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Temple Emanu-El was formed in 1960. This year we are happy to be celebrating our 50th Anniversary, and we hope the whole congregation will join in the celebration.
Temple Emanu-El, the first Reform Temple in the New London area began with the efforts of five families in 1960. The congregation has now grown to over 240 families and has made its mark, both in the Jewish Community and the Southeastern Connecticut community as a whole.
We owe our gratitude to the All Souls Unitarian Church in New London, who so graciously offered to share their sanctuary and social hall with us for the first eight years. In 1968, we were proud to be able to buy our first real home, the Bishop Seabury Church on Fort Street in Groton.
Soon after, having relied through the years on student rabbis, we were able to obtain our first ordained rabbi, Rabbi Peter Knobel, to lead us and help us grow. After almost ten more years, as we were bursting at the seams, good fortune lead us to our present property. That was 1979, the year we bade goodbye to Rabbi Knobel, and again were blessed with the good fortune to obtain Rabbi Aaron Rosenberg as our new leader.
Now, we have only to look around us to see the results of this glorious history...our handsome Temple building, complete with a long dreamed of Sunday School, our beautiful sanctuary, a spacious social hall, and all of it 240 families strong.
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Temple Emanu-El is a Reform congregation serving southeastern Connecticut and western Rhode Island. Our members live in Waterford, Norwich, New London, and Groton, Connecticut; Westerly, Rhode Island; and all the neighboring towns in the region.
Temple Emanu-El offers Jewish identity for everyone: meaningful worship services, education for children and adults, activities designed to include all members. No one is denied membership for financial reasons, you may contact Treasurer Andy Feinstein or President Barbara Senges for details or to discuss your personal situation.
We have instituted two interesting programs, we now choose honors for our High Holiday services by random drawing to give every one a chance to participate. We also have a group that calls to offer honors for services during your birthday month.
Our members' Jewish backgrounds range from highly traditional to classical Reform, and we welcome the membership of interfaith couples and families. A diversity of occupations, age ranges, and family structures, including singles and single heads of households, characterizes our distinctive membership. There is a place for everyone at Temple Emanu-El.
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