Welcome to Temple B'nai Brith in Somerville! We are an independent egalitarian congregation with historical roots in the Conservative movement. Our membership reflects the wide variety of choices people make in living Jewish lives, and we are respectful of those differences. We welcome all who care about enriching Jewish life in Somerville and surrounding towns.

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT TBB?

High Holidays at TBB

holidays The high holiday season is already on its way. Here's a complete schedule of services with information on reserving tickets online.

This year we are offering a new family service for parents and their children in grades 2-7 as well as teens, on the first day of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur. Parents are asked to attend these services with their pre-b'nai mitzvah age children. The service will feature singing, storytelling, and a shofar service. Led by Rabbi Eliana and our Teen Madrichim. Services conclude in time to join the Torah reading in the sanctuary.

Tot Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Services for 3-6 year olds will also be held, from 10:00am-10:45am. Our family services do not require tickets and our open to the public.

Children's School accepting Fall Registration!

Children's School High Holiday season means school is around the corner, too. It's time to register for Children's School, if you haven't already! Check out our new Children's School website to learn more about our educational offerings for children.

Tea and Torah : Fall

tea Tea and Torah, our Torah-study tea-party, meets monthly on the third Saturday of the month at 5:00pm.

Come see Shabbat off with us. We will be drinking tea (truth in advertising) and discussing the weekly portion as well as whatever other Jewishy topics are on our minds. During the spring and summer we will end with Havdalah; during the fall and winter we will begin with Havdalah. Upcoming fall dates for Tea and Torah:
October 16
November 20
December 18
There will be tea. There will be Torah. We hope there will be you, too.

Fall Adult Education classes announced!

education This fall, come learn with us! We're offering two new adult education classes on Sunday mornings, meeting on October 17, October 24, October 31, November 7, November 14, and November 21. A Taste of Israeli Poetry will be taught by Rabbi Eliana Jacobowitz at 9:30am, and World Religions by our darshan Phil Weiss at 11:00. Click here for more information and to register for classes online.

How do YOU eat Jewish?

a welcome back brunch discussion

brunch
Sunday, September 19th
10:00am

Join us to talk about food while we eat! How do your values and identity inform and what you eat? We'll talk about sustainability, kashrut, eco-kashrut, vegetarianism, locavores, and whatever other thoughts folks bring to the table.

We know it's right after Yom Kippur (don't forget to break your fast *before* the brunch!) and that we'll all have been spending lots of time at TBB already by then, but we hope to see you at a chance to connect more casually with our TBB friends as the Jewish year and the school year begins.

Meet with Assistant Rabbi Eliana Jacobowitz

meetings Our new Assistant Rabbi, Eliana Jacobowitz, would like to sit down with each and every one of you, our members, this summer. Yes, that means a lot of conversations, and it also means each one will not be very long (half an hour more or less). These conversations are just a starting point, a chance for me to hear a bit about your hopes and concerns, learn a bit about your lives and your interests and answer whatever questions you may have for me. The bulk of these talks will take place in July and August. I would like to spread them out, to accommodate the schedules of as many people as possible. To schedule a meeting, please click here to access a spreadsheet with possible meeting times (marked in green). Find a time that works for you (an empty green slot) and type in your name, phone number and email address in that space. Eliana will email or call to confirm our meeting time. If none of these times work for you, do not give up - more times will be available in August.

Open House Weekend

openhouse TBB is hosting an open house weekend on September 24-26! TBB members - tell a friend! (Or, even if you're already a member, make an effort to come by this weekend to meet some new people and maybe learn something about TBB you didn't know before. )
  • September 24, 6-7:15pm Check Out our Friday night services, welcome Shabbat with song and prayer, a sip of wine and a taste of challah!
  • September 25, 9:15am-1:00pm Visit our Shabbat morning services, and meet congregants at the concluding kiddush. (Come anytime during the service - you're not interrupting, and someone will be glad to help you find your place.)
  • September 26, 11:00am-1:00pm Visit our Children's School, join in a Sukkot event, have a nosh, or just meet congregants and learn more about our community.
And of course, if you're new to our community and can't wait to check out TBB or simply find a place in Somerville for the holidays, we'd be delighted to have you at our High Holiday Services as well. If you like what you see, come back to learn more at the open house!