Temple Beth Shalom

Erev Shabbat Service
2026-04-10 18:15 - 19:45, 2026-04-17 18:15 - 19:45 (America/New_York)
If you are a TBS member who would like to join us virtually, please check your Shabbat Shalom email for the link.

Lay-Led Shabbat Morning Service
2026-04-11 08:30 - 09:00, 2026-04-18 08:30 - 09:00 (America/New_York)
Join in virtually, or join us in person in the Beit Midrash! Please refer to your Shabbat Shalom email for the Zoom information.

Torah Study
2026-04-11 09:15 - 10:15, 2026-04-18 09:15 - 10:15 (America/New_York)
No previous experience with Torah study is required…just an open mind and a desire to learn more!

Finding Our Jewish Values in the Torah
2026-04-11 09:15 - 10:15, 2026-04-18 09:15 - 10:15 (America/New_York)
Each week we will focus on a single Jewish moral or ethical value found in that week’s parshah (Torah portion). These will include, but not be limited to: Justice, Compassion, Environmental Ethics, and Business Ethics. A variety of rabbinic sources will enrich our exploration as we seek to apply each week’s value to our lives today.
Join us in person at TBS or drop in online at t-b-s.me/findingvalues.

The Michael Sockol Jewish Writers Fund: Traveling the Diaspora
2026-04-12 09:30 - 11:30 (US/Eastern) | Carmen Hall
What exactly makes someone Jewish? Is being Jewish an ethnic characteristic, is it based on beliefs, or is it cultural? In his book, Fragile Branches: Travels Through the Jewish Diaspora, Professor James Ross recounts his journeys among the world’s most far-flung Jewish communities in countries including Uganda, India, Peru, and Brazil. Mr. Ross will describe how these communities discovered Judaism, and explore their distinctive practices and rituals. As well, we will learn the ways that geographical isolation allowed for both the preservation and evolution of Jewish traditions. Mr. Ross forcefully argues for the integrity of his subjects’ religious identity, and against parochial notions of Judaism that would exclude them: “These disparate communities are searching for their places in the world. How we … respond to them is nothing less than a reflection of how we look at ourselves.” When not traveling across the Jewish diaspora, Mr. Ross taught at Northeastern University where he was the Stotsky Professor of Jewish Historical and Cultural Studies.
Contact: Adult Learning

Panim el Panim
2026-04-12 12:00 - 13:15 (US/Eastern) | Online
Please join us as members of our Temple Beth Shalom community meet via Zoom with members of Congregation Mevasseret Zion – a progressive/Reform congregation just outside of Jerusalem. This is a meaningful series of online conversations about the current crisis. Questions? Email Rabbi Jay.

4th Grade Exploration Celebration
2026-04-12 13:30 - 15:00 (US/Eastern) | Simon Hall
Our culminating project is to create exhibits for our 4th Grade Living History Museum, which will take place on Sunday April 12th from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm at TBS. Each student in 4th grade Mayim and Mayim Tamid will be working in a small group to contribute to the retelling of one of the ‘snapshots’ of Jewish history that they have learned this year. We are asking that you take time to share the story (or a story) of how your family immigrated to the United States using the prompts provided in the survey. Please preview the survey questions so that you can gather information, and then answer each question of the survey by March 13th with your child present so that you can share details of your family’s story that your child may be curious about. All stories submitted by the deadline (3/13) will be available to view at the Living History Museum.
This is a Jewish Connection Experience; we ask that families make every reasonable effort to attend so that they can honor the hard work that the students put into this project. Please RSVP by March 14th. We are so excited for you to see how the 4th graders express what they have learned this year!

ConNEXTions+ Pizza & Bingo
2026-04-12 16:30 - 18:30 (US/Eastern) | Carmen Hall
Join ConNEXTions+ for a fun afternoon at our annual Pizza and Bingo event! Cash prizes will be awarded. This event is open to all adults in the TBS community.

Lay-Led Morning Minyan
2026-04-13 07:00 - 07:30, 2026-04-16 07:00 - 07:30, 2026-04-20 07:00 - 07:30 (America/New_York)
Members of our community gather virtually for a warm and inclusive lay-led service. These services take place even if there are fewer than ten participants, last about 20-30 minutes, and are a meaningful way to start your day.
Please join us in person; we are no longer meeting virtually.

Israeli Dance
2026-04-13 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-04-20 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)

Needham Community Yom HaShoah Commemoration: Reflections on a Family Legacy
2026-04-13 19:30 - 21:00 (US/Eastern) | Beit Midrash
Please join us as Dr. Alan Stern shares his family’s story of Holocaust survival and strength. Alan will reflect upon his father’s and uncle’s childhood growing up in an antisemitic and war-torn Germany. Theirs is an inspirational journey of bravery, hope and resilience. Although discussing a personal Holocaust story is challenging, Alan feels it is crucial for as many people as possible to hear these stories. Alan will be speaking this night in memory of his father, Sam; his grandmother, Karolina; his grandfathers, Arthur and David; and in memory of the six million whose stories need to be told. Our evening will conclude with prayers of memorial and light refreshments. If you have any questions, please contact Rabbi Jay Perlman (jperlman@tbsneedham.org).
Dr. Alan Stern has resided Needham since 1971. His parents, Sam and Doris, settled in Needham after stints in Florida and Baltimore. Alan has been a primary care pediatrician for over 30 years and has given back to our Needham community through his service on the Needham Board of Health and as the Needham school physician. Alan is also an Instructor at Harvard Medical School and is a speaker for Facing History and Ourselves. Alan joyfully shares his life with his wife, Lori and together they are proud parents of Reuben, Jeremy, and Celia.

Yiddush Short Story Discussion
2026-04-14 18:30 - 20:00 (US/Eastern) | Conference Room (admin)
The monthly Yiddish Short Story Discussion Group, coordinated by Michele Marram, will explore the English translation of What Became of the Fools of Khelm by Menakhem Kipnis. Click the story’s title to download a PDF. Hard copies are available in the Community Court, on the shelf to the right of the fireplace, in a red folder. All are welcome! Questions? Contact Michele Marram.

Blanket, Sheet and Towel Collection to Benefit WelcomeHome
2026-04-15 09:15 - 09:45 (US/Eastern) | Parking Lot (Front)
Join TBS Social Action as we support WelcomeHome to provide high quality household items to families experiencing hardship so that they can live with dignity. This nonprofit in Newton collects and redistributes like-new household items to hundreds of people in need each month with no fees, no forms and no requirements. On Wednesday, May 14th, from 9:15-9:45, we will be collecting CLEAN – NEW or LIKE NEW -Blankets, Bed Sheets and Towels! All sizes welcome, no rips or stains please! We will be in the front parking lot at TBS, on the far side from the Temple, closest to the corner of Webster Street and Highland Ave, ready to quickly collect your donations from your car as you drive up. Unable to make it to the collection? No problem! Click registration link for details on ordering online and dropping off prior to the collection!

The Sustainable Enough Garden
2026-04-15 19:15 - 20:45 (US/Eastern) | Simon Hall
Beth Shalom Garden Club will be presenting a floral program on “The Sustainable Enough Garden” by author Rebecca Warner. She will speak about adding native plants to our gardens to support beneficial insects, birds and the environment. Come and join us on Wednesday, April 15 at 7:15 pm. Bring a friend and enjoy the program at Temple Beth Shalom, Simon Hall. Members are free as well as guests for one program.
Questions: Contact Garden Club.

Sisterhood and Brotherhood Monthly Canasta
2026-04-16 19:00 - 21:00 (US/Eastern) | Carmen Hall
Come play Canasta with TBS Sisterhood and Brotherhood on the third Thursday of every month from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Canasta is a game played with four people, so we need groups of four to be able to make a table. Please sign up for either advanced beginner or experienced player in order. DO NOT skip to the second table at your level if the first table is not filled. If the second table does not fill up but you want to play, try to find others to join your table, otherwise assume your game is not happening. If you sign up but can no longer play, please find someone to replace you. Canasta is free for TBS members. Non members are welcome to join Sisterhood or Brotherhood to play. Join Sisterhood here: t-b-s.me/sisterhood. To join Brotherhood, please reach out to Chuck Wilson at brotherhood@tbsneedham.org.

"All Theology is Autobiography": Developing a Personal Understanding of God
2026-04-16 19:15 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
“All Theology is Autobiography” is the title of a reflective, inspiring article by Rabbi Laura Geller, Rabbi Emerita of Temple Emanuel in Beverly Hills, CA. It is also a profound and sacred truth. The main goal of this four-session course is to provide a context for each participant to engage in developing a personal theology. What in your life has contributed to your personal “torah”, the essence of your evolving character? When have you felt close to God? When have you prayed, really prayed? We will enter into a conversation that spans Jewish time trying to learn about God by reflecting on our life experiences. Along the way we will “meet” some of the great Jewish theologians of all time and of our time.
Rabbi Katzew is Associate Professor Emeritus of Jewish Thought and Education and Senior Educator of the EMA Program at HUC-JIR. He earned a doctorate at the Hebrew University in Jewish Thought and Education and led a team of educators at the Union for Reform Judaism that was responsible for designing, developing, and implementing curricular resources for early childhood centers, congregational schools, day schools and adult learning communities throughout the world. Jan is the author of several popular and scholarly articles in multiple fields. We are blessed to have Rabbi Katzew as a TBS Scholar throughout the year!

No K-12 Learning Programs (April Break)
2026-04-17, 2026-04-19

Grandparenting in Today's World
2026-04-17 09:45 - 11:00 (US/Eastern) | Beit Midrash
Join us for a discussion with other TBS grandparents of young children facilitated by Margie Bogdanow, LISCW, about grandparenting in today’s world. Margie Bogdanow is an LICSW social worker, coach, and consultant based in New England. Her professional work focuses on impacting adults to make a positive difference in the lives of young people. She currently serves as the Senior Advisor to the BeWell Initiative at Jewish Federations of North America. In that role she consults with communities across the country to assist them in their mental health efforts. She is on the Parenting Through a Jewish Lens faculty at Hebrew College and was a co-creator of the Grandparenting Through a Jewish Lens and Parenting Teens Through a Jewish Lens curriculum. She currently serves as the Chair of the 18 doors Grandparent Advisory Council, as well as being involved in numerous other Grandparent projects. She is the gramma to 7.

Private Tour for Sisterhood at Brandeis University's Kniznick Gallery
2026-04-19 14:00 - 15:00 (US/Eastern) | Outside of Temple
Join us for a one-hour guided tour at the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute. Who Will Draw Our History? Women’s Graphic Narratives of the Holocaust, 1944-1949 is an exhibition at Brandeis University’s Kniznick Gallery featuring art by ten Jewish women who survived the Holocaust and documented their experiences through drawings and paintings. Curated by Dr. Rachel Perry for the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, it showcases early, personal visual testimonies. $18 suggested donation to support the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute.

No K-12 Learning Programs (Patriots Day)
2026-04-20

Children's Center No School- Patriots' Day
2026-04-20
Contact: Ellen Dietrick

Temple Office Closed-Patriots Day
2026-04-20
