Rabbi Shire leads the procession carrying the Torah scrolls to the new Ark on Rosh Hashanah followed by Michael Scanlon and Jill Silverstein.
Photos by Jesse Kiefer
The word rabbi means "teacher" and our rabbi embodies that title in a very special way. Reading his sermons is a wonderful way to reach a deeper understanding of the ethics that support our faith tradition.
Wherever you are on your spiritual journey,
the focus of Central Reform Temple of Boston is to provide everyone
with a home for growth and new horizons.
We are a house of prayer for all people.
Nightly Chanukah Candle Lighting OnlineDecember 14-21 at 6:00pm
Chanukah will be here before we know it! The first night of lighting is Sunday night, December 14th (continuing through Sunday night December 21st). We will gather on ZOOM each night at 6:00pm for 10-15 minutes for candle blessing and community.
Keep up with everything going on at CRT, including Zoom links to multicast services, by reading our weekly newsletter "The Week Ahead." If you would like to be on the newsletter list at CRT, email info@centralreformtemple.org |
Shabbat Service & Potluck Chanukah
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Shabbat Service
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Torah Study
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Emmanuel Center Movie NightThursday, January 22, 2026, 7:00pm
Our next Emmanuel Center Movie Night will be on Thursday January 22nd at 7:00pm (not e that this is a new day of the week). Our film will be Meet the Patels (2014), and Susan Frank will be our facilitator.
SUMMARY: This is a documentary that follows Ravi Patel, a first-generation Indian-American approaching 30, who, after ending a relationship with his non-Indian girlfriend, allows his traditional parents to guide him through the Indian matchmaking process. The film humorously and poignantly examines the intersection of cultural identity and modern romance. All are welcome to join the conversation, even if you have not watched the film. |
Next CRT Book Group on ZoomSunday, January 25, 2026, 6:00pm
Dear Readers: Our next CRT book will be The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon 2000 (639 pp). Don’t be put off by the length. This book is great fun to read. Spanning continents and eras, this book by one of America’s finest writers remains one of the defining novels of our modern American age.
SUMMARY: A young escape artist and budding magician named Joe Kavalier arrives on the doorstep of his cousin, Sammy Clay. While the long shadow of Hitler falls across Europe, America is happily in the Golden Age of comic books, and in a distant corner of Brooklyn, Sammy is looking for a way to cash in on the craze. He finds the ideal partner in the aloof, artistically gifted Joe, and together they embark on an adventure that takes them deep into the heart of Manhattan, and the heart of old-fashioned American ambition. Together, they spin comic book tales of the heroic, fascist-fighting escapist and the beautiful, mysterious Luna Moth, otherworldly mistress of the night. Climbing from the streets of Brooklyn to the top of the Empire State Building, |
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Central Reform Temple of Boston is a uniquely welcoming community that embraces the richness of the Jewish tradition. Our worship, conducted primarily in English, is inclusive and accessible. We offer a warm, unconditional welcome to all who seek to join us in worship, study, and service, without regard to religious background or beliefs. One need not be born Jewish, be able to read Hebrew, or convert to Judaism to be a full, participating member of Central Reform Temple. Interfaith families and people of all faiths, including the unaffiliated, are fully embraced. Members of the LGBTQ community are a vibrant part of our Temple family.
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With a focus on adult programming and social justice, we strive to be engaged with each other both within and outside our Shabbat, Festival, and High Holy Day Services. Our one-of-a-kind covenant relationship with Emmanuel Episcopal Church with whom we share our spiritual home, integrates us both physically and ideologically within the Back Bay interfaith community.
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From the Rabbi's Study
Perhaps the single most practical thing Judaism has offered to the world, is the distinction between the working week and a day of rest. This concept of Shabbat first conceptualized in the Hebrew Bible and then spun into a myriad forms has been applied by every Civilization through the ages to provide a cessation in the unceasing drive to have, to own and to obtain more!
For as Abraham Joshua Heschel stated in his Classic work, ‘The Sabbath’, Shabbat is rather a time to be, to become, to be open to wonder...
For as Abraham Joshua Heschel stated in his Classic work, ‘The Sabbath’, Shabbat is rather a time to be, to become, to be open to wonder...
Rabbi Dr Michael Shire leads the evening service on Erev Rosh Hashanah to welcome the New Year with prayers and songs and his thoughts on the meaning of the season. Our High Holy Day quartet with organ accompaniment by Andrew Mattfeld once again provides the beautiful music to enhance our prayer. Enjoy this opportunity to enjoy this service for the first time or revisit again. Service documents for this service available at https://www.crtboston.org/service-pdf-links.html. Music covered by JLicense.
We invite all to come home to their Jewish family at the High Holy Days - whether friends, relatives, or new connections made as we pray together in our magnificent sanctuary. Raise your voice in song and words throughout this sacred time. We begin the penitential period in the Hebrew month of Elul with Selichot. This meditative and beautiful service prepares us for the coming season, with its familiar melodies of the High Holy Days and ancient and contemporary liturgy. Visit CRTBoston.org if you would like to join Central Reform Temple of Boston this holiday season.
Register to ensure you can access the services online or in person for any of our High Holy Day services. Security is paramount for all of us in these troubled times. Be sure to register as early as possible.
Subscribe to this channel for notifications when new services are posted. Music :JLicense # A-700671 #CRTBoston
Register to ensure you can access the services online or in person for any of our High Holy Day services. Security is paramount for all of us in these troubled times. Be sure to register as early as possible.
Subscribe to this channel for notifications when new services are posted. Music :JLicense # A-700671 #CRTBoston
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Subscribe to Central Reform Temple YouTube Channel
Enjoy CRT Shabbat Services “on demand” on the temple YouTube channel. When you subscribe you will be notified by email each time a new video is uploaded. Experience CRT services for the first time, review a service you missed, or relax into prayer and meditation in the middle of the week. Enjoy!
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Central Reform Temple of Boston meets at our home in Lindsey Chapel at Emmanuel Church,
15 Newbury Street in Boston, Massachusetts. We welcome you to join us!
Guests who would like to receive our weekly email with information on service dates, activities, and more please email us at [email protected].
CRT members lighting shabbat candles on Simchat Torah at The Ark - Pinner and Northwood Liberal Synagogue in UK
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CRT members study ancient Jewish manuscripts at
The Bodleian Library in Oxford, UK
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Many photos courtesy of Jesse Kiefer.
