Temple
Israel encourages its members to mark the significant
milestones of their life journeys in the synagogue,
and in the company of fellow congregants.
•
We offer the synagogue as a venue for our sons' Brith
Milah (ritual circumcision) ceremonies and for our daughters'
Baby Naming services. The Rabbi works with parents to
personalize each of those events.
• The Rabbi and Educational Director jointly train
our children, aged thirteen and up, for bar and bat mitzvah.
Their philosophy is to train not only the voice, but
the entire student: head, hands, heart and soul. Bar
or Bat Mitzvah is a giant step towards adulthood, and
in Temple Israel, training for that milestone is designed
to help our young men and women function as confident
and committed Jews, both on and off the pulpit.
• We offer Jewish couples contemplating marriage
a variety of venues, both larger and more intimate, for
their wedding. The Rabbi meets with them to guide them
through the choices facing them and to help them launch
their marriage with both authenticity and innovative
freedom.
• There
are many milestones other than the conventionally celebrated
ones. High school graduation, inter-session return from college,
successful completion of a military deployment, significant
birthday or wedding anniversary, retirement from work and to
continued growth-- all of these are moments we consecrate and
celebrate in our sanctuary. Affixing the mezuzah on a new home,
making a kitchen kosher for the first time, helping our young
adult children to accomplish these goals-- we are also alert
to opportunities to celebrate, as a religious community, in
our members' homes, as well as in our sanctuary.
• Life's journey includes moments of bereavement.
Our congregation is an extended family in many ways,
and we support each other in sickness and grief, no less
than in moments of celebration. Our members volunteer
for committees to perform bikkur cholim, visiting the
sick and our shut-ins. Our daily minyan is a place of
support and healing for those going through the stages
of mourning. In sum, we care for each other.
