Honoring Our Spaces, Embracing Our Future
How we made room for our growing Chaverim School while honoring the spaces that hold our memories.
What We Built
In the summer of 2025, our building went through a season of growth and transformation. To meet the needs of our expanding Chaverim School, the Board created a Chaverim Space Task Force to explore how best to make room. After reviewing several options, the Task Force recommended a plan, and we carried it out. It added two new classrooms by dividing the Chapel and re-imagining the John Cotton Kiddush Room as a flexible, fully enclosed learning space.
In a masterful design led by Moreno Guzman, Facilities Manager, the original ramp was moved behind a new wall and a new door to the lobby was added. The room now has three separate doors, one to the lobby and two to the interior hallway, so it can work as a single large classroom or, with the folding wall closed, as two independent classrooms. This smart reconfiguration gives our children, teachers, and programs the flexibility they need to thrive.
Every space in our building carries meaning and memory. The Chapel and Kiddush Room hosted countless services, celebrations, and moments of community. Even as we embraced change, we honor those connections and the stories they hold. We hold two truths together: the importance of honoring our past and the necessity of making room for our future.
“These changes reflect a vibrant, growing community. We look forward to the new memories we’ll create together.”HBT Leadership
Take a Look Inside Our New Classrooms
Bright, flexible spaces designed for learning, creativity, and connection. These new classrooms reflect the heart of our Chaverim School, where children grow, explore, and build Jewish community together.
1996 Was His Moment
Every generation at HBT reaches a turning point, a moment when the future calls and someone steps forward to lead. In 1996, that moment belonged to John Cotton. Ten years after the West Roxbury Chavurah joined HBT and helped spark a quiet renewal, the congregation was again poised for change.
Membership was growing. We had just hired Rabbi Barbara Penzner, whose leadership brought an entirely new way of doing things. There was energy and excitement, but also the real work of figuring out how to sustain it, how to pay for what we were building, and how to grow responsibly. As president, John met that moment with steadiness and care. He supported the families who were creating the new Hebrew school, adding his own expertise in organization and leadership to help turn their ideas into action while guiding the congregation through a time of transformation.
Under his leadership, what began as an idea became a cornerstone of HBT’s identity: a place where children learn, families gather, and generations grow together. 1996 was John’s time. And when we dedicated new classrooms within the John Cotton Kiddush Room, it became our time to carry that same spirit of commitment and renewal forward, honoring John and the circle of leaders, teachers, and families who shared his vision.
Project Milestones
- Spring 2025: Chaverim Space Task Force formed; options study begins.
- Summer 2025: Plan approved by Board; construction scheduled.
- August 2025: Chapel divided; wall added to Kiddush Room creating enclosed learning space.
- September 2025: New classrooms opened for Chaverim School and community programs.
With Gratitude
Chaverim Space Task Force: Jason Silver (Lead), Andi Lipman, Becky Shapiro, David Goldberg, Matthew Smith, Rachel Young, and Sarah Bob
Hillary Engler, Education Director
Julie Tishler, VP of Education
Aaron Schleifer, VP of Operations
Moreno Guzman, Facilities Manager
Benita Block, Director of Administration and Communications
With support from the Board of Directors • Posted September 9, 2025 • Updated October 1, 2026