Thursday, May 15, 6:30 - 10 PM
Temple Hillel B’nai Torah
6:30 PM | Doors open
7:00 PM | Installation Ceremony: Blessings and song welcoming Rabbi Aliza as our spiritual leader.
8:15 PM | Community Celebration: Music, dancing, and refreshments to honor this special occasion.
Join us as we make time for joy amidst the stresses and uncertainty of these times to celebrate a historic moment for Temple Hillel B’nai Torah (HBT) — the installation of Rabbi Aliza Schwartz and the beginning of the next chapter in our vibrant community’s journey.
For fifty-five years, Temple HBT in West Roxbury has been deeply rooted in our Boston neighborhoods and Jewish traditions and boldly relevant as we’ve evolved to become a progressive and welcoming Reconstructionist congregation. As we look ahead, we honor our founding communities in Dorchester-Mattapan and West Roxbury, Rabbi Barbara Penzner’s 30 years of spiritual leadership and social action, and the many talented lay leaders and devoted families whose commitment has made this moment possible. This simcha occurs on the holiday of Lag B’Omer, when we are told to take a break from weeks of solemnity and pause to rejoice. We are making it a time for us to celebrate our history, embrace the blessings of our present, and to commit to our future together.
About the Installation Ceremony
At this special celebration, HBT members and leaders will embrace our relationship with Rabbi Aliza, and she will be formally welcomed into the larger community. The joyous ritual will be filled with song, words of inspiration, and blessings. Rabbi Aliza’s mentors and friends, including Rabbi Barbara Penzner, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, and Rabbi Toba Spitzer, musicians Molly Bajgot, Anat Halevy Hochberg, Avra Shapiro, Cantor Jeff Klepper, and other special guests, as well as other community leaders, will join us.
As we mark this milestone, we also celebrate Temple HBT’s 55-year legacy, recognizing our past and supporting our future commitment to our principles of Community, Worship, Learning, and Social Action.
Following the Installation ceremony, the celebration will continue with a party! We’ll have a DJ and dancing, refreshments and drinks. There is no cost to attend this event but we encourage you to become a sponsor and make a meaningful contribution in honor of Rabbi Aliza, HBT’s 55 years and to our bright future. RSVP HERE.
Honor Rabbi Aliza and HBT
We invite you to invest in Rabbi Aliza’s leadership, commemorate this milestone for Temple HBT, and express your support for the future of our vibrant community. Please contribute to this joyous occasion whether or not you can attend.
All are welcome to be present at the celebration.
In addition to attending, there are two meaningful ways to participate:
1. Become a Sponsor:
Demonstrate leadership and invest in HBT’s future with a meaningful contribution or at a level that carries a special attribute or midah that we are taught to aspire to in Jewish tradition at this time of the year as we count the Omer.
Click Here for more information.
2. Write a Personal Message or Place an Ad in the Tribute Book
Personal Message:
Share your heartfelt congratulations, words of gratitude, or well wishes for Rabbi Aliza in our Installation Tribute Book. Give for a message of congratulations, appreciation, or a blessing for Rabbi Aliza as she begins this new chapter of spiritual leadership.
OR
Place an Ad:
Commemorate this occasion with a tribute from your family, organization, or business. Choose from a variety of tribute sizes to fit your message.
Click Here for more information.
✨ Sponsors, tributes, and ads will be included in the Installation Tribute Book,
a keepsake that Rabbi Aliza and our community will cherish for years to come.✨
About Rabbi Aliza Schwartz
Rabbi Aliza Schwartz brings a deep commitment to Jewish learning, leadership, and social justice. Ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2024, she also studied at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. Her work spans organizations such as T’ruah, Kavod, the New Israel Fund, IfNotNow, AmeriCorps, JOIN for Justice, and CBST, reflecting her dedication to community engagement and justice.
A passionate leader who values tradition and innovation, Rabbi Aliza integrates music as a central part of her spiritual leadership, shaping both prayer and communal connection. Whether drawing from traditional melodies or exploring new ways to bring music into worship, she fosters an atmosphere where song deepens prayer and strengthens community.
Now, with her vision for a dynamic and inclusive Jewish future, one that embraces the tradition of community-driven Judaism, Rabbi Aliza is guiding Temple HBT into its next chapter with wisdom, warmth, and purpose.