A Successful Groundbreaking Ceremony

25 Sivan 5771 June 27, 2011 • Announcements, Events

(Cross post from MaldenMikvah.org)

A large crowd  gathered at Congregation Beth Israel yesterday to celebrate the groundbreaking for our mikvah. Many leaders of the Jewish community attended, including the Bostoner Rebbe, who spoke, Rosh Kollel Rabbi Naftali Bier, Rabbi Avraham Halbfinger, and many other distinguished rabbanim, as well as many friends of the Malden community from Greater Boston. Malden’s Mayor, Richard Howard, joined the ceremony, as did John Matheson, candidate for City Counselor for our ward.

The large assembly crowded onto the balcony overlooking the former pool area, and around the fenced-off construction site, for the ceremony. Rabbi Rabinowitz, the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Israel, began the ceremony with Psalm 130. Mayor Howard said a few congratulatory words to the congregation. We were honored with some words from the Bostoner Rebbe. The president of the congregation, Jay Lamport, spoke after the Bostoner Rebbe, followed by Matthew Garland, and Rabbi Rabinowitz.

“I’m very happy that everyone in the community works as a group and pitches in, and people take on roles and do things,” said Sam Goldberg, 1st Vice President of the synagogue and Chair of the Mikvah Committee. “And I think even though we’re a small group we’re doing quite a great job at making the community grow and making projects like this happen. Thanks to everybody who helped.”

Our photos are included below. The photographer’s pictures will be available G-d Willing at the end of the week, and you will be able to view them as a slideshow when they are up.

 

Rabbi Rabinowitz leads the assembly in Psalm 130 to begin the ceremony.

Lev Novikov, the Master of Ceremonies, introduces the important aspects of Mikvah in the opening remarks.

Grand Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda HaLevi Horowitz, the Bostoner Rebbe, delivers his remarks.

YU Torah Tours Makes a Stop in Malden

17 Sivan 5771 June 19, 2011 • Events, Holiday

by Phillip Vedol and Josh Vogel

Shavuot 5771 at Beth Israel of Malden was very special, indeed!

Six students from Yeshiva University’s Torah Tours came to Congregation Beth Israel Malden for the holiday to give shiurim, or classes in Torah, for men, women, and teens.  After a community evening seudah, or festive meal, the shiurim began. A wide spectrum of topics were covered, including two special interactive discussions for the community’s teenagers. The learning went into the morning, sweetened with regular servings of cheesecake.

Throughout the holiday, the entire shul community was charmed by the friendly and conversational nature of the Torah Tours crew. They took a keen interest in getting to know all of the shul’s congregants, with the community immediately making them feel at home.

We wish to thank and commend Dorit Muskin (who was their coordinator), Esti Reichman, Alexandra Grumet, Zach Weiner, Elliot Friedman, and Josh Jay for enhancing our community’s Shavuot experience on so many levels. We were even fortunate to have the voice of one of YU’s Maccabeats to uplift our services. They were excited to bring back word to their friends of the great incentives the Jewish Community of Malden has to offer, like tuition assistance (link), an eruv, and Mikvah under construction (link). They also agreed that Malden’s proximity to Boston, with its jobs and great schools, made it a good choice for any growing Jewish family.

We are also grateful to Rabbi & Rebbitzen Rabinowitz, the Bitran Family, the Goldberg Family, and the Vogel Family for hosting Torah Tours and being such great company during their stay..

The shiurim included topics on  “A Jew’s Role in This World,” “Birchat HaTorah,” and “Pulling An All Nighter….Is It Worth It?,” to mention a few.  Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Rabinowitz, our community’s rabbi, also gave shiurim regarding “Does Everyone Receive a Portion in Olam Haba-The World to Come?,” “Shavuos- a Time for Change,” and “ What Shavuos Did (or Didn’t Do) for Eating Dairy,” along with many others.

We were sad to see them leave and are looking forward to sharing other Chagim and Smichot with them again soon!

Torah Tours Inspire Local Teens

17 Sivan 5771 June 19, 2011 • Events, Holiday

by Batsheva Goldberg

When my mother told me that the Torah Tours women would be teaching a special class for the teen girls on Shavuous night, I was pretty excited. In past years, I had generally gone to the dinner at shul, then walked home and read something vaguely related to the Torah for an hour before going to sleep. This sounded like a much better way to get the learning experience I was hoping for. I certainly wasn’t disappointed! The three students visiting our community presented a fascinating lesson, complete with source sheets, and happily answered all our questions (and there were quite a few!). By the end of the night, I felt like I had really received some very satisfactory answers to things I had been wondering about.

The class went so well that they held another one for us the next day. This time we covered a different aspect about what being Jewish meant to all of us, and also participated in an extremely fun activity in which all the teen girls had to work together to connect various objects such as a glove, a doily, and a fork to Shavuous and then build a skit around those objects. By mixing the more serious content of the lesson with an exciting game, we were able to gain a much more comprehensive idea of what they were trying to teach us.

The Torah Tours women created a unique learning experience for the teen girls. This was the first time that a class had been held in the community especially for us, and everyone enjoyed it immensely. The unanimous consent was that we all can’t wait for them to come back next year!

Join Us For a Night on the Mountain – Shavuoton Dinner and Late Night Learning

29 Iyyar 5771 June 2, 2011 • Events, Holiday

Be a part of our annual Shavu’ot celebration!

A festive dairy meal following services!

Tuesday, June 7, at 9:25 pm

Adults: $12, Children 5 – 13: $8, Family Max: $36

Shavuot Learning – Torah classes from 11:30 pm – 3 :00 am (refreshments served throughout the night – cakes, chips, and ice cream with the works!) Schedule details TBA

Please let us know if you’re coming:

Save the Date

27 Iyyar 5771 May 31, 2011 • Announcements, Events

You’re invited!

Join us at Congregation Beth Israel of Malden, for a Groundbreaking Ceremony for our brand new mikvah!

Sunday, June 26 at 2:00 pm

Congregation Beth Israel, 10 Dexter Street, Malden, MA, 02148

Congregation Beth Israel of Malden is conveniently located 20 minutes from Brookline and 30 minutes from Newton by car, is a short drive from I-93, and a 5 minute walk to the Malden Center T station on the Orange Line.

Free parking is available.