Lay-Led Shabbat Morning Service
2025-10-11 08:30 - 09:00, 2025-10-18 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
2025-10-11 09:15 - 10:15, 2025-10-18 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
2025-10-11 09:15 - 10:15, 2025-10-18 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.

No K-12 Learning Programs (Indigenous Peoples Weekend)
2025-10-12

TBS Trip to Nova Exhibit
2025-10-12 09:00 - 12:00 (US/Eastern) | Outside of Temple
Visitors will travel on a timeline of the Nova Music Festival on October 7th, telling the story of the events on that dreadful day. A carefully-crafted mosaic of information, evidence, and emotion. The remains of joy, which now serves as bleak evidence of the sharp contrast between revered values and the cruel sting of the reality of that day. We invite you to walk through the winding path from the depths of pain and loss to the threshold of action, the healing and the hope of the community. The events on that black Saturday will be presented as a shocking contrast between light and darkness, good and evil, that is relevant to the entire world.
The installation creates a sacred space echoing the weight of the victims’ and survivors’ memories, surrounded by remains salvaged from the festival grounds—scorched cars, bullet-riddled bathroom stalls, and personal belongings all left behind. Visitors will be invited to join a plea for the safe return of the hostages who are still held in captivity by Hamas terrorists. Nova survivors of the brutal attack will be attending as witnesses to the tragedy they experienced on that day. Beyond the brutality and evil that occurred on October 7, the exhibition will capture the enduring spirit of the Tribe of Nova with the installation of the healing room. This sanctuary is intended for visitors to mend their spirits, reflect, and find solace after bearing witness to the harrowing events of The Nova Music Festival. Hanging tall and bright is the hopeful plea that “We will dance again”.
Join Rabbi Todd Markley for this special TBS visit, including a live testimony from a Nova survivor.
$54 per person if you are meeting there
$72 per person for the exhibit plus bus
TBS is subsidizing the cost of the bus to make the experience possible for as many members as possible.
Schedule for the morning:
9:00 am – Meet at TBS for Bus if taking bus
9:15 am – Bus departs TBS on time
9:45 am – Meet at the Nova Exhibit Site (Former FW Webb Building, 307 Dorchester Avenue, Boston)

10:00-12:00 – Tour of the Nova Exhibit and hear from Nova survivor
12:00-12:45 – Bus returns to TBS

No K-12 Learning Programs (Indigenous Peoples Day)
2025-10-13

Temple Office Closed-Indigenous People's Day
2025-10-13

Children's Center School Year Students No School- Indigenous Peoples' Day
2025-10-13
Contact: Ellen Dietrick

Lay-Led Morning Minyan
2025-10-13 07:00 - 07:30, 2025-10-16 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.

Simchat Torah Family Celebration
2025-10-13 17:00 - 18:30 (US/Eastern) | Simon Hall
5:00-5:45 pm – Pizza Dinner & Torah Crafts (for families with children in grades K-5)
5:45-6:30 pm – Torah Unroll, Parade, Worship, and Dancing (open at all)
Join us to celebrate Simchat Torah as a community! Simchat Torah is a joyful celebration during which we finish reading the Torah and begin our Torah reading cycle all over again. Together we will unroll one of our Torah scrolls, chant the final words of Deuteronomy and the first words of Genesis, have a Torah parade, sing, and celebrate! We will begin with dinner and activities for families with school-age children, then head to the sanctuary for our community service and Torah parade. Registration is required for dinner. Service is open to all.

Simchat Torah Adult Celebration
2025-10-13 17:45 - 19:30 (US/Eastern) | Beit Midrash
5:45-6:30 pm – Torah Unroll, Parade, Worship, and Dancing (open at all)
6:30-7:30 pm – Torah Trivia, Tacos, and Tequila (for adults only)
Join us to celebrate Simchat Torah as a community! Simchat Torah is a joyful celebration during which we finish reading the Torah and begin our Torah reading cycle all over again. Together we will unroll one of our Torah scrolls, chant the final words of Deuteronomy and the first words of Genesis, have a Torah parade, sing, and celebrate! Following the service, we will have an adult evening of Torah-themed trivia, tacos, and tequila. Registration is required for dinner; service is open to all.

Temple Office Closed-Simchat Torah
2025-10-14 00:00 (US/Eastern)

No K-12 Learning Programs (Simchat Torah)
2025-10-14

Children's Center No School- Simchat Torah
2025-10-14

Lay-Led Evening Minyan (online)
2025-10-14 18:45 - 19:15, 2025-10-15 18:45 - 19:15 (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 end your day. Join us on Zoom here.

Nurturing Every Child: Understanding Neurodiversity in Our Modern World
2025-10-15 19:00 - 20:00 (US/Eastern) | Carmen Hall
Every child’s mind is unique. Join us for a talk with Dr. Wendy Xiao Herman, MD, PhD, pediatric neurologist and founder of NeuroThrive. This talk will explore neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and childhood anxiety through the lens of neurodiversity, helping families understand challenges and celebrate strengths. Together we’ll discuss practical strategies for support at home, at school, and in the community—so every child can thrive in today’s world.

Behind the Scenes: Explore the Origins and Stories Behind the MFA Judaica Exhibit
2025-10-15 19:30 - 21:00 (US/Eastern) | Beit Midrash
MFA’s Judaica Curator Simona Di Nepi will visit TBS and offer us a tour, through slides, of Intentional Beauty: Jewish Ritual Art from the Collection – one of the very first Judaica galleries in an encyclopaedic art museum in the world. Explore the 27 works on view and the stories behind their recent acquisition (or unearthing) by Simona: from an Italian Renaissance Torah binder, and an Iraqi Torah case used in India— to a Yemenite woman’s festive headdress, and a Torah Ark from 1920s Chelsea, Massachusetts. Spanning five hundred years and four continents, and featuring silver, textiles, furniture, paintings, and books- these works highlight the extraordinary diversity of Jewish cultures. Light refreshments will be served.
Questions? Contact Adult Learning.

My Father's Paradise: A Journey into Jewish Kurdistan
2025-10-16 15:30 - 16:30 (US/Eastern) | Online
Join award-winning journalist and author Ariel Sabar for a conversation about his acclaimed book My Father’s Paradise: A Son’s Search for His Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq. Part memoir, part history, the book traces Sabar’s journey alongside his father, a Jewish scholar born in a remote Kurdish village, as he uncovers the extraordinary story of one of the world’s oldest and most isolated Jewish communities. Through personal narrative, cultural history, and themes of identity, exile, and belonging, Sabar invites us into a moving exploration of heritage and the bonds between generations.
Ariel Sabar is an award-winning author and journalist. His debut, My Father’s Paradise (2008), won the National Book Critics Circle Award. He has since published Heart of the City (2011), The Outsider (2014), and Veritas (2020), a finalist for both the Edgar Award and the Investigative Reporters and Editors Book Award. A contributing writer for The Atlantic, his work has appeared in The New York Times, Smithsonian, Harper’s, The Washington Post, and This American Life. Sabar has reported globally, taught creative writing at George Washington University, and lectured at universities including Yale, Brown, and Georgetown.

Sisterhood and Brotherhood Monthly Canasta
2025-10-16 19:00 - 21:00 (US/Eastern) | Simon 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.

Bag Lunches and Breakfast Items for Homeless Shelters
2025-10-17 09:15 - 09:45 (US/Eastern) | Parking Lot (Front)
Join TBS Social Action for our 6th year of donating bag lunches, snacks and breakfast foods to guests in the Father Bill’s network of homeless shelters in Brockton! EVERY MONTH we commit to donating100 bag lunches, snacks and breakfast foods, providing immediate and measurable impact. This is a great project for individuals or families! We will collect donations between 9:15 and 9:45am on the Webster side of the TBS front parking lot. Drive right up and we will unload your bagged items from your car. We appreciate your on-time drop-off as we depart for Brockton delivery immediately following the collection. Can’t make it to the collection? No problem! Non-perishable donations may be dropped at a Needham address prior to the collection day. Details in the sign-up link. Thank you for helping to feed the stranger in our midst.
Please email us at socialaction@tbsneedham.org with any questions, to arrange to make your non-perishable donation at a Needham address prior to the collection or to request to be added to the TBS Social Action mailing list.

Tot Shabbat Tater Tot Nosh
2025-10-17 17:15 - 17:30 (US/Eastern) | Simon Hall

Tot Shabbat Service
2025-10-17 17:30 - 18:00 (US/Eastern) | Sanctuary

Erev Shabbat Service
2025-10-17 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.

Community Dinner
2025-10-17 19:30 - 21:00 (US/Eastern) | Carmen Hall
Join us for a new year of Shabbat Reimagined gatherings with our October community dinner. Sponsored by Member Engagement and hosted by Social Action. Please register for a delicious dinner and good company immediately following 6:15 PM Shabbat Services. Free for members.

Shabbat Community Hike
2025-10-18 11:00 - 12:30 (US/Eastern) | Outside of Temple
Delight in beautiful guided hikes including personal reflection, community connection, and the opportunity to experience peaceful moments in nature. All hikes are led by Rachel Happel, TBS Senior Director of Learning and Engagement. Specific locations for each date will be shared with those who register. Community Hikes are designed for adults and teens and will range from 2-4 miles. Hikes take place “drizzle or shine” but cancel for heavy rain or other extreme weather conditions.
