Synagogue Council of Massachusetts

"Synagogue-of-the-Month"

Our Featured Member Synagogue for February 2007 is Temple Ohabei Shalom, a Reform congregation in Brookline. We are pleased to recognize Temple Emanu-El for on the occasion of marking 165 years since its founding.

Temple Ohabei Shalom (Lovers of Peace), founded 165 years ago in 1842, is the first Jewish congregation in Massachusetts. Having outgrown three earlier buildings in Boston, the Temple purchased land for its present location in 1921. The synagogue complex was completed between 1925 and 1928, culminating in our domed Byzantine-Romanesque sanctuary. This was modeled after the great synagogue in Florence, Italy.
Although we are an old synagogue, we are constantly being renewed by our diverse membership and programming:

Simultaneous Monday Night Learning for youth and adults
Innovative mix of formal and informal education through our renowned Ansin Religious School
Sunday Morning Torah Study
Annual Winter Kallah, this year featuring Dr. Ruth Gais who will present "Jews, Greeks and the Word of God."
Active music programs
Commitment to social action including our annual Mitzvah Day
Warm and Caring Community
Engagement with Brookline and the world

Added to Temple Ohabei Shalom's list of firsts is the first Jewish cemetery in Massachusetts, the Ohabei Shalom Cemetery in East Boston. Under the supervision of the Jewish Cemetery Association of Massachusetts (JCAM), the original chapel will soon be opened as a cultural center honoring the Jews of the Mystic River communities. Please join us on Friday, March 2 at 8:00 p.m. as Dr. Ellen Smith, Brandeis University historian, speaks about this project, of which she has been the guiding spirit.
To learn more about our congregation, please call 617-277-6610 or visit our website at http://www.ohabei.org.
Temple Ohabei Shalom
1187 Beacon Street
Brookline, MA 02446
Clergy: Rabbi Thomas M. Alpert, Cantor Shana Onigman and Rabbi Emerita Emily Gopen Lipof