects

My Father’s Tallit

Ilene S. Goldman

July 6, 2021

As a child snoop, I was well acquainted with the contents of my parents’ dresser drawers. This came in handy often, like the night before a trip when my mom panicked because she couldn’t find her passport.

Small silhouette of a person standing against the night sky as if to represent the enormity of the universe

Lifecycle Rituals

My Big Question: God, The Milky Way, Miracles, and More

Richard Reiss

April 7, 2021

The enormous question for me, then, has always been: Is God watching? When I began to understand computers, I realized that, yes, one thing could follow billions of people if those people were nothing more than data points on a revolving planet with polar icecaps.

Yellow alarm clock fading away at the edges as if to represent the passage of time

Jewish Rituals and Symbols

The Omer: Finding Hope and Wisdom in the Counting of Time

Rabbi Allison Berry

April 1, 2021

Counting is never more important than between Passover and Shavuot; we call this ritual counting the Omer. Each day we recite a blessing marking that this period of time is meant to be one time of reflection, revelation, and change.

Sad woman sitting on a wooden floor holding her head in her hands as if in grief

COVID-19

Distancing Closeness: A New Way of Mourning

Rabbinic Pastor/Cantor Lisa L. Levine

November 5, 2020

Gathering in grief gives us a window into the blessings of life. Jewish tradition does this so well – which makes it all the more difficult to cope with loss in the time of COVID-19.