Conference taveng::bagels

Montefiore Synagogue.  Lowell.

/don feinberg

	Temple Reyim in West Newton.  (Well, it's not clear whether
    it's in West Newton, Auburndale, or Waban.  Sort of on the not-
    well-defined border of the neighborhoods of Newton.)  We just joined,
    since we also just moved into the neighborhood.
    
    	Reyim is Conservative.  We previously belonged to Temple Emunah
    in Lexington, also Conservative.
    
    			David

    Congregation B'nai Shalom, in Westboro MA.  Affiliated with the
    Reform movement, but because of a wide range of people members
    backgrounds, much more traditional than many Reform synagogues.
    
    			Paul
    

    Congragation Beth Pinchas
    1710 Beacon Street
    Brookline, MA
    
    It's the home of the "Bostoner Rebbe", Orthodox, with a relatively
    young and "professional" membership.
    
    			Av Frydman

    It's not so simple to say which shul I attend, especially when
    it's known by so many names. Here go's...
    
    Tiferet Israel - Sons of Jacob, Chabad
    
    		or
    Tiferet Israel
    
    		or
    
    Yeshiva Academy
    
    		or
    The Yeshiva
    
    It's located at 22 Newton St. Worcester MA.
    

    Back in my shul-going days I attended the services at "the Tremont
    St. shul" in Cambridge.  Right now I am just in a period where I
    would rather dedicate time to re-learning Torah, rather than
    participate in rituals.
    
    There is no Rabbi there, hasn't been in years.  Everything is organized
    by the Shammes, Mr. Holcer or Reb Moishe, or as I just call him,
    Moishe.  He is almost the very embodiment of a Jewish saint, if
    there ever was such a thing.  The regulars are a small group of
    elderly men, mostly survivors, and some younger people, both singles
    and families.  A usual minyan for Shabbat will be about 20, give
    or take a few.  So now you know that couldn't be classified as a
    large synogogue by any means.  But what it lacks in size, it makes
    up in hospitality, and just plain chevrut(I translate this as social
    unity).  Everybody is welcome, no matter who you are, Reform or
    Orthodox, etc.  However the services are done in traditional style,
    much more Orthodox, but it's is peculiar by just the warm feeling
    that Mr. Holcer and everyone gives out.  And if you have small
    children, don't worry, they don't mind them running around, in fact
    it is encouraged.
    
    David
     
    

    We belong to Congregation Beth Israel, or BI as it is affectionately
    called by its members. It is a conservative shul, with leanings
    toward the orthodox. It is located in Worcester, and is the only
    conservative shul in the area around Worcester. The shul has about
    350-400 families, last I knew, and has an excellent religious school,
    which has class three times a week for a total of seven hours.
    
    Jack

    Temple Ner Tamid
    368 Lowell St.
    Peabody, MA
    
    This is a conservative shul with over 400 families.
    It has a nursery school program and religious classes for grades
    1 to 12, I believe (until confirmation).
    
    Also in Peabody on Lowell St. is a reform shul -- Temple Beth Shalom.
    They also offer religious classes and have a large congregation.
    
    In downtown Peabody are two other shuls, both of which have smaller
    congregations than Temple Ner Tamid.  One is a sephardic synagogue
    (I can't think of the name) and the other is Sons of Israel, which
    I believe is the first shul built in Peabody. I think both are in the
    conservative/orthodox category. 

    Young Israel of Sharon
    45 Dunbar Street
    Sharon, MA  02067
    
    We now have approximately 100 families mostly professionals with young 
    children.
    
    Many of our members are in computer related fields (we even have
    a few DEC employees).  
    

    Temple Beth Abraham
    4 Raymond St.
    Nashua, N.H. 03060
    
    Conservative with about a 300 family membership
    

It's a conservative Temple with 600 families.  Rabbi Harold Kushner is known
for his books, "When Bad Things Happen to Good People" and "When All You've
Ever Wanted Isn't Enough".  He's an electrifying speaker.  Rabbi Mark Cooper,
who came to the Temple last year, is the associate Rabbi.  He is young and
dynamic.

The congregation also has an active Chaverim Club, which is a primarily 
social grouping of young couples and families.  It holds events monthly.

David Ellis -- Secure Systems Group -- LTN2-2/C08 -- DTN 226-6784 

    re .1    Hey, Don...
    
    Can you tell us something about the Montefiore Synagogue?  
    It's much closer to me than my current one, and I'd like  
    some information about it, please.
    
    Thanks!

>>                          -< Info on Montefiore ??? >-
>>
>>    re .1    Hey, Don...
>>    
>>    Can you tell us something about the Montefiore Synagogue?  
>>    It's much closer to me than my current one, and I'd like  
>>    some information about it, please.
>>    
>>    Thanks!

Montefiore is located in Lowell Highlands, about one mile from the
intersection of route 3 and 495.

It is what one would call a "middle of the road" Orthodox Shul, i. e.,
"Modern" Orthodox.  Because of that, we have a few members who lean
towards Chassidic, a few who are definitely "Conservodox", but also
some Conservative and a few Reform types.  Our shul is particularly warm and 
welcoming place, which, I think, explains why some of the 
otherwise-less-observant folk attend more or less regularly.  (It would 
be impossible, I think, for one to come to
Montefiore on Shabbat morning as a total stranger and not wind up with more
Shabbat lunch invitations than one could use! "Seuda Shlishit" is an event
sometimes; we've had upwards of 60 people!)

We have about 115 member families.  About 10 or so are really "frum", and live
close by the shul.  Another 20 or 30 or so participate regularly.

We have daily minyans; 7:30 AM, and mincha/ma'ariv at the appropriate
time.

We are in the process of creating an eruv and building a mikveh.

Does this answer your questions?

/don feinberg

    Thanks so much -- we're looking for a new shul and Montefiore sounds
    very interesting to me. 
    
    <<Linda

    
    Congregation Beth Elohim in Acton.  I like in Nashua and actually
    drive to this synagogue because I enjoy it so much.
    
    Beth Elohim is sort of in the middle between Reform and Conservative.
    As such, they don;t belong to either national organization.
    
    They are not Reform in that they use a lot of Hebrew, prefer Yalmuka
    and Tallis, use a Conservative prayer book, etc.  Basically, they
    are fairly traditional.  They refuse to have an organ, but do have
    a six person chior from the Congregation.
    
    They are not Conservative in that they do not do the entire service,
    and, as a matter of fact, often do a Friday night service INSTEAD
    of a Saturday one.  Simply, there are not enough people in the
    congregation to support weekly services (let alone 3x a week).
                          
    Mostly, I like the people.  The Rabbi is young and understands the
    needs of the congregation.  The people are very friendly and tend
    to hang around after services to talk with neighbors.  All is low
    key and very welcome.
    
    Roger
    

I attend the conservative "worship and study" congregation at the Riesman Center
for Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel. It's open to all; I am not an alumni. It consists
of 100-150 students, singles and families on an average shabbat; the service
includes an open discussion of the Torah portion, which I find enjoyable and
illuminating. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is the schedule for the high holiday services. I am including all the
services offered through the Hillel. They are held at different locations on the
Harvard campus, since the services are large during the holidays. The conserv-
ative services are at Sanders Theatre; the orthodox are at Roscoe Pound
building in Harvard Law School; the reform are at Memorial Church. 

You'll notice that there are two services for conservative Kol Nidre. This is 
the largest single service of the year, so there are two of them. The first, 
at 6PM, requires a ticket (!) and is probably sold out at this point.

                  HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES for 5747, 1986

ROSH HASHANAH   October 3-5             YOM KIPPUR  October 12-13

Friday                                  Sunday (Kol Nidre)
    Conservative:   6 PM                    Conservative:   6 PM, 6:15 PM
    Orthodox:       6 PM                    Orthodox:       5:50 PM
    Reform:         8:30 PM                 Reform:         8:30 PM

Saturday                                Monday
    Conservative:   9 AM                    Conservative:   9 AM
    Orthodox:       8:30 AM                 Orthodox:       8:30 AM
    Reform:         10:30 AM                Reform:         10:30 AM
                                            Yizkor/Ne'ilah: 3:15 PM - Sunset
Sunday
    Conservative:   9 AM
    Orthodox:       8:30 AM

    We celebrate the High holidays at Temple Emanual Ward St. Newton.
    Its a conservative temple whose Rabbi (Chiels) is superb.

    Our shul is Congregation B'nai Shalom of Westboro.  It is at
    9 Charles St.  near Westboro center.

    The congregation is affiliated with the UAHC, the Reform
    movement.

    Is there a shul in the Worcester/Framingham/Westboro area with a
    morning minyan and if so where/when.
    
    Thanks
    			.... Monty  (normally TAVENG::MONTY but the
   				     response is better here )

Temple Israel of Natick has a morning Minyan before working hours.

See .11 for more information.

Beth Sholom (Framingham) has morning and evening Minyans.
The "regulars" have created a very warm and friendly atmosphere there.

-- Rich Robbins

    Re .20
    
    Hi Montey,
    
    Yeshiva Academy, 22 Newton Street (just off Pleasant Street) in
    Worcester, has a minion at 7:30 AM weekdays. Mincha is at 8:00 PM.
    Shari Torah, which is right on Pleasant Street occasionally has one. 
    
    Call me at DTN 237-3649 before 11 am tomorrow (I'll be off site after
    that). Maybe you can stop by for a shabbos lunch. There's usually a
    pretty good kidish after musaf at the Yeshiva...I'm sure you are
    familiar with the Lubivitchers.  8-)
    
    				Fred
    

    Congregation Betenu
    
    Rabbi Joshua Segal
    12 Briarwood Drive
    Nashua, N.H. 03063
    (603) 886-1633
    
    (I just completed a few years as President for this congregation;
    it's a great group of people!  Shabbat services are held every-other
    Friday evening and there is a religous school (Saturday mornings)
    and and extensive adult education program.)
    
    If you'd like more info., feel free to send me mail.
    
    B'Shalom,
    Marian

Temple BethEl in Sudbury Ma. The rabbi is Larry Kushner (the "other" Kushner,
not related to the one in Natick). The temple is Reform, but I've heard it
described as "Reforthodox". More Hebrew is used than one might expect in a
Reform service.

The "Ritual Committee" likes to re-arrange the services and introduce new
melodies for the prayers. It took me a long while to get used to this. The
rabbi once joked that if we do anything the same 2 years in a row, it's a
"tradition" at Beth El. There is no organ and no choir (though there is
occasionally a guitar on Friday night). Yalmukas are always used but you get
no dirty looks for not wearing one. Tallises are also used when appropriate.

Friday night services are well attended (I counted 40 persons last Friday).
They start at 8:30 and are always followed by a nice Oneg. Saturday morning
services start at 10:30 normally, but during the summer start at 8:15. There
is a Saturday morning Torah study group to discuss the weekly portion
in English that meets at 9:00 and is separate from the morning service.
Children are always welcome.

On Simchat Torah we do an unusal thing. We stand in a circle and completely
unroll a Torah. The parchment is supported by the hands of those in the circle.
The rabbi points out each of the ~52 weekly portions and we read a one-sentence
quote from each one.

Dave

    Hi,
    	My friend is interested in converting.  I have been told
    that the Rabii at Brandeis is very good.  Are there any other
    conservativeish rabiis around that are know for this?
    Are certain synogogues known for having younger congergations?
     
    thanks, I am new to this area
    Amy
    

Ben-Zion Gold, the Conservative Rabbi at Harvard Hillel also has a great
deal of experience in this area.  You can contact him at (617) 495-4696.

Martin.

Shalom Amy,

The New England Region of The Rabbinical Assembly (Conservative)
runs an official program that they call Gerim Institute.  The
classes are taught at Cong. Kehillath Israel in Brookline.  The
director is Rabbi Myron S. Geller, Ledge Road, Gloucester, MA 01930.
Tel. 283-2157.  You can contact me offline for more information.

Gavriel
IAGO::SCHOELLER
DTN 223-1670