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Letter: Temple Shir Hadash Marks its Fifth Year To the editor: Five years ago, in the summer of 2001, three families representing a new congregation wrote a letter to the editor of the Westford Eagle announcing that we had begun a process of forming a new Jewish Temple in Westford. We wrote that...After several years of building community through a social group, we are taking the plunge toward enhancing that community by nurturing our religious impulse, giving _expression to our desire to maintain an organized spirituality in our community. In a sense, we are honoring an ancient process that our ancestors participated in for centuries in almost every country in the world. That plunge we took has turned into a full swim and now, five years later, we are an active independent and inclusive congregation serving Westford, Chelmsford, Littleton, Acton, Tyngsboro, Groton and surrounding communities. We have been welcomed and supported by the other faiths practiced in the Westford area and are privileged to be able to hold our Shabbat services, conducted by our wonderful Rabbi, Karen Landy, in the Fellowship Hall of the First Parish Church United. Our mission is to provide a spiritual, social, and cultural home for Jewish families and individuals characterized by inclusiveness, innovation, and friendship anchored in Jewish practice and traditions. This mission is supported by a variety of activities including our services: We hold Shabbat services every second Friday of the month, during some months have additional services, and in the fall we will hold High Holiday Services. Our activities are rounded out by an outstanding education program which includes Hebrew and religious education for children ages 3 to 17, and adult education classes as well. We hold social activities including a very popular Hanukkah party, and our Social Action Committee has an active agenda including most recently participating in the Team Walk for Cancer Care in Lowell. And, our strategic plan calls for initial steps to plan for a temple building. More information on the Temple is available at www.TempleShirHadash.org. We are proud to establish a congregation in as open and tolerant a community as Westford, and we look forward to continuing to add to the rich spiritual life of the region. Five years ago, Temple Shir Hadash was a dream - now, during the summer of 2006 - Temple Shir Hadash is a welcomed and growing reality. Thank you for your kind welcome and continued support.
Joe Diamond
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