Wishing you a happy, sweet new year!
Celebrate the High Holy Days together at Temple Israel. Learn more
Rosh Hashanah 5787 Sermons
“Temple Israel is the most welcoming, inclusive environment I have ever been in. There seems to be a place for everyone.”
— Robin W., TI member
Count Me In! How to get started at TI:
“We are both a legacy congregation and an innovator in our movement, city, and within ourselves.”
— Marc M., TI member
“Temple Israel is an extremely welcoming community, offering several ways to worship. It’s not one size fits all.”
— Marie S., TI member
Join Us for Shabbat and Holidays
Early Community Wide Rosh Hashanah Service
Date
September 12, 2026
Time
9:00 AM - 10:45 AM EDT
Join us this year on Rosh Hashanah to sing, rejoice, and pray as one sacred community. We are a vibrant tapestry of sweeping poetry and beautiful mus...
Family Rosh Hashanah Service
Date
September 12, 2026
Time
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM EDT
Kids in 2nd-7th grade and their families are invited to join Temple Israel clergy and musicians for a music-filled and interactive service in celebra...
Young Family Rosh Hashanah Service
Date
September 12, 2026
Time
9:15 AM - 11:00 AM EDT
Calling all children ages 0 - Grade 1 and their grownups! Get ready to sing, dance, and play as we celebrate together on Rosh Hashanah morning. At 9:...
Late Community Wide Rosh Hashanah Service
Date
September 12, 2026
Time
11:45 AM - 1:30 PM EDT
Join us this year on Rosh Hashanah to sing, rejoice, and pray as one sacred community. We are a vibrant tapestry of sweeping poetry and beautiful mus...
Lay-Led Rosh Hashanah Day 2 Service and Lunch
Date
September 13, 2026
Time
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT
Extend the joy and community worship at a second day Rosh Hashanah lay-led service. All are welcome to pray, study, and celebrate together. No ticket...
Reverse Tashlich
Date
September 13, 2026
Time
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM EDT
During Tashlich, we symbolically cast our transgressions into the water. At the same time, our literal waterways suffer from the pollution of human w...
Qabbalat Shabbat
Date
September 18, 2026
Time
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM EDT
Gather with us onsite or online for Qabbalat Shabbat. All are welcome to join this service full of prayer, meditation, and music! To join our comm...
Shabbat Service and Torah Study
Date
September 19, 2026
Time
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM EDT
Gather with the Temple Israel community for Saturday morning Torah Study. Following the service, one of our clergy members will lead us in an in-d...
Thank Goodness It's Shabbat! - at TI
Date
September 19, 2026
Time
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM EDT
TGIS is a joyful and interactive service that meets on select Saturday mornings at 10:00 a.m. for anyone between the ages of 6 days and 6 years. ...
Young Family Kol Nidre Service
Date
September 20, 2026
Time
4:30 PM - 5:15 PM EDT
Calling all children ages 0 - 6 and their grownups! Join Temple Israel clergy and special guests for an early evening Kol Nidre service. Tickets ...
Early Community Wide Kol Nidre Service
Date
September 20, 2026
Time
5:30 PM - 7:15 PM EDT
Kol Nidre, meaning "all vows" in ancient Aramaic, is drawn from the opening words of the haunting prayer that defines this service. This evening serv...
Family Kol Nidre Service
Date
September 20, 2026
Time
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM EDT
Kids in 2nd-7thgrade and their families are invited to join Temple Israel clergy and musicians for a meaningful, interactive Kol Nidre service. Ti...
Riverway Kol Nidre Service (20s & 30s)
Date
September 20, 2026
Time
7:00 PM - 8:45 PM EDT
Looking for a dynamic, inclusive, and uplifting way to observe Kol Nidre? Join the Riverway Project as we gather for this important moment in the ...
Late Community Wide Kol Nidre Service
Date
September 20, 2026
Time
8:15 PM - 10:00 PM EDT
Kol Nidre, meaning "all vows" in ancient Aramaic, is drawn from the opening words of the haunting prayer that defines this service. This evening serv...
Early Community Wide Yom Kippur Service
Date
September 21, 2026
Time
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM EDT
Yom Kippur is the Jewish day of atonement. This community-wide Shabbat and Yom Kippur service is an expansive morning service, deepening the themes o...
Family Yom Kippur Service
Date
September 21, 2026
Time
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM EDT
Kids in 2 nd -7 th grade and their families are invited to join Temple Israel clergy and musicians for a meaningful, interactive Yom Kippur service...
Young Family Yom Kippur Service
Date
September 21, 2026
Time
9:15 AM - 11:00 AM EDT
Calling all children ages 0 - Grade 1 and their grownups! Get ready to sing, dance, and play as we celebrate together on Yom Kippur morning. At 9:15 ...
Late Community Wide Yom Kippur Service
Date
September 21, 2026
Time
11:45 AM - 1:45 PM EDT
Yom Kippur is the Jewish day of atonement. This community-wide Yom Kippur service is an expansive morning service, deepening the themes of the High H...
Stay in the Day
Date
September 21, 2026
Time
2:15 PM - 3:15 PM EDT
Deepen Your Yom Kippur Experience: Between Yom Kippur morning and afternoon services, we invite you to participate in a choice of facilitated conv...
Torah Service, Minchah, Avodah, Eleh Ezkarah, Yizkor, Neilah, & Havdalah
Date
September 21, 2026
Time
3:45 PM - 6:45 PM EDT
The Yom Kippur afternoon service moves us through the most tender hours of the holiday, and includes several different components. Our communal gathe...
“I love the feeling of being together, the singing, and the music.”
— Miriam M., TI member
Mark Your Calendar for these Featured Programs
Lay-Led Zoom Havdalah
Date
September 12, 2026
Time
8:00 PM - 8:30 PM EDT
Gather with friends online for Havdalah and connection. Our weekly Havdalah ritual is a lay-led experience. Stop by, say hello, catch up from the we...
Bag and/or Deliver Food with La Colaborativa
Date
September 14, 2026
Time
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM EDT
Join TI's Immigrant Justice Team at La Colaborativa in Chelsea to bag food bank items and/or deliver to households in need. Questions? Email Jea...
Short Stories@TI
Date
September 14, 2026
Time
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EDT
Gather online Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. to read and discuss short stories together. All are welcome. Fill out this form and we'll be in touch....
Democracy Tuesdays
Date
September 15, 2026
Time
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM EDT
Help turn out the vote! Democracy is non-partisan; so is our effort. Join us on Democracy Tuesdays, beginning July 14, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m., to write...
Lay-Led Zoom Havdalah
Date
September 19, 2026
Time
8:00 PM - 8:30 PM EDT
Gather with friends online for Havdalah and connection. Our weekly Havdalah ritual is a lay-led experience. Stop by, say hello, catch up from the we...
Lay-Led Zoom Havdalah
Date
September 26, 2026
Time
8:00 PM - 8:30 PM EDT
Gather with friends online for Havdalah and connection. Our weekly Havdalah ritual is a lay-led experience. Stop by, say hello, catch up from the we...
Short Stories@TI
Date
September 28, 2026
Time
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EDT
Gather online Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. to read and discuss short stories together. All are welcome. Fill out this form and we'll be in touch....
Lay-Led Zoom Havdalah
Date
October 3, 2026
Time
8:00 PM - 8:30 PM EDT
Gather with friends online for Havdalah and connection. Our weekly Havdalah ritual is a lay-led experience. Stop by, say hello, catch up from the we...
Short Stories@TI
Date
October 5, 2026
Time
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EDT
Gather online Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. to read and discuss short stories together. All are welcome. Fill out this form and we'll be in touch....
Poetry@TI
Date
October 6, 2026
Time
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EDT
Gather online the first Tuesday of each month at 4:00 p.m. to read and talk about a poem and nourish our souls together. All are welcome, and you c...
In Conversation With Sarah Hurwitz: As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us
Date
October 8, 2026
Time
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM EDT
Join Temple Israel of Boston for a special Scholar-in-Residence event and the culmination of our Congregational Read with Sarah Hurwitz—former Whit...
TILLI Gathering at Qabbalat Shabbat
Date
October 9, 2026
Time
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM EDT
Friday, October 9, 5:00 p.m. | Onsite Come meet TILLI (Temple Israel Lifelong Learning Institute) friends, have a nosh, attend services and learn ...
Qabbalat Shabbat with Sarah Hurwitz
Date
October 9, 2026
Time
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM EDT
Gather with us onsite or online for Qabbalat Shabbat. All are welcome to join this service full of prayer, meditation, and music! We welcome guest ...
Lay-Led Zoom Havdalah
Date
October 10, 2026
Time
8:00 PM - 8:30 PM EDT
Gather with friends online for Havdalah and connection. Our weekly Havdalah ritual is a lay-led experience. Stop by, say hello, catch up from the we...
Short Stories@TI
Date
October 12, 2026
Time
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EDT
Gather online Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. to read and discuss short stories together. All are welcome. Fill out this form and we'll be in touch....
"Harvest of What Remains" with Author Wendy Drexler
Date
October 13, 2026
Time
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM EDT
Tuesday, October 13 | 7:00 p.m. | Onsite Harvest of What Remains is a tribute to all caregivers, whose dedication often goes unrecognized. It of...
TILLI Breakfast Nosh
Date
October 15, 2026
Time
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM EDT
Join us on October 15 at 10:00 a.m. onsite for a welcome breakfast before the first day of TILLI (Temple Israel Lifelong Learning Institute)'s fall s...
TILLI Fall 2026 Morning Classes
Date
October 15, 2026
Time
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM EDT
Join us for Temple Israel’s Lifelong Learning Institute (TILLI) morning study groups! We offer interesting and intellectually challenging study gro...
TILLI Fall 2026 Lunch and Learn Lecture Series: Doug Most
Date
October 15, 2026
Time
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM EDT
Join TILLI (Temple Israel Lifelong Learning Institute) for our Fall 2026 Semester Lunch and Learn Lecture Series. Listen and ask questions to experts...
TILLI Fall 2026 Afternoon Classes
Date
October 15, 2026
Time
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM EDT
Join us for Temple Israel’s Lifelong Learning Institute (TILLI) morning study groups! We offer interesting and intellectually challenging study gro...
Why Temple Israel
Our Mission
At Temple Israel of Boston, we acknowledge, welcome, and honor each individual in our community for who they are. We celebrate our community’s diversity in personal identities and lived experiences. Loving kindness, caring about others, and committing ourselves to lift up and protect each other’s humanity is our righteous pursuit. May all who enter find peace within these walls, as we continue our mission of Living Judaism together through discovery, dynamic spirituality, and righteous impact.
Learn more about our values and how we engage with each other“Temple Israel is dynamic. The clergy and lay leadership are constantly re-evaluating what they are doing. I always come away with something new to think about.”
— Marlene Y., TI member
Get to Know Our Extraordinary Clergy
Senior Rabbi Elaine Zecher
Cantor Alicia Stillman
Rabbi Suzie Jacobson
Rabbi Dan Slipakoff
Rabbi Andrew Oberstein
Learn more
Living Judaism Together
All Upcoming Events
Early Community Wide Rosh Hashanah Service
Date
September 12, 2026
Time
9:00 AM - 10:45 AM EDT
Join us this year on Rosh Hashanah to sing, rejoice, and pray as one sacred community. We are a vibrant tapestry of sweeping poetry and beautiful mus...
Family Rosh Hashanah Service
Date
September 12, 2026
Time
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM EDT
Kids in 2nd-7th grade and their families are invited to join Temple Israel clergy and musicians for a music-filled and interactive service in celebra...
Young Family Rosh Hashanah Service
Date
September 12, 2026
Time
9:15 AM - 11:00 AM EDT
Calling all children ages 0 - Grade 1 and their grownups! Get ready to sing, dance, and play as we celebrate together on Rosh Hashanah morning. At 9:...
Late Community Wide Rosh Hashanah Service
Date
September 12, 2026
Time
11:45 AM - 1:30 PM EDT
Join us this year on Rosh Hashanah to sing, rejoice, and pray as one sacred community. We are a vibrant tapestry of sweeping poetry and beautiful mus...
Lay-Led Zoom Havdalah
Date
September 12, 2026
Time
8:00 PM - 8:30 PM EDT
Gather with friends online for Havdalah and connection. Our weekly Havdalah ritual is a lay-led experience. Stop by, say hello, catch up from the we...
Lay-Led Rosh Hashanah Day 2 Service and Lunch
Date
September 13, 2026
Time
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT
Extend the joy and community worship at a second day Rosh Hashanah lay-led service. All are welcome to pray, study, and celebrate together. No ticket...
Reverse Tashlich
Date
September 13, 2026
Time
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM EDT
During Tashlich, we symbolically cast our transgressions into the water. At the same time, our literal waterways suffer from the pollution of human w...
Evening Minyan
Date
September 13, 2026
Time
6:15 PM - 7:15 PM EDT
Gather online from the comfort of your own home for evening minyan every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 6:15 p.m. Eastern Time. ...
Bag and/or Deliver Food with La Colaborativa
Date
September 14, 2026
Time
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM EDT
Join TI's Immigrant Justice Team at La Colaborativa in Chelsea to bag food bank items and/or deliver to households in need. Questions? Email Jea...
Evening Minyan
Date
September 14, 2026
Time
6:15 PM - 7:15 PM EDT
Gather online from the comfort of your own home for evening minyan every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 6:15 p.m. Eastern Time. ...
Short Stories@TI
Date
September 14, 2026
Time
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EDT
Gather online Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. to read and discuss short stories together. All are welcome. Fill out this form and we'll be in touch....
Democracy Tuesdays
Date
September 15, 2026
Time
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM EDT
Help turn out the vote! Democracy is non-partisan; so is our effort. Join us on Democracy Tuesdays, beginning July 14, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m., to write...
Evening Minyan
Date
September 15, 2026
Time
6:15 PM - 7:15 PM EDT
Gather online from the comfort of your own home for evening minyan every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 6:15 p.m. Eastern Time. ...
Evening Minyan
Date
September 16, 2026
Time
6:15 PM - 7:15 PM EDT
Gather online from the comfort of your own home for evening minyan every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 6:15 p.m. Eastern Time. ...
Evening Minyan
Date
September 17, 2026
Time
6:15 PM - 7:15 PM EDT
Gather online from the comfort of your own home for evening minyan every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 6:15 p.m. Eastern Time. ...
Qabbalat Shabbat
Date
September 18, 2026
Time
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM EDT
Gather with us onsite or online for Qabbalat Shabbat. All are welcome to join this service full of prayer, meditation, and music! To join our comm...
Shabbat Service and Torah Study
Date
September 19, 2026
Time
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM EDT
Gather with the Temple Israel community for Saturday morning Torah Study. Following the service, one of our clergy members will lead us in an in-d...
Thank Goodness It's Shabbat! - at TI
Date
September 19, 2026
Time
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM EDT
TGIS is a joyful and interactive service that meets on select Saturday mornings at 10:00 a.m. for anyone between the ages of 6 days and 6 years. ...
Lay-Led Zoom Havdalah
Date
September 19, 2026
Time
8:00 PM - 8:30 PM EDT
Gather with friends online for Havdalah and connection. Our weekly Havdalah ritual is a lay-led experience. Stop by, say hello, catch up from the we...
Young Family Kol Nidre Service
Date
September 20, 2026
Time
4:30 PM - 5:15 PM EDT
Calling all children ages 0 - 6 and their grownups! Join Temple Israel clergy and special guests for an early evening Kol Nidre service. Tickets ...