Temple Teens heading to Israel
Welcome to Temple Tiferet Shalom!
Your Reform Jewish Home
We are a warm and vibrant congregation based in the Reform Jewish tradition. Here you will find a welcoming and inclusive community of spirituality, comfort, and life-long learning for individuals and families. We have a culture of engaging in Jewish life through prayer, study, celebration, and social action to make our world a better place.
Pre-registration by all visitors (who are not members) is now required.
Temple Tiferet Shalom warmly greets all newcomers to its community. However, during these challenging times, out of an abundance of caution, we now require all visitors who are not temple members to pre-register with the Temple Office at least 24 hours in advance before attending a service or event.
To pre-register, please call 978-535-2100 between 9AM and 4PM. You may not receive a confirmation call back, but you will be placed on the guest list. Visitors may accompany a Temple member to Temple without pre-registration.
TEMPLE TIFERET SHALOM WILL REQUIRE PRE-REGISTRATION BY ALL VISITORS:
Temple Tiferet Shalom warmly greets all newcomers to its community; however, during these challenging times, out of an abundance of caution, we now require all visitors who are not temple members to pre-register with the Temple Office at least 24 hours before attending a service or event. Thank you for helping to keep our community safe.
To pre-register, please call 978-535-2100 between 9AM and 4PM. Visitors may accompany a Temple member to Temple without pre-registration.
While no steps can guarantee Temple security, we believe this strikes the correct balance between our desire to be a warm and welcoming community and a safe one.”
A Statement from Rabbi Evan Sheinhait and TTS President, Jodi Coburn
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Hamas’s attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023 have left Jews around the world in a state of grief, anger, and mourning.
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In all moments of life, Temple Tiferet Shalom supports its members, our local and national communities, and Jewish communities in Israel and around the world.
​For as long as this conflict continues, our Temple is here to support you and your family through constructive dialogue and prayer.
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For ways to support Israel during this difficult time, please visit the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ’s) article entitled “How You Can Support Israel During This Time of Great Tragedy and Mourning,” at https://urj.org/blog/how-you-can-support-israel-during-time-great-tragedy-and-mourning.
Messages from...
Rabbi, Evan Sheinhait
On Rosh haShanah, I shared a vision for our Temple to be a center for the founding values of democracy. By standing up for our most sacred American beliefs, we can catalyze a new awakening toward a healthy, robust civic life within our walls. We are called to defend Washington's promise delivered in the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, “that on all occasions, in every location,” we act as citizens and patriots to uphold the foundation of our country. As an American Jewish community, the ideals enshrined in our Constitution are as sacred as our Torah. So our support of democracy occurs in the same way we embrace our Jewish beliefs: through text study. There is no other core American symbol to me than the Statue of Liberty. Etched into the foundation is Emma Lazarus’ poem The New Colossus. Let’s read her poem together:
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Strikingly, in a vision for our country, Lazarus alludes to the great women of our tradition. The mighty woman with a torch is the prophetess Deborah. The Mother of Exiles is a nickname for Rachel. Leah is described as having mild eyes, and Hannah cries with silent lips. These 4 women used their power and wit to ensure history remembered them and thereby, progressing Judaism into what we know today. It’s no coincidence these matriarchs are the embodiment of the Statue of Liberty’s promise. Lazarus captures the heart of the American Dream: to be an active, proud, and accepted member of American society. It doesn’t matter why or how your family arrived in this country. As long as you promote core American values and contribute productively to society, you have a seat at the table of America.
As I reread these words with our matriarch at the forefront of my mind, they scream of belonging and opportunity, a beautiful vision for our nation. These words could be emblazoned on our own doors. TTS commits itself to being a home for everyone on the North Shore. How you ended up here and for how long is of no concern. Neither finances, religious upbringing, nor physical ability will prevent you from entering our doors. Like our matriarchs, we all have a gift to share, a seed to plant that will grow into the next flourishing of our community. Today and every day, we recall Lazarus’s timeless words and commit ourselves to being the home for everyone on the North Shore!
President, Jodi Coburn
“I'm starting with the man in the mirror.
I'm asking him to change his ways.
And no message could have been any clearer:
If you wanna make the world a better place,
Take a look at yourself and then make a change.”
--Michael Jackson
Every year since 1988, right before Rosh Hashana begins, the lyrics to “Man in the Mirror” hit me and fill me with meaning. The High Holy Days are focused on self-reflection. This is the time we look inward, honestly evaluate our behavior and attitude, ask God for forgiveness for where we fell short, and pray for a new year of health and happiness. As the Avinu Malkeinu takes us through the alphabet of ways we may have gone astray, we think about the changes we plan to make in the coming year. Our liturgy helps us to include our interactions with family, friends, our community, our country, and our environment. This year, what I want you to consider adding to your list is a change to how you interact with the temple.
As Michael Jackson put it, “Take a look at yourself and then make a change.” What do you see in the mirror? Do you see someone who needs to be with other Jews, whether for spiritual, ethical, or comfort reasons? Then come to services more; don’t discount the emotional effect that one hour of being together on Shabbat can have on you. You’ll be helping others by magnifying the prayer and joy level in the sanctuary. Come to social gatherings more; the feeling you get from simply being with others and sharing in something enjoyable is quite a dopamine boost. You’ll be helping others by making the event more diverse, adding your unique personality to the mix. Come to educational programs more; expanding your knowledge makes you a person who is capable of making better choices. You’ll be a better global citizen by understanding more about our world. Participate in Social Action programs more; helping to make the world a better place fulfills your sense of purpose. You’ll be helping others by working on projects that address justice, dignity, equity, and the environment. Come to High Holy Day services; the process of looking inside yourself, admitting your flaws, and concentrating on how you can do better in the future absolutely lightens your soul. You’ll be helping the congregation of worshippers by adding your voice to the chorus of prayers and supporting those around you.
Being more involved in temple isn’t just about coming to services. It’s about realizing how much the different ways of engaging with all that the temple offers can enhance your life; in doing so, you then enhance the lives of those who go to temple with you. Your participation is integral to what the temple is and does. In this new year, I urge you to look in the mirror, see what you need, and then come find it at Temple Tiferet Shalom. We will all benefit by it.
L’shana tovah tikateivu – May you be inscribed in the Book of Life for a good year.
Jodi Coburn, President
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