Groton Landmark Article
by Liz Tragash
(appeared on March 8 and 15, 2002)
On a chilly February evening there is a slight hint of spring in the air as a unique birth is unfolding. The seeds that were planted last spring and watered over the summer have begun to emerge. They have burgeoned throughout the autumn and winter, giving shape and form to a new synagogue. Shir Hadash, a new song, is the name that has been chosen for this growing community of Jewish families who are coming together to create a new house of worship in the town of Westford.
I visited the Shir Hadash community on February 8, 2002 as they gathered in the Fellowship Meeting House in Westford for their sixth communal observance of Shabbat – the welcoming of the Jewish Sabbath that begins at sundown on Friday and continues through sundown on Saturday.
As I entered the brightly-lit room, there was a flurry of activity around me. Adults were in the final stages of setting up tables and chairs, creating an area for worship and an area for socializing after the conclusion of the service. A score of young children were assembled around a row of tables, which were covered with crayons, markers and paper bags for the evening’s craft activity. Each Sabbath observance begins with a half-hour craft activity to engage the youngest members of the congregation and provide them with a hands-on experience of their Jewish heritage. On the evening of my visit, the youngsters were busily decorating Shalach Manot bags, which would subsequently be filled and brought to residents of the Willow Manor Nursing home, where young and old would observe the upcoming holiday of Purim.
Purim is the holiday that commemorates Queen Esther’s brave intervention, which saved the Jews from genocide at the hands of the wicked Haman in the 5th Century BCE. It is customary on Purim to make Shalach Manot bags or baskets and fill them with food and treats, which are then shared with neighbors. It is also customary to give charity to needy families or charitable organizations.
At the conclusion of the craft period, the children and adults were invited to come together for a brief worship service. The children reluctantly left their crafts to sit with their families as the traditional prayers welcoming the Sabbath were chanted. The Sabbath candles, which are lit prior to sundown, were blessed by one of the families – it was their first time attending a service and they were readily incorporated into the group and given a role to fulfill.
The prayer book is a loose-leaf notebook containing the words to various prayers and songs as well as explanations regarding the rituals and customs of the Sabbath. Prayers are written in Hebrew and in transliteration- an English phonetic spelling of the Hebrew words- as well as in English, allowing congregants with various levels of Hebrew knowledge to participate comfortably in the service. Each family has their own prayer book and the loose-leaf format lends itself well to a congregation that is evolving since components can be added or omitted over time.
In the middle of the service, the children were escorted into another room in the Fellowship Hall, where adult volunteers led them in a more “child friendly” service of prayer and activity. The adults and older children remained in the Hall for a lively discussion of the week’s Torah portion. A member of the group facilitated the discussion, however there was a lively discourse among all members of the congregation until the door opened and the children were eagerly reunited with their families. Closing prayers were chanted and then the group gathered for the Oneg Shabbat - a time to enjoy refreshments and informal conversation following the service.
I met with two of the founding members of Temple Shir Hadash to learn about how the congregation was conceived and the visions that are held for its future development.
Joanne Derr explains that the roots of Shir Hadash are actually nine years old, dating back to the inception of the Westford Jewish Community group (WJC) in 1993. That organization was formed by a small group of Westford residents who wanted to have a vehicle for celebrating holidays and socializing with other Jewish families in town. They also wanted to provide their children with an opportunity to meet their Jewish peers. Over the past nine years, the WJC has become a very active group, sponsoring an annual Hanukah party, progressive dinners and a number of activities that are primarily social and cultural, but not religious, in their focus.
According to Derr, members of the WJC come together socially but split apart religiously, since they belong to a number of synagogues in the area. She jokes that a family’s decision to join a synagogue is often based on the number of miles and minutes of commuting time from Westford. Derr, along with other members of the WJC, began to envision a synagogue right in town where they could worship, observe holidays and attend educational programs with their neighbors.
This vision was given momentum last spring when a synagogue in the area began investigating the possibility of relocating to Westford. Ultimately, the synagogue decided to remain in its current location, but for Derr and other members of the Jewish community, it was time to move forward, to plant and water the seeds of their vision for a house of worship in the town of Westford. The Westford and Greater Community Synagogue Committee was formed and meetings were held in members’ living rooms. There the process of establishing goals and visions began to crystallize.
According to Randy Uram, Shir Hadash is “egalitarian, family oriented and user friendly.” All are welcome and families can participate at their own level of comfort. At the present time there is no religious leader, so each month the service is led by a member of the congregation. Other members volunteer to help with the children’s craft activity or to lead the children’s service, while others assist with setting up or preparing refreshments for the Oneg Shabbat. Clean-up is shared by everyone and on the night of my visit, both young and old pitched in to restore the Meeting House to order.
Uram stated that the goal for the first six months of the congregation was to hold a Shabbat service once each month, on the second Friday of the month. The inaugural service took place on September 14th, drawing a crowd of approximately 125 people. Subsequent services have been well attended, drawing a range of 60 to 80 people each month. The goal for the next six months will be to provide ways for members to observe the holidays of Purim and Passover. Both of these observances will also incorporate the congregation’s goal of performing social action. The Purim observance will provide elderly residents at the Willow Manor Nursing Home with an intergenerational celebration and food gifts. Members of the Shir Hadash community plan to help individuals or families who would like to attend a Passover Seder with some local resources and hosts.
As the congregation moves out of its infancy it will face a number of issues as it begins to define who it is and who it wishes to become. These decisions will include the choice to remain as a lay led congregation or to select a part time rabbi to serve as the spiritual leader. This decision will in turn influence the congregation’s decision to affiliate with one of the larger organizations that represent the Reform, Conservative or Reconstructionist movements of Judaism. Alternatively, the synagogue may elect to remain unaffiliated, incorporating elements of each of these movements into the fabric of their congregation.
The congregation also hopes to provide a religious school for its members and is currently investigating the needs and preferences of area residents, many of whom belong to existing synagogues where their children are enrolled in religious school. In all likelihood, Derr and Uram feel that they may begin with a preschool and kindergarten program and gradually introduce programs for older children as the membership expands.
Eventually, the congregation hopes to move from the space that has been graciously rented to them by the First Parish Church into its own home. That vision lies off somewhere in the future, for now it is time to focus on the early stages of growth and development.
All are welcome to become a part of the Shir Hadash community. For more information please contact Joanne Derr at 978-692-0125 or email tsh@templeshirhadash.org.
Written by Liz Tragash