More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.
The Unitarian Universalist Society of Wellesley Hills is pleased to announce the Installation and Celebration of its 14th settled minister, Reverend Mark Barnabas Robel, on Sunday, June 4, at 2PM at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Wellesley Hills, 309 Washington St.. All are welcome to attend the service and reception.
More: Please help fund our Swellesley Report summer internship
The latest Wellesley charity news:
Temple Beth Elohim (10 Bethel Rd.) and Wellesley Weston Chabad (793 Worcester St.) are partnering to collect stuffed animals, games, and toys without batteries to send to a community with children in Ukraine. Their aim is to bring smiles back to children living in war zones.
Items may be dropped off through March 20 at Temple Beth Elohim’s atrium, at Wellesley Weston Chabad, and at the Wellesley Police Department.
Wellesley’s Tere Ramos, executive director for Boston nonprofit Partners for Youth with Disabilities, was off to Vienna past this week to receive a reward on behalf of the organization for its Access to Theater program. This inclusive program aims to develop communication, artistic, and leadership skills, and lasting professional and personal friendships.
The program is receiving recognition from Vienna’s Zero Project, which highlights innovative solutions that support the rights and lives of persons with disabilities.
Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley (10 Bethel Rd.) has unveiled a sculpture in its courtyard that is clearly a heart but holds so much more meaning once you take a closer look and read what the artist has to say about it.
The sculpture, from temple member and mixed media artist Caron Tabb, had previously been displayed in Boston. Wellesley is now its home thanks to a gift from Diane and Gary Glick and the Jewish Arts Collaborative (JArts).
The art is titled “Prisoner a-7713: Antisemitism = Racism = Hate Sliding Back in Time Or, Did We Actually Ever Move Forward?” and was created in collaboration with the Anti-Defamation League as part of a larger “Be the Change” project in partnership with JArts.
In an interview published on the Temple Beth Elohim website, Tabb reveals that the title of the sculpture gets its name in part from the concentration camp prisoner number of Nobel laureate, author and Holocaust survive Elie Wiesel. The sculpture’s materials include concrete, chicken wire, yarn, wood and paint, all of which have meaning.
It’s unclear whether the sculpture will remain a fixture in the courtyard, says Temple Beth Elohim Communications Manager Elise Lublin, as the temple has not had such permanent art there before.
Though it sounds as though Tabb loves where it is.
“When we put it down in the courtyard at TBE, I had serious chills,” she says in the temple blog post. “I felt like first of all, it had arrived home. There was a deep sense of pride that I was able to put that piece where it is right now. That you can sit in the sanctuary and look inward and outward and think about what we have survived as a community…”
More: Wellesley outdoor art gallery
Rabbi Moshe Bleich told the crowd gathered at the Grand Menorah Lighting at Wellesley Town Hall that the Chanukah story is very old, but also current.
“The truth is the story of Chanukah continues, and it continues with us here tonight, tomorrow, every day,” the Wellesley Weston Chabad leader said, standing in a pickup truck bed with a giant menorah behind him. “We are those people, we are here to light up the world and make the world a better place. It takes each and every one of us to continue our Chanukah story…”
The event took place on Wednesday, the fourth night of the Jewish festival of lights—the Menorah Mobile hit Weston for a similar celebration the night before.
What Bleich hopes will become an annual event included songs in English and Hebrew, jelly doughnuts and light-up menorah necklaces up for grabs, plus the lighting of the grand menorah by local dignitaries. This included Police Chief Jack Pilecki, Fire Chief Rick DeLorie, and Select Board member Beth Sullivan Woods scaling the truck via a combination of a step ladder and chairs in a manner not for the faint of heart that would make Cirque du Soleil performers jealous (the Select Board member did double duty in helping to light the town hall menorah and grabbing a burnt-out bulb that she later planned to run over to Green’s Hardware for replacement).
Chanukah celebration at #Wellesley Town Hall has it all: Parachuting menorahs, daring candle lighting & community spirit https://t.co/hPhfwjvHgB #happychanukah pic.twitter.com/WWFCwJk5R9
— swellesley (@swellesley) December 22, 2022
Bleich himself followed the Grand Menorah Lighting by bouncing to the top of a fire engine, where he began tossing miniature menorahs attached to bright orange parachutes into the air, with kids (and maybe an adult or 2) scrambling to catch them. That was followed by a spectacular chocolate gelt drop, with Bleich throwing the shiny prizes high into the dark sky and sparking a frenzy below.
As an attendee said upon her departure: “This is what community is all about.”
While Chanukah celebrations are underway, the town will have a chance to unite for the holiday on Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 5:30pm outside of Town Hall for a grand menorah lighting.
Wellesley Weston Chabad, the Wellesley Police Department, and Wellesley Fire Departments will join forces for the event, which will feature a gelt drop, hot chocolate, Chanukah songs, jelly doughnuts, and various prizes.
The Wellesley Select Board at its meeting on Tuesday night approved a statement denouncing anti-Semitism amidst rising incidents both locally and across the country and state (see Wellesley Media recording of the meeting at about the 37-minute mark). Several residents, including those whose parents were Holocaust survivors, spoke in support of the Board’s action.
The town also shared resources (including contact information for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Wellesley Police Department and Wellesley Freedom Team) for those who experience anti-Semitism, or any form of bias or discrimination.
The town’s actions were sparked locally by an editorial recently published by the Wellesley College student newspaper, The Wellesley News, that expressed support for a project that maps organizations identified as being supportive of the Jewish community for the purpose of dismantling or disrupting them. The college and the Wellesley Police Department are on that list. College President Dr. Paula Johnson condemned the project, and the student paper later rescinded its endorsement.
The very mention of The Mapping Project is controversial, with some against it not wanting to give it any more exposure by uttering its name, and others saying it needs to be named. “It is repugnant. The Mapping Project deserves to be called out in this statement, because it is clearly a call to incite violence against people who are Jewish, and organizations and individuals…” Board Member Tom Ulfelder said.
Residents, including local rabbis, approached the Board about addressing the overall issue.
During the Select Board meeting, resident Mark Benjamin cited ADL research showing a new high in anti-Semitic incidents throughout New England, with a dramatic rise over the past 6 years. “One of the quandaries of anti-Semitism is trying to figure out how to respond as a community,” he said, emphasizing that doing so at the local level is necessary.
Resident Neal Glick also spoke, and expressed his gratitude for the town’s attention to this issue. He had previously shared a letter with the Board signed by several fellow residents on the topic as well as suggested edits to the town’s statement.
“I don’t want to be here, I never thought that in 2022 in the town of Wellesley that I’d be speaking on the topic of anti-Semitic threats,” he said. “But I feel like I have to be here. I’m the son and nephew of Jewish World War II veterans…When they came home and saw and realized the full horror of the Holocaust they had a mantra and it was drummed into me at a very young age, and it was ‘Never again. Never let this happen to Jews again, especially in America.'”
Glick said he felt like he needed to speak out after seeing support for the mapping project in a publication bearing the town’s name. He felt like the town should get more specific about the incident in its statement, not that he didn’t support the college leadership’s response. Glick said he sees this as “a call for dialogue” within the community, and a learning experience that would involve Wellesley College.
Select Board members acknowledged his concerns and said they appreciated his suggested edits, though decided a slightly less specific message would stand up better over time.
Resident Fern Wirth, who identified herself as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, thanked the Board for its supportive stance and for reaffirming its anti-bias and anti-hate position relating to Jewish people following such “a clear message of hate” from members of the community.
“It shakes me to my core to hear of these events in our own community, in my own backyard,” she said. “It’s fitting that tonight’s meeting is close to Kristallnacht, which was the Night of Broken Glass, where Jewish businesses were ransacked and the unofficial start to the Holocaust began with that event.”
Wellesley Hills Congregational Church (207 Washington St.) on Tuesday celebrated the arrival of the pumpkins for its photogenic Rte. 16 patch.
“They arrived a day early—which in the history of the pumpkin patch has never happened!” writes Rev. Anne Marie Holloway. “However, we were delighted because the weather was so nice and we were able to rally 50 plus Hills Church volunteers of all ages to unload all the pumpkins (on short notice).”
More than 20 pallets, each containing 1,500 pounds of pumpkins, came via an 18-wheeler.
Indeed, the patch is now open for business from 10am-6pm daily until Oct. 31.
This marks roughly the 20th year of the Hills Church Pumpkin Patch, which funds good causes near and far. This includes youth service, providing emergency relief to Haiti last year, and hurricane relief this year.
“Our pumpkins are planted, grown, harvested, and shipped by indigenous farming communities in New Mexico. A large portion of our proceeds supports their efforts each year,” Rev. Holloway says.
The pumpkins come in many sizes and colors, with the smallest going for $1 and the largest $25.
https://www.facebook.com/SwellesleyReport/videos/1735082523537772
More: Wellesley Halloween Happenings 2022
In honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Animals, some of Wellesley’s finest pets received a blessing at churches in town this past weekend.
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and Wellesley Hills Congregational Church shared photos with us of their Blessing of the Animals services.
Rev. Judy Swahnberg of the Hills Church wrote to us that “St. Francis would be pleased at this Holy Chaos. Here are some happy and blessed good boys and girls and their humans.”
At St. Andrew’s, according to Beth Hinchliffe, “It was a fun, heartwarming, and touching celebration of the pets who enrich our lives.”
Thanks to Beth for enriching our lives by sharing these photos:
More: Blessing of the Animals in Natick
St. Paul Catholic Church in Wellesley is looking to bring back the joyful noise of its 96-year old historic church bell after many years of silence. It’s not that there’s anything seriously wrong with the gong itself—just a ringing mechanism that’s no longer functional, but that’s an easy fix. The larger reason the church chimes have been out of commission is because tests conducted by Salem-based engineering firm, Structures North, reflected that supports for the 3,000-lb. bronze instrument have weakened to the point where safety was compromised, making replacement of the old wooden beams essential.
Work to get the bell back into tolling shape is underway. Scaffolding has gone up around the St. Paul bell tower so that the team from Aniceto Historical Restorations out of Milford can replace badly deteriorated wood framing that supports the bell; repair crumbling sections of the bell tower’s masonry; and repair the parapet. A crane will be brought in to lift the bell while new beams are put in place. The church may still be accessed through the main doors during construction.
“I am thrilled that St. Paul Parish is able to undertake this important project, which is being made possible by the generosity of our wonderful community. We look forward to the day when we can proudly ring the bell at St. Paul Church once again,” said Rev. Jim Laughlin in an email. Laughlin is recovering from injuries sustained in the spring when, as a pedestrian, he was hit by a vehicle. Although it will be some time before he can return to ministry, the pastoral staff including Rev. Bryan Hehir have things bell in hand. (Sorry, not sorry for the pun.)
An inscription on the bell notes that it was donated to the church in 1926 by Salvatore DeFazio and family. The DeFazio family is still a contributing force to be reckoned with around town. Salvatore’s great-grandson and Wellesley resident Tory DeFazio in a phone interview said soon after the church opened in 1916, Salvatore promised the pastor that he would donate a bell. Pastor Edward Welch held him to it. “It took my great-grandfather about ten years to raise the money, but he did it,” said DeFazio, owner of the Windsor Press in Wellesley Hills, a Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend committee member, and a past president of the Wellesley Historical Society
Total repair costs are expected to be over $485k. The parish has obtained a short-term loan from the Archdiocese of Boston for up to 75% of the budget. Income from St. Paul’s leasing of the school building to Star Academy will be helpful to cover part of the project, however, the St. Paul community has been called on to help repay the loan. You don’t have to be a church member to chip in, so if you enjoy hearing the peal of church bells, or just like the idea of preserving a part of Wellesley’s history, don’t be shy about contributing to the St. Paul Bell Tower Fund.
Once repairs are complete, those who have been sauntering to mass, unprompted by the bell to quicken their pace, will lose their excuse to slide into the pews after the first, “Lord, hear our prayer.”
You know who you are.
Passover starts April 15 at sundown to commemorate the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. The festive and social spring-time ritual lasts until April 24.
Last year due to coronavirus, synagogues including Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley and Wellesley Weston Chabad celebrated Passover Seder with their members online as they carried on the ancient traditions.
This year many feel its high time to attend services, carry on the traditions—and find the afikomen—in-person again.
Happy Passover to all who celebrate.
