TEMPLE HILLEL B’NAI TORAH

Honoring Our Spaces, Embracing Our Future

Celebrating growth, memory, and possibility as we expand our Chaverim School and make room for what’s next.

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Our Update

This summer has been a season of growth and transformation for our building. To meet the needs of our expanding Chaverim School, the Board created a Chaverim Space Task Force to explore how best to accommodate the year ahead. After thoughtful review of several options, the Task Force recommended,and we implemented,an exciting plan that adds two new classrooms, created by dividing the Chapel and enclosing new space in the John Cotton Kiddush Room. These improvements give our children, teachers, and programs the room they need to thrive.

We also know that every space in our building carries meaning and memory. The Chapel and Kiddush Room have hosted countless services, celebrations, and moments of community. Even as we embrace change, we honor those connections and the stories they hold. As we move forward, 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

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.

See the New Classrooms Make a Gift

With Gratitude

Chaverim Space Task Force: Rachel Young, Jason Silver, Andi Lipman, Matthew Smith, Sarah Bob, Becky Shapiro, and David Goldberg

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

Who Was John Cotton?

The John Cotton Kiddush Room honors John H. Cotton ז״ל (2009–1948), a beloved leader of Temple Hillel B’nai Torah and a pillar of its growth in the 1990s.

John served first as Vice President and then as President, guiding the challenging early years of our Hebrew School. His steady leadership and gift for collaboration helped transform a fledgling idea into a thriving program that continues today.

John and his wife Vicky Cotton were active members of the West Roxbury Chavurah, and their daughter Rachel grew up in our congregation.

Professionally, John was Senior Vice President and a Board member of the Segal Company, renowned for his clear analysis and candid advice. A lifelong Yankees fan and avid runner, he was admired for his humor, warmth, and dedication to friends and colleagues alike.

John’s sudden passing in 2009 was felt deeply by all who knew him, but his legacy endures. Every gathering in the Kiddush Room honors a man whose vision and devotion helped lay the foundation for our congregation’s future.
It is with בְּכָבוֹד וּבְהַכָּרַת הַטּוֹב — B’kavod u’v’hakarat hatov (“with honor and gratitude”) — that we rededicate these rooms in his memory.