Etz Hayim ("tree of life") is warm and welcoming.read more

Attended a bat mitzvah here…read more I will admit (1) I do not believe in organized religion (2) I have never been in a Jewish Synagogue before (3) I do not know anything about being Jewish or the true significance of a bat mitzah (4) I step into a house of worship on average once every 5 years. With all that being said, I was pleasantly surprised by my experience. The rabbi was warm and welcoming. She understood that many in the audience were not Jewish. She explained things along the way. What we were doing. Why we were doing it. She told us to join in if we felt comfortable. Most of the service was in Hebrew. So she gave the English translation. The prayer books - she explained that you read them backwards! They have lots of music which helped make the experience extra relaxing.

What? No reviews? It's the best unaffiliated synagogue in the metrowest area! What other place has…read morea rabbi that's been with the congregation since its inception? If you just moved to Acton and you're Jewish, send your kids to Hebrew School here. Come on, people...

This community is family for me. I have a home for my heart, my mind, my spirit and my music. It is…read moretruly a blessing!

Rabbi Goldstein is fantastic and has a way with children that helps to create a warn and inviting…read moreenvironment. Cantor Idan is an iconic musician who has a few cds out as well as leading all in house music. It is exciting to come to services and watch they two ordained officials work their magic. The temple has a very large sisterhood and brotherhood both of which host tons of events during the year which in many cases are opened to non members of the temple.

I love this Temple! They have a great preschool program with 3 grades. They have Hebrew Sunday…read moreschool which is on sundays, Monday's, and Wednesday's. They have a program for older children to do fun activities. The rabbi is very funny. The cantor is a great singer and is from Israel. They have a beautiful synagogue and a great temple. They are very accepting and is open to anyone who wants to come. The high holidays are always packed so get your tickets early! The building itself is beautiful, and is in a beautiful place. Although I only go during the holidays, I love this temple overall.

Super gorgeous temple. We are in town and asked family to take us to get blessed at a Buddhist…read moretemple. I believe this temple is new or recently renovated because everything looks so clean and freshly painted. The Buddhist monk chanted and blessed us with holy water, and then tied bracelets on us to seal the deal. We prayed and were on our way within the hour. If you're in the area and looking for a beautiful Buddhist temple to visit, make a stop here. Very peaceful and therapeutic.

Ansha Sholum is like a beautiful flower that is growing out of a cement sidewalk. It is in one the…read moregrittiest neighborhoods in Lawrence, yet is not "just OK" inside. It looks and feels like a museum, like you have stepped back in time, or maybe outside of time entirely. It feels very peaceful. It's a very small, cozy congregation of older believers, more like a gathering of aunts and uncles than a typical congregation experience.

This is a great place to go if you are interested in the close, warm relationship that comes from a…read moresmall congregation. It is perfect for unaffiliated adults who are NOT looking for a synagogue with a school, or who are empty nesters. All are welcome, everyone participates, and (bonus) there is a very low almost nonexistent membership. Nervous about the location? It's considerably safer than it looks, gets an unnecessarily bad rap. If you are interested in an experience that feels like a chavurah that happens to have a building, this is the place!

Over the past few decades, in some locations, Jewish communities declined. Yet some places offer…read morenew life to the community. Chabad of the Nashoba Valley is one many Chabad outreach centers that reaches out to Jews of all backgrounds and observance levels. It is a small, haimish Chabad outreach center, which double as the community synagogue. They provide Orthodox Jewish prayer services on Shabbat (Friday night and morning) and holidays. Out here in the burbs its great to find a meaningful shul for Jewish people to come to. They have community Passover Seders, and services for the Yamim Nora'im (High Holy Days, Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur) Also a Kids'n Krafts hands-on Jewish educational program for kids 4 to 9. Chabad has a point of view, like any group worth respecting does. It's an open-hearted Orthodoxy that meets Jews where they are, offering pathways to a meaningful Jewish life. They're not missionaries; rather, they inspire Jews to become educated about their own heritage, and to take a step up the ladder of observance, from wherever they are. The Shabbat service could use more Shlomo Carelebach-type melodies and harmonies. But that's true of nearly all synagogues nowadays. It also could use a few more brief readings in English, which helps keeps people involved if they don't know the format. This is a place very much worth coming to, and a worthy addition to the Jewish community of the Meerimack Valley/Metrowest area, If you're looking for a synagogue where a larger percent of the services are in English, and/or which is helpful to intermarried couples looking to raise their kids Jewish, nearby is Congregation Shalom (Reform) in Chelmsford, or a bit further north, Temple Beth Abraham (Conservative), in Nashua NH.

Love the relaxed atmosphere . High Holiday services were wonderful. Great community of all ages.read more

From the owner: We are a Synagogue serving the Jewish community of greater Newburyportread more