History

Who are we? Temple Shir Hadash was formed by a group of families with the dream of having a house of worship in our own community. Shir Hadash translates to “New Song”. We are dedicated to creating an independent and inclusive community synagogue.

When did we start? Due to stunning participation at Westford Jewish Community events over the past several years, such as the annual Hanukkah party and Progressive dinner, we realized that our numbers had finally reached critical mass in Westford.  In May 2001, we began to gather and talk at people’s houses. And within one meeting we all agreed to form a synagogue in Westford.  Amazing!

Where did our name come from? The Torah, of course.  Psalm 149 is a touching passage that speaks of “Shir Hadash”, a New Song that we sing for the Lord. We took a vote on the back of a pizza box (we used the tools we had at the time) and unanimously agreed on our new name. We kvelled. And a synagogue was truly conceived.

All beginnings are challenging, and we are fully prepared. We do this work for our ancestors, and for our descendents. 

Welcome to the Journey.