Congregation B'nai Shalom begins 40th Anniversary Celebration

Congregation B’nai Shalom of Westborough has begun the year-long celebration of its 40th Anniversary as a vibrant hub of Jewish Life. What began as the Westborough Jewish Women’s Club in 1972 became the Westborough Jewish Association in 1974 which, in turn, became Congregation B’nai Shalom at the end of 1977. The congregation held its first High Holy Day services to welcome in the Jewish New Year in 1978.

At a special observance of the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah (rejoicing in the Torah) the Torah scrolls, the sacred scrolls of the Jewish people, were passed from those who founded the congregation back in the 1970s, through the generations of members, to those who have most recently joined the B’nai Shalom community.

As part of the ceremony, the entire scroll was unrolled across the sanctuary. More than two dozen members read and chanted portions of the text, beginning at Genesis, through to the end of Deutoronomy, and then back to Genesis, marking the start of the annual cycle of weekly readings. Symbolically, the final chapter was read by one of our founding members, Alan Fox, and the first chapter then ready by one of our newest members, Eric Schoenfeld, who himself had grown up in the community, as a representation of the passing of Jewish tradition and the congregation’s history from generation to generation.

Additional events to commemorate the 40th anniversary are planned throughout the year. These include an Artist-in-Residence weekend to celebrate the festival of Hanukkah (December 8-9), and a Sabbath service honoring many original members and our Founding Rabbi to be followed by a celebration called “Fabulous at Forty” (March 15-16).

There are also plans for an outdoor music festival with food trucks in the spring, on May 19, to wrap up the year of festivities. That event will be provided for the entire community of Westborough and local towns as a way for Congregation B’nai Shalom to show its appreciation. In the early years of the congregation, many local churches and civic groups opened their doors to enable the community to celebrate Shabbat and Festivals, prior to finding their own home, first on Charles St and later at the congregation’s current location at 117 E. Main St. It has been our pleasure to pay that forward, welcoming other religious and cultural groups to make use of the temple building as they begin to establish themselves in the community.

Congregation B’nai Shalom is a Reform congregation of approximately 450 families from 20 or more communities in the MetroWest / Central Massachusetts area. There is a thriving Religious School of more than 300 students, as well as programs and religious observances spanning the generations. For more information about the congregation, go to www.cbnaishalom.org, or contact the office at 508-366-7191.