FAQs

Use the online Membership Renewal Form for members, or our New Member Application Form.

Research shows that becoming a member of a vibrant Jewish community improves our health. (All are invited to our twice daily minyan and Shabbat Services either in person or via online streaming.) Membership also provides access to:

• Educational opportunities for adults and children
• Trips to Israel led by our clergy
• Connection with interest groups
• Many opportunities for social and sports gatherings
• New friends
• Opportunities to be part of a supportive community, celebrating together, accompanying and empowering one another, and helping to shoulder each other’s burdens in times of need

High Holy Days

• Membership includes tickets for you and your household (one or two adults and children under 25) to attend our High Holy Day services
• Attend High Holy Day services at other United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism synagogues in the United States or abroad via reciprocity
• Purchase guest tickets for family or friends to attend services with you
• Purchase reserved seating and parking spaces

Pastoral Care & Life Cycle Events

• Meet with our Clergy for pastoral care and no charge to officiate at all lifecycle events
• Hold life cycle events such as B’nei Mitzvah, weddings and funerals in our Sanctuary
• Rent our spaces for other purposes such as baby namings, meetings and parties

Religious School and Youth Program

• Only members may enroll in our Temple Emunah Religious School and Youth program
• Additional fees apply for religious school tuition, b’nei mitzvah costs, and youth activities.

Programs

• Receive our members-only newsletter updates on programs and events
• Attend and vote in our Congregational meetings
• Participate in our Community Forums
• Members who desire can take an active role in shaping the future of Temple Emunah by
  • Serving on the Board of Directors
  • Becoming a committee chair
  • Volunteering on a committee
  • Participating in social justice activities and other mitzvot

One of the hallmarks of Temple Emunah is the deep involvement of our members. Please contact VP of Community Affairs, Ken Bruss (Ken.bruss@gmail.com), to find out how to get involved. Temple Emunah is fueled by your energy, expertise and enthusiasm.

The Temple Emunah community includes over 500 households in the towns of Lexington, Arlington, Bedford, Waltham and almost 50 other towns in Boston’s northwest suburbs. 

It is easy to adjust your annual commitment by either contacting the Executive Director, Raveetal Celine, at rceline@templeemunah.org, or by using the Flexible Annual Commitment Form.

Temple Emunah welcomes a diverse population of Jews and those partnered to Jews. We embrace a wide variety of religious practices. In the synagogue we observe Kashrut and Shabbat, in accordance with Conservative Jewish practice. This pluralistic approach allows people across the spectrum of Jewish observance to feel at home in the Emunah family. Those who are not coming from Jewish backgrounds, those who are Jews by choice, Israelis, and those coming from Reform or Conservative or Orthodox backgrounds enrich our community and make Emunah their spiritual home.

Temple Emunah prides itself on being an engaging, inclusive, and welcoming community. We welcome the participation of interfaith couples and families. To support this commitment, we have a Keruv (Outreach) Committee, which works with our rabbis to:

• Identify issues and establish inclusive practices for communal life and rituals while maintaining standards of halakhah (Jewish law).
• Raise awareness and educate the synagogue’s membership regarding contemporary issues of concern to the community within the context of Conservative Judaism.
• Provide a forum to discuss topics related to interfaith couples, extended interfaith families, and other matters pertaining to the Keruv mission.

Temple Emunah prides itself on being an engaging, inclusive, and welcoming community. We welcome the participation of people of all abilities, backgrounds, sexual orientations and gender identities. To support this commitment, we have a Keruv Committee, which works with our rabbis to:

• Provide a forum to discuss topics related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender living, and other matters pertaining to the Keruv mission.
• Dedicate an all gender bathroom in our synagogue
• Host pride Shabbat programming and special speakers

The Disability and Inclusion committee helps create a community that welcomes and includes children, teens, and adults with invisible and visible special needs.

Temple Emunah provides these helpful items to all of our guests:

• Handicapped accessible entrance
• Braille siddur & large print siddur
• Music stands to support your siddur or humash as needed
• Audio aids
• Individual and gender neutral accessible bathrooms for those who have a family member or caretaker or use a wheelchair or walker
• Specially marked seats for wheelchairs & walkers to fit next to the seats. Some pews have space to sit with family and/or friends with your wheelchair or walker

Absolutely not. All materials used in religious services feature Hebrew and English translations. Our members cover the entire spectrum of Hebrew knowledge. We offer a variety of courses in conversational Hebrew and Hebrew prayer skills. What is particularly exciting is when members of various ages participate in a Hebrew ritual for the first time. If you would like to learn more about the Hebrew classes we offer for adults, please click below.

HEBREW CLASSES >

We welcome ALL to join our events. Temple Emunah’s daily and Shabbat services are always free and open to the public. The majority of our programs are free of charge to our members and may have a small, nominal fee for non-members.

Masks are optional, welcome anytime, and recommended when local rates are high (visit the CDC website for Middlesex County rates).  Well-fitting KN95/N95 masks provide good protection for people who choose to wear them.

We recommend staying up to date on all vaccines. 

We also ask that you please be considerate of others and use the online option for services/programs/meetings if you have symptoms of Covid or other communicable illnesses.  

Temple Emunah’s social hall and sanctuary have excellent air ventilation, per the CDC recommendations.

Temple Emunah does not do contact tracing.

You are invited to apply for a reduced commitment by either contacting the Executive Director, Raveetal Celine, at rceline@templeemunah.org, or by using the Flexible Annual Commitment Form.

This information is on the members only portal.

Temple Emunah’s sources of revenue include annual membership commitments, our sustainer membership program, our annual Kol Nidrei appeal, facility rentals, endowment interest, bank interest, and donations from Sisterhood, Brotherhood, and personal donations to the general fund, Sefer Haftarot Fund, Seven Species Fund, Circle of Life, Yahrzeit plaques, Legacy Gifts and restricted funds.

Temple Emunah is debt-free and owns its buildings and grounds. The expenses include administration, staff, security, building and grounds maintenance including landscaping, snow removal, custodial expenses, maintenance agreements for office and AV equipment, and general upkeep. It also includes support for the religious school and Billy Dalwin Pre-school of Temple Emunah, and educational and holiday programming expenses. If divided equally, the cost of running Temple Emunah is more than $4700 per household member unit.  We are able to set the recommended annual commitments much less than $4,700 because we utilize other sources of revenue and we want our community to be more affordable.

The capital budget pays for major replacements considered to be capital improvements, such as refrigerators, freezers, boilers, rooftop HVAC units, roof, parking lot, A/V system hardware and equipment.

The Security fee is used to pay for security detail provided during programs and services as well as to pay for security technology and equipment.