Welcome to Temple B'nai Brith in Somerville!
We are an independent egalitarian congregation. 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.
Join us for...
Kabbalat Shabbat Services: 6pm every Friday
Shabbat Morning Services: 9:15am every Saturday except Shabbat Together weeks
Shabbat Together: a different Shabbat service, one Saturday monthly at 10am
Tot Shabbat Services: 10am one Saturday monthly
We are an independent egalitarian congregation. 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.
Join us for...
Kabbalat Shabbat Services: 6pm every Friday
Shabbat Morning Services: 9:15am every Saturday except Shabbat Together weeks
Shabbat Together: a different Shabbat service, one Saturday monthly at 10am
Tot Shabbat Services: 10am one Saturday monthly
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First Day of Sunday School
10:30 am - 12 noon Sunday, September 23 Kids will enjoy singing, arts & crafts, and making decorations for the TBB sukkah. A breakfast meeting for parents will take place upstairs in the social hall (please send at least one parent, including our Nitzanim parents) where we'll give an overview of the year and new changes. Sukkot Services
9:15 am Monday, September 24 and Tuesday, September 25 20s & 30s Sukkot Dinner and Learning
7:00 pm Tuesday, September 25 Bring your dinner to the Sukkah and learn about Radical Hospitality in our current political climate. No cost. 
Learning in the Sukkah
with Rabbi Eliana 7:30pm Wednesday, September 26 Join us for an evening of learning in the TBB sukkah. We will take a look at selected verses from Ecclesiastes customarily studied on Sukkot. Please bring your own bagged dinner. Registration is appreciated. 
Vegetarian Potluck in the Sukkah
Friday, September 28 following 6pm Shabbat Services Please bring a vegetarian dish to share (for 6+ people). Click here for more info. Tot Shabbat in the Sukkah led by Rabbi Eliana Jacobowitz 10-11am Saturday, September 29 Join us in the TBB sukkah as we sing and dance our way through a short and simplified morning service for young children (preschool-kindergarten) and their families. Shemini Atzeret Services 9:15 am Monday, October 1 Simchat Torah Services 6 pm Monday, October 1 9:15 am Tuesday, October 2 
Song of the Heart
with Rabbi Eliana 7:30pm Tuesday October 9 According to the midrash (homiletic interpretation of Jewish text) every part of creation, even the earth and the stones, gives praise to God in the form of a song. This singing is so pleasing to God that it is identified in one midrash as the reason why God created the world in the first place. The human prayer, known also as the song of the heart, is how we join the rest of creation to praise the Creator. Come sing with us. We will meet in Rabbi Eliana’s air conditioned office to learn a variety of melodies including old and modern melodies, Sefardi and Hassidic melodies, melodies from Jewish text and liturgy. This class is for everyone, regardless of whether you come to services or not, and regardless of whether you think you can sing or not. All texts are transliterated. |
Remember to bring your donations of kosher raisins and kosher canned fruit for Family Table!
SIGN UP for Shabbat Minyan here. To receive our emails or newsletter drop us a note at tbb@templebnaibrith.org 
Accessibility
Temple B'nai Brith is proud to be wheelchair accessible. Our accessible entrance is at the rear of the building and equipped with an intercom system. The accessible restroom is located at the front of the building on the ground level. Our elevator provides access to all three levels. 
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Shabbat + Bayit = Shabbayit!
Bayit means home in Hebrew, and with the new Shabbayit initiative, you're invited to spend time getting to know other folks from TBB over home-hosted Shabbat meals.
Bayit means home in Hebrew, and with the new Shabbayit initiative, you're invited to spend time getting to know other folks from TBB over home-hosted Shabbat meals.
Attend a Dinner
On Friday night, October 12, three TBB families will be opening their homes to share Shabbat dinners in a variety of ways. Click here to read more about the planned dinners, choose the one that seems like the best fit for you, and sign up by emailing sara.zucker@comcast.net.
Host a Dinner
Hosts decide when dinner starts, what's served, and how it's eaten. If you want to host a vegetarian potluck at 6:30 or a backyard BBQ at 7:30, it's entirely up to you! If you're willing to host, we want to help you connect with other members of the congregation. Please email sara.zucker@comcast.net if you're interested in hosting.
On Friday night, October 12, three TBB families will be opening their homes to share Shabbat dinners in a variety of ways. Click here to read more about the planned dinners, choose the one that seems like the best fit for you, and sign up by emailing sara.zucker@comcast.net.
Host a Dinner
Hosts decide when dinner starts, what's served, and how it's eaten. If you want to host a vegetarian potluck at 6:30 or a backyard BBQ at 7:30, it's entirely up to you! If you're willing to host, we want to help you connect with other members of the congregation. Please email sara.zucker@comcast.net if you're interested in hosting.
Martin Buber’s Hasidism and Modern Man
taught by Darshan Phil Weiss
6 sessions, 9:30 – 11am Sundays
Oct 14, 21, 28; Nov 4, 11, 18
Martin Buber was a major Jewish existentialist philosopher, who had a significant influence on both Jewish and Christian theology in the 20th century. His thought was one of the central motivators of the Jewish renewal movement. His versions of Hasidic stories (and his theoretical presentations of Hasidism) emphasized the this-worldly and communal aspects of Hasidic life. Last year, we studied Buber’s seminal philosophical work I and Thou. This year, we’ll study Hasidism and Modern Man, one of his theoretical works on Hasidism (actually, a collection of independent theoretical essays). We’ll read the six essays in chronological order, rather than the order in which they are printed, to follow the development of Buber’s mature attitude toward Hasidism.
Students should try to pick up a copy of the work and read, for the first class session, the earliest essay, “The Life of the Hasidim.”
taught by Darshan Phil Weiss
6 sessions, 9:30 – 11am Sundays
Oct 14, 21, 28; Nov 4, 11, 18
Martin Buber was a major Jewish existentialist philosopher, who had a significant influence on both Jewish and Christian theology in the 20th century. His thought was one of the central motivators of the Jewish renewal movement. His versions of Hasidic stories (and his theoretical presentations of Hasidism) emphasized the this-worldly and communal aspects of Hasidic life. Last year, we studied Buber’s seminal philosophical work I and Thou. This year, we’ll study Hasidism and Modern Man, one of his theoretical works on Hasidism (actually, a collection of independent theoretical essays). We’ll read the six essays in chronological order, rather than the order in which they are printed, to follow the development of Buber’s mature attitude toward Hasidism.
Students should try to pick up a copy of the work and read, for the first class session, the earliest essay, “The Life of the Hasidim.”
Zero to Fluent in Six Weeks : An Absolute Beginners Hebrew Class
taught by Rabbi Eliana Jacobowitz
6 sessions, 1:30 – 3pm Sundays
Oct. 14, 21, 28; Nov. 4, 11, 18
This class is meant for people who have no Hebrew background whatsoever. It will take you from letter recognition to fluent reading in six weeks in a fun non-judgmental environment. This class is not focused on obtaining vocabulary, only on reading skills. All materials will be provided. Students should plan to be at all classes and practice 10 minutes daily.
taught by Rabbi Eliana Jacobowitz
6 sessions, 1:30 – 3pm Sundays
Oct. 14, 21, 28; Nov. 4, 11, 18
This class is meant for people who have no Hebrew background whatsoever. It will take you from letter recognition to fluent reading in six weeks in a fun non-judgmental environment. This class is not focused on obtaining vocabulary, only on reading skills. All materials will be provided. Students should plan to be at all classes and practice 10 minutes daily.
Torah at Panera
resuming October 16
8 – 9am Tuesday mornings
at the Porter Square Panera
Join us for these informal gatherings to discuss the weekly Torah portion. No Hebrew or previous knowledge is necessary, and you don't need to bring your own book. Come early if you wish to buy yourself coffee or breakfast so that we can start on time. Contact rabbieliana@gmail.com for more info.
resuming October 16
8 – 9am Tuesday mornings
at the Porter Square Panera
Join us for these informal gatherings to discuss the weekly Torah portion. No Hebrew or previous knowledge is necessary, and you don't need to bring your own book. Come early if you wish to buy yourself coffee or breakfast so that we can start on time. Contact rabbieliana@gmail.com for more info.
Bed-Stuy is Burning
by Brian Platzer
7pm Wednesday, October 17
at Panera Porter Square
Bedford-Stuyvesant is a Brooklyn neighborhood with a storied black history. Now, its magnificent brownstones are in demand, police presence has increased, young white families and professionals are moving in and populating the parks and streets, new restaurants and stores are opening, and tensions ensue. This book focuses on the complex and conflicted lives of six Bed-Stuy inhabitants on one fateful and tragic Rosh Hashanah. Neighborhood tensions rise after a twelve-year-old black boy is shot ten times by police. A demonstration erupts into a riot. Shots are fired and murders are committed. The ugliness escalates, buildings burn, stores are looted, and dangerous crowds assemble. Bed-Stuy is Burning offers a suspenseful, well written, and empathetic story filled with wit, wisdom, and hard truths. It stands as an examination of people caught up in today’s urban realities. The impact of this debut novel is unsettling. While the characters endure darkness, grief, and challenges, there are many unresolved issues and no easy answers. Bed-Stuy is Burning is an engaging, timely, and provocative read.
by Brian Platzer
7pm Wednesday, October 17
at Panera Porter Square
Bedford-Stuyvesant is a Brooklyn neighborhood with a storied black history. Now, its magnificent brownstones are in demand, police presence has increased, young white families and professionals are moving in and populating the parks and streets, new restaurants and stores are opening, and tensions ensue. This book focuses on the complex and conflicted lives of six Bed-Stuy inhabitants on one fateful and tragic Rosh Hashanah. Neighborhood tensions rise after a twelve-year-old black boy is shot ten times by police. A demonstration erupts into a riot. Shots are fired and murders are committed. The ugliness escalates, buildings burn, stores are looted, and dangerous crowds assemble. Bed-Stuy is Burning offers a suspenseful, well written, and empathetic story filled with wit, wisdom, and hard truths. It stands as an examination of people caught up in today’s urban realities. The impact of this debut novel is unsettling. While the characters endure darkness, grief, and challenges, there are many unresolved issues and no easy answers. Bed-Stuy is Burning is an engaging, timely, and provocative read.
Do you like receiving the TBB newsletter in the mail? Should the TBB Shofar go electronic?
We are considering discontinuing the paper newsletter after this summer, in favor of an email version. We may also continue to send the Shofar by mail to those who wish to receive it that way. Please share your thoughts with us on how we should distribute the Shofar, as well as your personal delivery preference, at templebnaibrith.org/newsletter.
We are considering discontinuing the paper newsletter after this summer, in favor of an email version. We may also continue to send the Shofar by mail to those who wish to receive it that way. Please share your thoughts with us on how we should distribute the Shofar, as well as your personal delivery preference, at templebnaibrith.org/newsletter.
To receive our emails or newsletter drop us a note at tbb@templebnaibrith.org