Originally presented during the 2009 Annual Congregational meeting by Tom Bloch, HaBonim Chair, and Pam Forman, Committee Member

Tom Bloch

 The design process for our new Makom began three years ago with a HaBonim group trip to Israel accompanied by Rabbi Sisenwine and the architects. The journey has continued here at home with Bill Rawn, Sam Lasky and Mark Scott, our architects and the TBE community. In Israel, we found that it was not just how one worshipped, but the space in which you expressed your spirituality that shaped your prayer and, more importantly, defined and nurtured your sense of community, spiritual and secular. Israel helped us understand the importance and effectiveness of architecture in defining and communicating our TBE values as a community. This was the essence we took home with us as we started to design the building.


Your HaBonim Committee has focused on capturing the core values of our community and has worked to create a sacred community for

Pam Forman

ourselves and our children. Early in our planning process Bill Rawn suggested we focus on 3 or 4 core ideas in the development of our new Makom. As a community, we told him over and over again that this building must express and enhance our experience of “community”, “lifelong learning”, “worship”, “respect for and connection with the planet on which we live” and “flexibility” in the way we come together so that future generations can mold the building to new expressions of community, worship and learning.

 

These TBE values have driven our decision making process along the way, and have been translated into the building design. Knowing that our connection to Israel is very important as a congregation, our exterior stone will be intentionally imported from Israel.

 

We strived to create a building that was accessible to all members of our community through easy building access and advanced technology. We have included a drop-off in front of the building with a canopy, snow melting systems for the entry walkways, an elevator in the building and handicap accessibility in all spaces. Technologically speaking, we will provide assistive listening in the sanctuary and will have provisions for remote viewing of services at home. 
  
 

Our front and rear exterior courtyards which surround the building embrace our connection to nature as they offer us an intimate opportunity to be with our community thru worship or a class being held outside, community events such as Sukkot or life cycle social gatherings. We have also designed the courtyards to be used for more spiritual contemplation, lifelong learning or a quiet moment with a book or a chat with a friend. 
    
 

Walking into the temple fromthis courtyard the message is clear. We are about gathering as a community, in learning and in prayer. As you enter the building you find yourself transformed from an individual to a member of the community.

The double height space in our Atrium allows one to see all that is happening in our community-for it is the crossroads of Temple Beth Elohim. In this central space you can connect with a fellow member, linger for a while, and wait for your child to finish up with an educational class or update yourself on our upcoming TBE activities from reading the Community Information Board. Because learning is so embedded in everything we do at TBE, our educational classrooms flow out from the Atrium in all directions of the building and our worship spaces are only steps away. Worship is part of our story because everyone passes by the sanctuary and one can see into the sanctuary from both the first and second floors.
  
 

We are a caring and intimate congregation so it is by design that our Sanctuary seating allows us to face each other as we place the Torah and its teaching in the center. Our benches which surround the Sanctuary bring additional intimacy and a sense of embrace as a community. The inspiration of these benches came from the synagogues we saw in Sfat. The floor to ceiling glass wall allows the outside to come in to our sacred space and enables the soul to connect with nature. Each week, Shabbat services are warm and inviting and on the High Holy Days, expansion into the Community Gathering Room allows us to face one another and enjoy a single group experience. We could also hold an outside smaller service in our rear courtyard during the High Holy Days for the community. All of these wonderful choices that we now will have enable everyone to be on site for the High Holy Days at the same time.

 

Our design decisions within our educational wings are consistent with our values of integrating formal and informal learning. You will see along our hallways and in our learning spaces, alcoves and breakout spaces for gatherings, small group work or simply a quiet spot outside the classroom for a teacher to work closely with a student. Also, all levels are open to one another, enabling the educational wing to join all ages and the various parts of our school programs.

 

The Nursery school will have an additional toddler room which will enable us to serve more children at a younger age. Our new facilities in the Nursery School will also allow us to move from a ½ day program to a full day program. Our playground area will be focused on connecting with nature. Large rocks, logs and cleared wooden paths will be a welcoming place for kids of all ages to enjoy.

 

The Community Gathering Room also allows a large space for learning and celebrating as a community throughout the year. We will be able to have dinners before and after services for all ages and interest groups. Large student/parent Sunday school events will take place here as well as Kiddush’s and social gatherings after our Bar/Bat Mitzvah services.  

 

Understanding that the kitchen is the heart and pulse of any home, we have designed our kitchen to have two distinct parts. One side will meet all our catering needs, and provide plenty of teaching space and storage while the other side will have a homey touch and enable us to feel like we’re gathering at our own kitchen table. Either side of the kitchen will enable us to reflect our desire to gather round, share stories, recipes and hand our tradition and wisdom down from generation to generation, taste by taste. One can learn a great deal about Judaism by holding a community wide Matzo Ball Cook-Off in our state of the art kitchen!

 

The Beit Midrash is our special gem. Its multi purpose use as a study hall, library and small worship space enables the community to enjoy its many hats in this comfortable and accessible space. Perhaps it is a committee meeting or adult learning. Maybe it is checking out a library book or a place for quiet meditation or reflection.

 

And so our journey has taken us to this moment when we, the members of HaBonim, Tom Bloch, Cindi Crutchfield, Pam Forman, Amy Gorin, Marni Grossman, Alison Kur, Yefim Masarsky, Karen McKoy, David Rokoff, Jeff Stonberg, Ed Wagner, very proudly present for your approval a new Makom of 42,500 square feet preserving enough for future expansion of up to another 18,000 square feet, increasing our capacity as a community for wonderful programming be it worship, learning or action, from our current home of 24,000 square feet. Parking (with our agreement with the Town of Wellesley and Schofield School) of almost 200 spaces (up from the 100 we currently have). 14 more learning spaces than we currently have. 3 places to worship together not to mention the outdoor courtyards for worship, learning and gathering. A project cost of $25 million. With your help, we can start construction in mid to late August this summer and keep our existing facility open throughout. The anticipated completion of construction will during spring 2011.

 

This building is for you-a member of TBE's vibrant and warm community - and your children and their children. Take pride in it and look forward to the day when we will open its new doors for the first time.