Beineinu - November 2025

“In Honor of Shabbat, In Honor of Each Other”

Beginning Friday, November 7, Temple Beth Sholom will begin our Erev Shabbat services at 6:30 pm. This new start time will continue through at least Passover, and we hope it becomes a rhythm that sustains us—not just in scheduling, but in spirit.

Over the past few years, we have tried several different times for our Friday night services. Some of that was pandemic adaptation, some of its seasonal practicality, and some of it a response to the evolving needs of our community. But as we move into this next chapter, we are choosing to orient around kavod - honor.

Kavod for Shabbat itself, which Jewish tradition commands us to honor not when it is easy, but when it is time. Candle lighting in the winter months often falls well before 6:00 pm. We will not always hit that mark—but 6:30 pm is closer. Closer to the spirit of Tosefet Shabbat—the mitzvah of adding time onto Shabbat as an act of reverence. By starting earlier, we gain more sacred separateness.

We also show kavod for one another. An earlier start time opens the door wider for so many in our community: families with young children, members who prefer not to drive late, and those who travel from Lawrence, Manhattan, and beyond. Jewish life is built on showing up for each other and making that possible is holy work.

We will continue to pray from Mishkan T’filah. We will sing and bless and gather just as we always have. But by meeting a little earlier, we offer a more fitting welcome to the Queen of Days—and to everyone who seeks to be part of this sacred time.

This is the kind of pluralistic Judaism I believe in: one that takes tradition seriously enough to adapt it thoughtfully, and community seriously enough to meet people where they are—and invite them in.

May this change bring greater connection, deeper rest, and a renewed sense of joy in the rhythm of the Jewish calendar.

L’shalom, Rabbi Sam Stern