Have you had or adopted a baby in the last six months? Are you expecting soon, or do you know someone who is?

Let us welcome your baby to the Metrowest Jewish community with a visit and a gift!

Welcome Baby! has welcomed 133 new babies to our community already! Welcome Baby! visits new parents with babies aged newborn to 6 months and gives them a complimentary gift basket filled with high-quality baby gifts. Welcome Baby! connects new parents to resources, family activities, and new friends. If you have a new baby or know someone who does, and would like to connect, sign up here!

добро пожаловать! 

Engaging Our Russian Jewish Families
in Jewish Community Life

JFN is excited to announce our latest outreach program! A grant from the Genesis Fund is enabling us to reach out to Russian Jewish families throughout Metrowest. By developing collaborative relationships, we are identifying and connecting with members of this large and vibrant community through engaging programming and activities. 

As part of this program, JFN is also doing special "Privet Malish" visits -- Welcome Baby! visits with gift baskets and resources tailored for Russian Jewish families. 

If you are interested in learning more about our programs or "Privet Malish," or if you know someone who is, please contact our Russian community connector, Luba Olshan, or Malka Young for more information.  

Play Dates and Get-Togethers

with Heidi, Nissa, and Amy!

Free!

South Area (Connector: Heidi Anderson)

Might be our last chance to meet at a playground before the cold weather sends us indoors. Please join Heidi and her kids for some witching-hour fun! 

Oakland Park 

70-76 Oakland St., Medway

(located next to the Senior Center) 

Tales and Tunes for Tots

Friday, Oct. 28

For kids ages 0-3 with an adult

Friday mornings are for little ones at the Holliston Public Library. Come say hello to Heidi as she joins the Holliston community for stories and songs at this family event. Afterward, you can head over to Coffee Haven together for a treat and some coffee talk! 

Holliston Public Library                 Coffee Haven 

752 Washington St.                     76 Railroad St., Holliston 

Central Area (Connector: Nissa Weiss) 

Playtime Meet-Ups

Every Tuesday morning, Oct. 4, 11, 18, and 25 

9:30-11:30 a.m. 

Please join Nissa for this weekly drop-in playgroup. Perfect for kids up to 4 years, and for moms, dads, and caregivers of all ages! A light snack will be provided for the kids.   

JFS Children's Room 

475 Franklin St., Framingham 

Shalom, Shabbat!

Thursday afternoons, Oct. 13 and 27

4:30-5:15 p.m.

Welcome Shabbat with music, laughter, and friends of all ages every other week throughout the fall! With a little bit of Hebrew and a lot of fun, Nissa will lead singalongs and play time in a warm, inviting setting.  

Thank you to Shillman House in Framingham for sharing their beautiful space with our families.  

49 Edmands Rd., Framingham 

North Area (Connector: Amy Kohen) 

Drop-In Playgroup

9:30-11 a.m.

Join Amy for a fun-filled morning in Acton. A great opportunity for the preschool crowd and their adults! 

JCC Early Learning Center, Acton 

133 Prospect St.

(at Congregation Beth Elohim)

MetroWest Boston Stroller Strides@Shir Tikva 

Beginning Thursday, Oct. 27

9:30-10:30 a.m.

Register here!  

Stroller Strides is a 60-minute total body workout that moms can do with their babies. It includes power walking/running and intervals of strength and body-toning exercises using exercise tubing, the stroller, and the environment. Stroller Strides provides a safe and convenient way to ease back into aerobic activity -- and to ease back into socializing and connecting with other moms.

The Stroller Strides class will meet every Thursday at the front door of Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland, outside if weather permits; inside if it's below 40 or raining. Stroller Strides is taught by certified instructors and is a great workout for any level of exerciser.

For more information regarding the program, please visit their website or Facebook page. Registering for this program registers you in any Stroller Strides class in MetroWest.

Temple Shir Tikva 

141 Boston Post Rd., Wayland 

Monday Music, Movement, and More!   

9:30-10:15 a.m.

For children ages 0-2, with an adult 

$225 for both sessions, or $125 for each

Register here! 

Session 1: Sing 'n' Swing 

Get ready to move and groove in this fun and interactive class. Children and adults will use a variety of rhythm and melodic instruments to sing, dance, play, and stimulate senses. Experience the joy of singing and music making, and learn why music contributes so much to overall child development. Everyone will leave this class singing and smiling from ear to ear!  

Session 2: Jump 'n' Roll

Tumble on everything as we play a variety of group games, climb through obstacle courses, and create silly movement motions.  Children and adults are active participants in this class as we get our whole bodies moving!

Classes will be held at:

145 Hartford St.     

Little Wigglers  

Little Waddlers

Fridays, Oct. 28-Dec. 9 (6 weeks) 

10-11 a.m.

For children ages 12-18 months, with an adult 

$90

Register here!  

Little Wigglers and Little Waddlers both meet at:

Children's Room, JFS 

475 Franklin St., Framingham 

Aaron Stevens:

Traditions from the Heart, in the Home 

by Julie Wolf, JFN Newsletter Editor 

Aaron Stevens is a full-time lecturer at Boston University, where he teaches in the computer science and economics departments. Born in Ohio, he grew up in Montreal and later lived in the Midwest before moving to Massachusetts. He and his wife, Jennifer, live in Natick with their son, Caleb (5), and their daughter, Elisheva (3). In this interview, Aaron talks about the lifelong importance of music to his Jewish experience and why he cherishes his neighborhood and values his synagogue congregation, but why, for him and his family, Jewish community begins at home.

While you were growing up, your dad lived in Indiana, where he is a rabbi. I wonder if there's anything you'd like to share about having a father who is a rabbi. Rabbis are more approachable now, in general, than they were in previous generations, but I think many people still feel a distance between themselves and rabbis.

I think a lot of people still have trouble approaching rabbis. In general I never have, because I know that rabbis are people, too. They go to the grocery store, the dry cleaners, and even take out the trash and mow the lawn. My father has been the rabbi in Munster, Ind., for 23 years, and he has several -- but not that many -- congregants who call him "Mike," which he appreciates. One of his closest friends, Howard, still calls him "Rabbi." It's kind of funny when they start a phone call. My dad: "Hello?" Howard: "Hi, Rabbi, Howard. " My dad: "Hi, Rabbi Howard, Mike Stevens."

How did you choose Natick as your home?

We already owned a house and had lived in Watertown for seven years, and after Caleb was born we started looking for a little more space -- and another bathroom. We considered several towns but settled on Natick Center, and our neighborhood in particular, because of its location within walking distance to the commuter rail and the small neighborhood elementary school within walking distance from our house. We're really glad with these choices.

We live on a wonderful street with many other young families. Any summer or fall afternoon is like a block party, with kids playing outside and adults chatting, often with shared glasses of wine or beer. It's rare when there are no other kids to play with. We have a neighborhood school which is a short walk from home, and Caleb already knew several classmates from the street or from swim lessons at our local swimming pond. We have some great friends among our immediate neighbors and are friendly with all of them. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Music is a great way to connect with people, especially young kids. You were a song leader in NFTY [North American Federation of Temple Youth], and now you help lead Shabbat Rinah services at Congregation Beth El in Sudbury. Did you seek out this opportunity yourself?

I've had several song-leading positions since moving to Boston, including at the now-defunct Progressive Chavurah and Congregation Am Tikva of Brookline. I've also had some opportunities to song-lead at Northeastern, Harvard Hillel, and some private occasions -- weddings, etc. Playing music and leading others in song is absolutely central to my Jewish experience, so when we first visited Beth El, it was something I mentioned to the people I met. I was able to join Cantor Lorel Zar-Kessler in helping to create the Shabbat Rinah service [literally "Shabbat of Joyous song," a participatory service designed for all ages], and I've been having a great time joining in. This year we have scheduled Shabbat Rinah about every six weeks or so.

Do you perform or lead classes elsewhere, or just at Beth El?

My full-time job is as a lecturer at Boston University, with appointments in computer science and economics. I play music for fun with some of my neighbors, but nothing paid! I've been playing with my neighbor who is a professional cellist, and recently we added a drummer and hope to perform in the next several months.

Do you feel it's important for families with young kids to be involved and active in their local Jewish community?

This is a very difficult question to answer. I think community is great, but I feel that Jewish identity begins at home. We have regular Shabbat rituals and a special Shabbat dinner every single week, and have a large Sukkot party every year.  

For parents who are interested in instilling Jewish traditions in their kids at home but who may be less comfortable than you are with having the background or knowledge to do so, what do you think are some good options for them?

Growing up, Friday night dinner was always a special occasion, so we make it special in our house, too. On other nights, we eat at the small table in the kitchen, but on Friday we eat in the dining room. We have a brief ceremony of blessings and give the kids turns with blowing out the match or uncovering the challah. Each kid has their own Kiddush cup so they can look forward to enjoying the grape juice after the blessing. They love challah. We've made it a ritual by repetition, and they don't know any other way. I was surprised when my daughter, perhaps not yet 3 at the time, sang all the words to the Kiddush -- the long version. But I guess hearing it 100 times left a lasting impression.

Are any of these traditions holdovers from your own childhood?

Adoption and the Jewish Community:

A Conversation About Family, Identity, Diversity, and Change 

Wednesday, Oct. 5

7-8:30 p.m.

Free

Register here! 

Tot Shabbat

Celebrate Small World Shabbat this month at Temple Beth Torah in Holliston at a service designed especially for families with preschoolers and younger children.