Temple Emanuel’s Rich Legacy
Temple Emanuel was founded during the Great Depression, a time of despair and doubt, a period in which many in our nation, as well as the world, felt that there was nothing to hope for. It was in that time of bleakness, in September of 1935, that a small group of men and women came together to create an institution which was, for them, the symbol of hope and faith in the future.
Many of our founding parents were recent refuges from the Pale – for them the founding of the synagogue was an expression of freedom never before experienced. This small group from Boston neighborhoods, nearby urban communities, from even greater distances, founded Temple Emanuel in temporary quarters on Commonwealth Avenue. The new synagogue offered its religious leadership to Rabbi Leo Shubow only five days later, and quickly organized a Sisterhood and Brotherhood as necessary adjuncts.
One year later the shul, still temporarily housed on Commonwealth Avenue, could claim 160 students enrolled in the rapidly expanding Hebrew and Sunday schools. The congregation in 1937 would be fortunate to acquire Gabriel Hochberg as Cantor, Teacher and Principal of the Hebrew School. He was named Cantor Emeritus in 1976 after 39 years of continual and dedicated service. His tenure is rivaled only by that of Lewis Lourie, engaged as Temple Sexton in 1947, and who retired to live in Israel in 1981.
Only Two Years After its Formation
In September 1937, the congregation proudly celebrated the High Holy Days in its new home on Ward Street. This was the beginning…
The following years that followed were active and busy years for the shul and its expanding membership. A new religious leader, Rabbi Samuel N. Sherman was welcome and then in 1950, Rabbi Albert I. Gordon, a dynamic figure in Conservative Judaism assumed the Temple Emanuel pulpit. The Congregation welcomed him with plans to erect a half-million dollar school building.
The Growing Years
What followed were growth years. Temple Emanuel was proud to be the religious home and spiritual center for Jewish families, highlighted by the dedication of the chapel, modern school building, community hall and a birth of a high school for children who sought to explore more deeply their history.
Rabbi Samuel Chiel Succeeded Rabbi Gordon
In 1968 after 18 years of distinguished leadership was elected Rabbi Emeritus. In Rabbi Chiel’s years as our spiritual leader, he led Temple Emanuel to the position of one of the leading Conservative congregations in the country. He heightened the synagogue’s spirit of creativity and innovation, developing many exciting and meaningful new programs and activities. The Israel concerns committee, the annual Kallah, the Havurot, the Hebrew literacy program, the adult bar/bat mitzvah program, the annual Holocaust Memorial Service, the contemporary Rosh Hashanah service, the stars of David social club and our social action committee were just a few of his marks left on the community.
In 1997, Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz came to Temple Emanuel to serve as rabbi. He brought with him a passion for a sense of inclusiveness for all, women, interfaith, LGBTQ, etc. While keeping our Conservative roots, Rabbi Gardenswartz helped push the envelope to bring new, modern day initiatives to Temple Emanuel. He was later joined by Rabbi Michelle Robinson who came to Temple Emanuel in 1999. Cantor Elías Rosemberg became the 4th cantor in Temple Emanuel’s history on July 1, 2007, after being unanimously and enthusiastically approved by Temple Emanuel’s Board and Membership at a special Congregational-Board meeting. The clergy continue the sacred task of being a pillar in the community, providing a religious and spiritual home for all.
Rav Hazzan Aliza Berger is delighted to join the Temple Emanuel community. She recently completed her study at Hebrew College and was ordained as both a cantor and a rabbi in the spring of 2017.
Aliza grew up in the Jewish Renewal community of Boulder, Colorado and dreamed of becoming a rabbi from a very young age. In high school, after becoming the youngest member of the Denver Opera Company, Aliza decided to seriously pursue a singing career and enrolled at Vanderbilt University to study classical voice at the Blair School of Music and Jewish Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences. It was there that she realized that her true passion is singing with others and making music together in the context of community.
After graduating, Aliza spent a year in Israel where she studied at Machon Pardes in Jerusalem and with Rabbi Levi Lauer of ATZUM Justice Works. While at Pardes, Aliza was a coordinator for the egalitarian minyan and served as a member of the musician’s circle at Nava Tehila, the Renewal community In Jerusalem, which draws Jews from all backgrounds to daven with music and kavannah.
In Boston, she has served as the Rabbinic Intern at Temple Aliyah in Needham and Nehar Shalom in Jamaica Plain and as the High Holiday Cantorial Soloist for Temple Israel in Boston and Anshe Amunim in the Berkshires.
Aliza plays piano, ukulele, and guitar and is always in the mood for spontaneous jam sessions. In her occasional free time, Aliza enjoys practicing yoga and loves to go out dancing.
Dan Nesson joined the professional staff of Temple Emanuel in the fall of 1989.
Previously, he served as Ritual Director at the Emanuel Synagogue in West Hartford, Connecticut. He has served as Ba’al Koreh for Temple Emeth in Chestnut Hill and at Adas Hadrath Israel, the oldest continually attended synagogue in Boston.
Mr. Nesson taught Adult Education at Hebrew College and presented workshops at the Adams Street Shul for numerous Havurot.
He has studied Nusach Ha’Tefillah with Cantors Don Gurney, Scott Sokol, Charles Osborne, and the pedagogy of T’amei HaMikrah with Professor Joshua Jacobson.
A lover of music, Mr. Nesson has studied voice with Patricia Stedry, sung with Jan Peerce an performed with the Boston Light Opera Company. He has been a member of the Zamir Choral of Boston since 1979.
Dan and his late wife, Susan (z”l), are the very proud parents of Emma Rose Jiang-Man.
Time Flies
It doesn’t seem possible that time has passed so quickly since the formation of Temple Emanuel in 1935. Nations have been born while others diminished or disappeared. The surviving young, energetic men and women of 1935 who together dreamed and built Temple Emanuel are now the elders of the community, members of well-known families still active in Newton’s first Conservative Synagogue. Their efforts, supported by the newer Jewish settlers of Newton in the intervening and exciting years through the present time, have thrust Temple Emanuel and its religious, humanitarian and social values into the forefront of American Judaism.
Temple Emanuel Cookbook
Discover a culinary treasure from our past! We recently stumbled upon a hidden gem—a cookbook created by our members several decades ago. This remarkable compilation captures the essence of time, showcasing the diverse culinary talents within our Temple Emanuel community. The pages are filled with cherished recipes that have stood the test of time, offering a glimpse into the flavors that have adorned our tables over the years. While the mystery of its creation date adds an element of intrigue, one thing is for certain—these recipes have been beloved by generations.
View the Temple Emanuel Cookbook hereOut of those early days of despair, out of hopes of a few, has grown a vibrant Congregation, serving the spiritual and social needs of thousands of families. We, the thousands, acknowledge the hope and commitment of the founding few.
History influences the future. Temple Emanuel’s history is legendary in its growth, membership, outstanding education of its children, and its spiritual leadership of the Newton community.
We welcome you to view additional photos in our Archives at Temple Emanuel.