SHA'AREI SHALOM, founded
in 1995, is a member-driven, diverse congregation offering
the warmth of a small community. We recognize the wide
range of views in our congregation and provide both
tradition and innovation, giving us the opportunity
to learn and grow as a community. We encourage and support
efforts to reach out to those in need both within and
outside of our membership family.
Upcoming Events and Services All services are at the Ashland Community Center, 162 West Union Street (rt. 135), Ashland, unless otherwise noted.
Tuesday, May 22nd Family Night Mini-Golf is Tuesday, May 22nd at 6:30pm at Water Hazard Mini Golf in Holliston.
Friday, June 8th Tot Shabbat at 6:30
Rabbi Margie will run this popular service oriented toward young children and their families. The 45 minute participatory event will conclude with challah and juice and a Shabbat treat. As with all our events, we welcome visitors to join us.
Traditional Shabbat at 7:30
Join us for a traditional service followed by a community Oneg. We will be acknowleding the Bar Mitzvah of Zak Weinstein, who will help lead the service.
Dear friends,
This week marks the 21st anniversary of my bat mitzvah, when I was called to the Torah for the first time. I want to share with you a bit of my bat mitzvah story, and a teaching from the Torah portion from which I read.
My parents are both lawyers, so I when I read in Parashat Emor of the first instance of someone being put in jail to wait for a verdict, I knew I had found the subject of my dvar torah.
Before the ill-fated prisoner winds up in jail, he gets into a fight with another Israelite, and curses him by using God’s name in vain, along with a swear word. The people aren’t sure what to do, so they put him in custody, while Moses asks God what to do. God tells them that it is illegal to blaspheme, and that they should stone the man to death, which they do.
As I write this column, I am still smiling about Friday night. It was a regular Kabbalat Shabbat service, but it was also so much more, as our 3rd-6th grade religious school students helped to lead us in prayer. It was another moment that allowed me to sit back and relish what our community has created together. The children’s knowledge of the prayers and ease with singing them was impressive. The Hebrew School teachers and our volunteer School Committee members work tirelessly to create an educational program that is rigorous yet still enjoyable for the students. They do this because passing on our traditions and a love of Judaism is integral to our identity as Jews.
