Inclusion
"Let our sanctuary be like Abraham's tent open to all directions. Let our community be like Abraham - opening doors to all."
- Rabbi Eliana Jacobowitz
Our community welcomes and celebrates the participation of interfaith couples and families, and people of all backgrounds, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities. It is important to us that everyone is able to participate fully as a member of our congregation or as a visitor. If you or a family member needs any accommodation at our services and events, please contact the office at 617-625-0333 or tbb@templebnaibrith.org. We are happy to help!
Disability Visibility Advocate
Penina Weinberg is TBB's Disability Visibility Advocate. Penina's goals are two fold: (1) to bring visibility to vibrant disability culture and the wisdom of disability Torah; (2) to organize a list of unmet access needs at TBB, along with plans of action.
To those ends, Penina would love to hear from any and all members regarding unmet needs and/or interest in learning opportunities, and/or requests to help out, and/or for more information on what brings her to this role. Penina can be reached at DisabilityVisibility@
Accessibility
Temple B'nai Brith is proud to work continually toward accessibility for all. Magnifying glasses are available to aid those with low vision in reading our prayer books. Our accessible entrance is at the rear of the building and equipped with an intercom system. Our elevator provides access to all three levels of the synagogue. Our accessible restroom is located at the front of the building on the ground level.
This initiative is supported in part by a grant from The Ruderman Synagogue Inclusion Project.
Pronoun Buttons
Buttons reading “she,” “he,” and “they” are located in the front entryway on the literature table. We encourage everyone to wear one as an act of inclusion. All of our board members have name tags with their pronouns, and High Holiday tickets/name badges also include each individual’s preferred pronouns. Read more at https://pronouns.org.
Gender Inclusive Language in the Torah Service
In an attempt to be more gender inclusive and welcoming, we have made some adjustments to the language used during Torah services. We hope these changes to the Hebrew will allow all members of our community to feel seen, acknowledged, and welcomed.
During our mi sheberach lacholim prayer (the prayer for those who are ill) we will call the names of the persons for whose healing we pray without listing their gender.
We will not use masculine or feminine forms of aliyah numbers based on the gender of the person receiving the aliyah, but instead use the format “la’aliyah hashlishit, revi’it” which is not affected by the gender of the person receiving the Aliyah.
We will use the Hebrew “ta’amod” to call up to the Torah those who use she/her pronouns, “ya’amod” for individuals who use he/his pronouns, and “na’ la’amod” for those who use they/their pronouns. If you prefer to be called up to the Torah in a different way, please be in touch with Rabbi Eliana to let us know.
Temple B’nai Brith is your home, and we want to make sure you feel at home with us.
Project Aliyah
Temple B'nai Brith began an accessibility campaign in 2002 to make our synagogue building more accessible for all. We installed accessible bathrooms, and eventually an elevator. It took many years to raise the funds needed to install an elevator- TBB's largest renovation project to date.
After years of preliminary groundwork and fund raising, Project Aliyah was finally completed in 2017. Thanks to the City of Somerville for helping to make Project Aliyah possible through a Community Preservation Act grant, to Derek Bloom Architects and Hamilton Construction for their hard work on the project, and to you our donors for finally making Project Aliyah a reality!
Starting in 2002, we established the necessary organizational structure to explore all options and carry out the work of an accessibility campaign. Early donors helped to support the first phase of the accessibility plan, as well as to raise awareness of accessibility within our congregation.
Renovations were completed in the synagogue restrooms.
In 2014, we jump-started our accessibility efforts with a new, more affordable plan to place an elevator in an existing synagogue stairwell.
In 2015, TBB was awarded a generous Community Preservation Act grant from the City of Somerville to install an elevator and improve our fire safety system, a critical element in our goal to make all areas of the synagogue accessible to all.
In 2016, TBB signed a contract with Hamilton Construction to move forward with our accessibility project, including installing an elevator and a fire suppression system.
Construction began in March 2017.
Our long awaited elevator was delivered on July 5, 2017.
Construction was completed before the 2017 High Holidays.
New elevators are delivered unassembled, and require a very large truck.
16 foot rails had to be brought in through a window.
The Chapel served as temporary storage for yet-to-be-assembled elevator parts.
A new fire suppression system was installed.
Finally, our elevator was assembled in place within the newly built elevator shaft.
