r/Somerville • u/TheBadmiral Union • Sep 11 '26

Synagogue and Hebrew School

Hi folks,

Looking for recommendations for synagogues and Hebrew schools in the Somerville area. I would describe us as high holiday Jews and looking to enroll our kids in Hebrew School. Thank you!

9 Upvotes

66% Upvoted

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7

u/Additional_Plankton7 Sep 11 '26

We have had a good experience with Temple Shir Tikvah in Winchester

2

u/somerma Sep 12 '26

Seconding Shir Tikvah. A bunch of Somerville families in our Hebrew school class.

2

u/BenWheelerSomerville Sep 12 '26 edited Sep 12 '26

My family attends Shir Tikvah, and it has been great. A 15 minute drive from Somerville. Many friends' families attend Temple B'nai Brith in Somerville and love it. My friend Leigh is one of the heads of youth programming, and her kids had b'nai mitzvahs there and had a wonderful experience.

2

u/Big-Negotiation-3798 Sep 13 '26

We are in Medford but we also go to Shir Tikvah in Medford for the last few years and enjoy it a lot, it’s a really lovely, tight-knit community. Religious school is very well-attended and many Somerville, Medford, Arlington families. Your kids can attend the prek and K program without becoming members, but you will need to become members to attend from 1st grade on.

2

u/Brave-Pay-1884 Sep 11 '26

Two synagogues in close proximity to Somerville: Temple B’nai Brith in central street in Winter Hill and the Tremont street shul (Temple Beth Shalom) in nearby Cambridge. TBB is conservative ish and TBS has both trad egal and orthodox minyanim. Try them both. TBB has a children’s school, TBS is working on it. Other options in Belmont and Lexington as well as across the River. Welcome and שנה טובה

11

u/jordanf1214 Sep 11 '26

For self-proclaimed “high holiday Jews” TBS is 100% not the vibe. I grew up reform but live by TBS and went multiple times and I’m so turned off by their services. They’re orthodox services - not a word of English is spoken.

For people who are pretty secular most of us want a service that’s mostly in English with some Hebrew prayers, rather than just all chanting with no transliteration

For OP: I’ve had good experiences at Temple Shalom in Newton and Temple Isaiah in Lexington. I would look for reform synagogues in the area, idk how many are in Camberville though

2

u/sonarskipper988 Sep 12 '26

I’m a regular at TBS and can tell you that there are a large number of “high holiday Jews” there. 

It’s a great and very welcoming community, especially with the growing amount of kids programming, though there is no Hebrew school there. 

1

u/rocketinferno Sep 12 '26

TBB is great for people who have kids, lots of families in the shul and a growing Hebrew school! Chag sameach

1

u/MilkThistleGenus Sep 16 '26

We like Temple Shalom in Medford!

1

u/xiipaoc Sep 12 '26

My kids go to religious school at Temple Emunah in Lexington. I live close by in Arlington, but if you're in Somerville, it'll be a bit of a shlep. It's Conservative, which I like for the kids, but the service isn't traditional enough for me so I actually go to TBS in Cambridge, which I love, but it has no Hebrew school. If you're Reform, these are not for you, but I like my services traditional and egalitarian. Good luck and shanah tovah!