We hope that you can join us for these upcoming events.
Join our Drive to Help Our Neighbors This Winter
The Social Justice Committee at TBI is running a winter-long clothing, outerwear and toiletries drive to benefit our neighboring organization, the Community Day Center.
Please bring to Temple Beth Israel:
  • Lightly used or new winter clothing (mostly men's)
  • Lightly used or new outerwear (boots, coats, jackets, gloves, hats and socks--mostly men's)
  • Lightly used or new sleeping bags and backpacks
  • Individual toiletry/hygiene kits in ziplock bags--preferred contents include a disposable razor, travel size shaving cream, hand warmers, toothbrush and toothpaste, face cloths, and travel size items such as shampoos, body wash, conditioners, and especially deodorant. (Those items many people collect from hotels are perfect!)
We will collect these items and transfer them to the Community Day Center all winter, because their clients have an  urgent need  throughout the season.

What is the Community Day Center?
It's the only drop-in day shelter for the homeless in Metrowest, and it is our neighbor...on Felton Street in Waltham. Which means that many of the homeless population they serve also are our neighbors, albeit too often invisible to us. The Center opens its doors on weekdays from 12:30 to 4:30 so adults in need can have a safe place during the daytime hours to get the help and resources they need. They can eat, take a nap, participate in programs, pick up their mail, get clothing and hygiene items when available, use computers, watch TV, see a nurse and get a referral to medical services, and meet with a case manager or case worker.

What's Next?
In early spring, we will schedule a tour of the Center for all who are interested from the TBI community. In this way, we can see where our contributions are at work, meet some of the people benefiting, and think about how else we might partner going forward.

Dina Wolfman Baker
TBI In the News
Thank you Dina Baker, Mark Frydenberg and Rabbi David Finkelstein for contributing to an article on the newly formed Social Justice Committee. It went live Monday evening and can be read by clicking below.
Monday and Thursday we have morning minyan at 7:00am and Saturday Services begin at 9:00am.

If you need to ensure a minyan on a Monday or Thursday, please contact the Temple Office 781-894-5146 at least 2 days in advance so that we can make sure we have 10. 
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Mussar Group: Character & Jewish Values  
facilitated by Rabbi David Finkelstein
 
MEETING TIMES:
 December 13, January 10,
February 7, March 14
always 7:00-8:30 pm 
at Temple Beth Israel
 
This monthly weekday evening study and practice group uses the Mussar curriculum developed by award-winning author and Boston area Mussar teacher Rabbi David Jaffe. As the title of the group indicates, Mussar is an approach to Jewish learning and being that focuses on the observation and development of our character and our study of Jewish values. Together we will study Torah, Talmud, Mussar masters from medieval times to the 21 st century and from the Old World to the New. The initial meetings in October and November were introductory. This December, we will begin our study of spiritual character traits ( middot), which is a core aspect of Mussar. There will also be time for reflection, sharing in small groups, and trying on spiritual practices. Please bring a journal to write in. Participation is open to all. If you missed the introductory sessions but you want to try it out, please contact me at [email protected] . I’ll catch you up so that you can join us.
Jewish Singing Circle 
a new initiative by Rabbi David Finkelstein
 
MEETING TIMES:
December 23, January 27,
February 24, March 24
always 1:30-2:30 pm 
at Temple Beth Israel
 
Inspired by Joey Weisenberg's book Building Singing Communities, this Jewish Singing Circle offers an hour of singing wordless tunes while sitting in a circle. The circle will meet monthly on the Shabbat afternoons listed above. In each session, we learn to sing and then explore one song or niggun (wordless Jewish melody), singing it approximately ten times in as many different ways. In October and November, we explored one Hasidic niggun from the Bobover sect and one part of a Morris Hollender melody for the Shabbat poem “(K)El Adon.” In the coming months, we will learn more of the Morris Hollender melody, and I hope to bring another Hasidic niggun, too. 

Participation is free and open to all.
 

Events Happening in December
Join us on Friday, December 8th for our monthly Shabbat Service and Dinner.
Menu: Lasagna, Salad and Dessert

Sign up on the Temple Website by clicking here.
Candle Lighting at the Mayors Office will take place on Thursday, December 14th at 6pm
Chinese Food and a Movie will take place on Monday, December 25th - cost will be $18 per person.
Friday Night Service - No Dinner
Future Dates to
Mark on your Calendars

January 5
Shabbat Kiddush Sponsors
·  December 2 - Sisterhood
·  December 9 - Maystrovsky Family in honor of Vadim's Birthday
·  December 16 - Bat Mitzvah of Miriam Achildiev
·  December 23 - Sylvia Hobbs  
·  December 30 - Mark Frydenberg

The cost to provide our Kiddush lunch for our usual attendance of 30 to 40 people is about $150. To ensure that we can continue providing Shabbat lunches into the future, we ask those who attend Shabbat services regularly to sponsor a Shabbat lunch once or twice during the year.
Breakfast with Civil War Expert
Al Smith
Sunday, December 3, 2017 10 am

Reservations $5 if paid by Dec. 1
$10 at the Door

Send your check, payable to Temple Beth Israel, to: Ed Brown, 35 Lyme Road, West Newton, MA 02465

Please join for Morning Minyan before breakfast, at 9 am. The program will begin at 11 am.

Temple Beth Israel is located across from Hannaford’s Supermarket, at 25 Harvard Street, Waltham, MA.

Parking is available. 
Active Bystander Workshop
For ages 12 through adult, December 3, 1:30-3:30 pm. If you witness a harmful situation, such as harassment or bullying, should you do something? What? How do you decide? Participants review examples of harm in our communities, analyze the roles of people involved in a bystander situation, discuss the inhibitors and promoters of being an active bystander, and brainstorm on effective ways to take action. $10 donation requested at the door. 

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