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
Dear Friends,
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This High Holy Day season marks a milestone for TTS: 5786 marks the 10th anniversary of Temple Tiferet Shalom’s (re)formation. Looking back, as we do during Elul (our preparatory month before Rosh haShanah), we see how much we have evolved over the decade. From our beautiful new building to a change in clergy leadership, and who can forget the COVID-19 pandemic, our community has undergone significant changes. While we can reminisce, this is also an opportunity to dream and look to the future.
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Bill Gates offers us a powerful perspective as we contemplate the next decade. He says that as people and organizations, we often overestimate what we can accomplish in a year and underestimate what we can achieve in a decade. When we look at a span of time as long as a decade, we stop ourselves from truly creating an impact worthy of that time span. We hold ourselves back because there is too much uncertainty. The ‘what-ifs’ and ‘maybes’ suspend our imagination and desires for something more tangible and safe. But we can’t wait to see what the future holds. Over the next 10 years, we need to dream large and take the appropriate risks to ensure we are still the Reform Jewish Home on the North Shore.
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It takes all of us as members to work together and envision a community that is worthy of thriving over the next decade. We can’t be reliant on the grand moments, the galas and holidays, to uphold us. Rather, it’s the small gestures that sustain a robust community like ours. Think back to why you are a member of our wonderful Temple. While I would love to say it’s the thought-provoking sermons
delivered every Friday evening and the harmonies that resonate within our sanctuary, I would be fooling us all to believe that to be the only reason. Because you can find those at Symphony Hall and
YouTube alike. The real reason you choose to maintain a membership is the connections you build with other congregants. The families you have grown up with, watching your and their children become adults. It’s the shiva visit you receive from someone you barely talked to, but who showed up at the right moment. It’s the call you received in the hospital and a rousing welcome back to your seat in the sanctuary. It’s the comfort of knowing your finances don’t determine your worth here; your desire to belong does. These are the moments that we are called to envision. It’s these moments that will be the foundation of the next layer of Temple Tiferet Shalom’s history.
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What will the next 10 years look like for Temple Tiferet Shalom when we welcome in the 5796-2035 holiday season? That remains to be written. While it is daunting to look into the future, the unknown
before us, and walk ahead, we must foster faith to try something new and continue to grow in our ever-changing and demanding world. For when we work together, I know and believe that greatness
is waiting for us just around the corner.
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Shanah Tova u’Metuka! ×©× ×” טובה ומתוקה
May you have a sweet, healthy, and successful new year!
Rabbi Evan Sheinhait
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
Temple Happenings
