Dear TBE Community,

In this rapidly changing moment that keeps our community physically apart from one another, TBE has come together in extraordinary ways. Our clergy and professional staff created a virtual synagogue, TBE-Online, in three weeks. More than 450 families connect with each other every Friday evening for Zoom Shabbat worship. Our educational programming – professional and lay led – is engaging more youth and adults than we do in our physical space, every day.

We are strengthening our community and our capacity to care for each other. During the first week of physical distancing, 60 congregants stepped up to call all 1,250 TBE households to check in and identify any personal needs. Since then, 130 congregants volunteered to provide support and connection, helping those most isolated and vulnerable with groceries, personal tasks, and emotional support. We are now reaching back out to every household with expanding opportunities to connect with each other. And of course, as we always do, we are continuing to repair the world outside of TBE. To read more about all the TBE resources available to you, our congregants, as well as vulnerable populations in the Greater Boston community, please click here .  

Many congregants have asked how they can help further. As you can imagine, many of our Temple families have been directly impacted by the Coronavirus, not only physically but financially as well. It has always been our mission to be welcoming and open to all families, regardless of one's ability to pay yearly dues. This will never change.  Each year, our TBE Fund ensures our doors can be open to anyone seeking our community. This Fund allows TBE to provide financial assistance to those in need of relief from membership dues and program fees for youth and adult learning program. We are beginning to experience an increase to these needs and we expect them to grow in the near term.

If you have already pledged this year to the TBE Fund or our beginning stages of TBE's Endowing our Future Campaign; Derech L’Atid, we thank you. Understanding this is an unprecedented time for many of our congregants in need, we ask that you consider giving just a little bit more if you are in a position to do so. And, if you usually pledge to our TBE Fund but haven’t done so yet, please consider a gift now. Finally, if you have not supported TBE philanthropically in the past, but are in a position to do so, the present need is great as we prepare for future uncertainties.

This is a challenging time in our world. The TBE community is here, as a foundation for the struggles and joys that lie ahead for you and your family.

With much gratitude for our TBE community,