January Little BESTY Events

Join us on January 11th for our January Little BESTY events!

Etzim Mitzvah Corp: MLK Service-Learning Day Workshop

Join Mosaic: Interfaith Youth Action on Monday, January 19, 2026, from 2–5 PM for an afternoon of conversations, learning, and service dedicated to addressing the impact of gun violence. Participants of all ages are invited to engage in meaningful, community-driven action.

The Gersten-Hoisington Scholar-in-Residence Weekend

December 12-14, 2025

Exploring Jewish Identity and Politics (and Kosher Fish)

with Professor Howard Lupovitch

In keeping with the High Holy Day theme of “Living Jewish”, the TBS Adult Learning Committee is excited to present an entertaining and educational weekend with Professor Howard Lupovitch, professor of history and director of the Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies at Wayne State University. Please join us for these programs. Registration is required for all lectures.

Friday, December 12

6:15 pm, Friday Night Shabbat Service, Community Dinner and Introductory Lecture

Dinner is free for members, $10 per non-member

Israelis and American Jews: Do We Still Speak the Same Language?

What aspects of Jewish identity, culture, and politics have Israelis and American Jews shared since the founding of the State of Israel? How have these commonalities weathered the challenges of the last two years?

Saturday, December 13

8:30 am-9:00 am, Shabbat Morning Minyan

No registration required

9:00 am-10:30 am, Lecture and Bagel Breakfast

Free for members, $10 per non-member

Jewish Politics: Lessons from our History

Many of the political challenges and dilemmas that American Jews have faced during the last decade were faced by our forebears, in America and elsewhere in the diaspora. What can American Jews learn from the political decisions and strategies of the Jewish past?

6:30 pm Dinner, 7:30 pm Lecture

Pre-payment required: $25 per person

Sturgeon and Swordfish: the Fish that Nearly Divided the Jewish World

How did a local squabble over whether or not sturgeon is kosher escalate into a public dispute that enveloped Jews at the turn of the nineteenth century in Central and Eastern Europe? What does this conflict tell us about the tension in Judaism between tradition and innovation?

Sunday, December 14

9:30 am-11:00 am, Lecture and Bagel Breakfast

Free for members, $10 per non-member

The Future of American Jewry: Pessimistic and (cautiously) Optimistic Perspectives

For the last three centuries, every generation of American Jews was convinced that it was the last. Thankfully, every generation has been wrong. How do we look beyond deeply pessimistic predictions for the future of Judaism in America toward a more optimistic appraisal of the present and the future?

 

January 9-11

Etzim’s Winter Shabbaton is coming up January 9-11, 2026. We will be traveling to Eisner Camp in Great Barrington, MA, for a weekend of learning, playing, and community building. On Saturday, we will be going tubing at a local mountain!

December 14 | 3:00 pm

Join BESTY for a fun-filled winter afternoon of ice skating, snacks, and good vibes at Daly Rink in Newton! The cost of the event is $15 per participant. Please email soneill@tbsneedham.org if you have any questions!

Come to Craft For A Cause! Together, we will participate in the Jewish Value of Tikkun Olam. We will spend each session learning about a different Social Justice organization and then doing an activity or a craft that supports their mission. Looking forward to learning and creating together!

Join Coach Adam Klein on Tuesdays in the Winter, 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm to play basketball and build community! This group will meet at the JCC.

Judaism Unfiltered is a space for teens to dig into the parts of Jewish life that don’t always make it into the classroom. Together, we’ll uncover surprising stories, hidden traditions, and mind-blowing connections that show how deep, diverse, and relevant Judaism really is. Join us for conversation, curiosity, and discovery.

Join Etzim on Thursday evenings, 6:15 pm-8:00 pm for dinner followed by a weekly lounge space. Lounge is open to all 8th-12th graders and is a space where teens can do homework, spend time with old and new friends, and participate in a combination of structured and unstructured activities, including art projects, games, and community building. Some weeks there will be themes, and other weeks there will be an open lounge with options of activities.

1st Grade Chanukah Exploration

Sunday, December 14 | 3:00 pm
Join us for a special Chanukah celebration to kick off the festival of lights! Our first graders have been hard at work creating beautiful Chanukiyot in the lead-up to Chanukah. Together we will walk through a gallery of gorgeous Chanukiyot, light the Chanukah candles, play some games of dreidel, and engage in other Mayim-style centers that reflect the Chanukah learning in which your children have been engaging.