We are a Family of Families

Temple Emanuel is a Reform Jewish community in Andover, MA committed to honoring our legacy while embracing new traditions, opening our hearts to all who wish to join, and actively engaging in Jewish life together.

women sitting together in sanctuary pews
bar mitzvah boy carrying torah
young kids standing in front of the bimah
girl wearing paper crown and face paint
family holding a lit havdalah candle

The Calendar

Events and opportunities to learn, celebrate, connect, and worship with your Temple Emanuel family.

Featured

Sunday, Nov 17 @ 9:00 am 

Tot Traditions Shabbat Program for Three- and Four-Year Olds

Sunday, Nov 17 @ 9:30 am 

Breakfast & Panel Discussion: Campaign 2024 – The Inside Scoop

Saturday, Nov 23 @ 7:00 pm

Cantor’s Coffee House: Double Chai Concert & Dessert Reception

Join for Shabbat!

Shabbat Evening Service

Fridays @ 6:30 pm
Sanctuary | Zoom | Facebook

Shabbat Morning Service

Saturdays @ 9 am*
Chapel | Zoom
*See Shabbat Dates + Details 

Sunday Morning Family Service

Sundays (Sep – Jun) @ 9 am
Sanctuary

Can’t make it in person? There are opportunities to join via Zoom or tune in on Facebook. Click the link below to learn more!

What else is coming up?

  1. 20 Nov
  2. 20 Nov
  3. 21 Nov

    Middle East Discussion Group

    9:30 am - 10:20 am

    Next dates: 05 Dec | 12 Dec | 19 Dec |
  4. 21 Nov

    Taste of Torah

    10:30 am - 11:30 am

    Next dates: 05 Dec | 12 Dec | 19 Dec |

Sign up for email updates.

Get the latest news, a curated list of upcoming events, Shabbat Zoom access information, and more!

Be(come) a Member

I’m a member.

Visit the Member Portal, our members-only hub where you can view and manage your Temple Emanuel membership – make a dues payment, update your contact info, check on an upcoming yahrzeit, and more!

I’d like to join.

Great! We’d love for you to be a part of our family of families. You can read a bit more about what it means to be a member of our community at the link below and we’re here to answer any questions. Just reach out whenever you’re ready.

Get Involved

There’s a place for you here – explore some of the ways we come together to learn, grow, and build community.

birds on a tree branch

The Preschool

A safe, loving environment where children feel free to explore and learn.

jewish star with light bulb inside

Religious School

Helping youth build strong Jewish identities and prepare for B’nai Mitzvah.

heart inside of a hand

Social Action

Opportunities to strengthen your Jewish identity by repairing our world.

music notes

Music

Music plays an integral part in our community life – explore how you can lift your voice.

head with question mark in speech bubble

Adult Education

Discover and strengthen your connection to Judaism through lifelong learning.

social connection

Social Opportunities

Connect with your Temple Emanuel family – explore our social groups and events.

We’re here for you.

Rabbi David Wilfond, Cantor Rachel Reef-Simpson and your entire Temple Emanuel family are here for you. We are here to celebrate your joys, support you in moments of transition, challenge, or loss, and partner with you as you seek meaning and purpose in our world.

From the Union For Reform Judaism / Reform Movement

Why Israel Celebrates the Ethiopian Jewish Holiday Sigd

Why Israel Celebrates the Ethiopian Jewish Holiday Sigd jemerman

For many generations, the Beta Israel had longed to reach Jerusalem in a quest to renew their covenant with God and for spiritual redemption. So strong was their desire that they created a holiday as a time to pray for this miracle. They called it Sigd (meaning "worship") and celebrated it on the 50th day after Yom Kippur. This year it is celebrated today, November 4.

For Some of Us the Holidays Are Just…Hard

For Some of Us the Holidays Are Just…Hard jemerman

As we head into the holiday season, I am acutely aware of how much different this year is going to be than previous ones. I will be celebrating without my mom for the first time. My mother died in January 2021, and I'm still dealing with the unexpected waves of grief that wash over me, sometimes out of nowhere. As I head into this first winter holiday season without her, I'm not quite sure I know what to expect, other than everything is going to be very different.

Enjoy A Crockpot Shabbat

Enjoy A Crockpot Shabbat jemerman

As the weather begins to get chillier, many home cooks pull out their trusty slow cookers to create easy yet warm dishes. Slow cooking is nothing new. It hasn't had staying power with Jewish communities just because the resulting food is delicious; it also allowed observant Jews to keep Shabbat by kindling a fire before sundown on Friday and keeping food warm until Saturday afternoon.

The Cost of Free Land

The Cost of Free Land jemerman

When I was a child growing up in the 1980s, the story I learned about Thanksgiving followed the classic script: it highlighted amity between the Pilgrims and their Indigenous neighbors. Due to this connection, the hunger of the European settlers was met with squash and turkey.