🌞 Bringing Light All Year: HBT’s Solar & Sustainability Campaign

We are illuminating a more sustainable future through our Bringing Light All Year campaign— a community-wide effort to care for our aging building and invest in long-term environmental and financial resilience.

For over 70 years, this building has sheltered Jewish life in West Roxbury. For 55 of those years, Temple HBT has filled it with community. Now, it is our legacy to make this home stronger, greener, and more efficient by replacing the roof, installing solar panels, and upgrading the heating system.

Thanks to generous support from our community, and a $40,000 sustainability grant from the Jewish Solar Challenge, a project of the Schwartz-Rosman Foundation, we are moving forward with an energizing plan to fully electrify our building and power it with renewable energy.

This project will help HBT shine for decades to come — not just in moments of celebration, but every day of the year.

Financial Impact: Responsible, Sustainable, Forward-Thinking

• Annual solar loan payment: ~$14,000

• Electricity budget prior to solar: ~$15,000/year

Over time, we expect our solar savings to offset these costs and help protect HBT from rising energy prices. This project was a strategic investment in HBT's future — grounded in Jewish values, environmental responsibility, and financial resilience. Continued giving now helps HBT pay down the solar loan and build toward long-term stability.

Project Complete: More Than $100,000 Raised

Thanks to your generosity, HBT raised over $60,000 from our community and secured a $40,000 grant from the Jewish Solar Challenge, a project of the Schwartz-Rosman Foundation, together funding this project.

The roof is replaced, the solar array is installed, and heat pumps are in throughout our classroom and office building. HBT is now a more electrified, climate-conscious building, and a model of Jewish sustainability for our community and beyond.

Ways to Support Temple HBT

With the solar and electrification project complete, your continued generosity helps HBT pay down the solar loan, maintain the building, and plan for future sustainability work.

• One-time Donation
  Help pay down the solar loan and reduce long-term borrowing.

• Multi-year Pledge
  Sustain HBT's building and long-term planning.

• Tribute Gift
  Honor a loved one with a gift that powers our community's future.

• Gifts of Appreciated Stock
  Maximize your impact and receive potential tax benefits.

• Planned Giving and Legacy Gifts
  Leave a lasting legacy to support HBT for generations.

Give Now

Sustainability Fund (optional)
HBT is continuing to build a Sustainability Fund, a long-term reserve for major infrastructure and operational needs. This optional fund allows us to respond to unexpected challenges and make the necessary investments to maintain our building and strengthen our community's resilience. To direct a gift here, select General and note "Sustainability Fund" in the comments.

Every contribution helps power the future of our synagogue — spiritually, environmentally, and financially.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did HBT go solar?

We took bold steps to care for our building and our planet. A new roof, solar panels, and heat pumps in our classroom and office building have reduced our carbon footprint, lowered operating costs, and aligned our physical space with our values.

Was this financially responsible?

Yes. Our solar loan payment is roughly equivalent to what we previously paid for electricity. Over time, we expect meaningful savings and insulation from rising energy prices.

How does this project reflect HBT's mission?

HBT has always evolved with purpose. This project was an investment in our future, grounded in Jewish values of stewardship, justice, and care for generations to come.

Didn't this start during Hanukkah?

Yes! While our "Bringing Light All Year" campaign launched in October 2025, the lights of Hanukkah 2025 inspired the theme. Now that the project is complete, that light shines year-round in a very literal way.

What's happening now?

Installation is complete: new roof, 126-panel solar array, and heat pumps in our classroom and office building. Join us to celebrate at Gather & Glow: Sukkot, Solar & Supper on Friday, September 25, including the ribbon-cutting for our new panels. From here, our focus shifts to paying down the solar loan and growing HBT's Sustainability Fund..

🌟 What is the Jewish Solar Challenge?

Founded in 2021 by Mitchell Schwartz, the Jewish Solar Challenge (JSC) has one goal: to put solar panels on the rooftops of Jewish institutions across North America.

JSC offers matching grants to synagogues, schools, camps, and other Jewish nonprofits, cutting the typical payback time for solar in half and making the switch to clean energy financially achievable for congregations like ours. JSC is a fiscally sponsored project of the Schwartz-Rosman Foundation.

HBT is proud to be one of the congregations JSC has helped bring solar power to life, and we're grateful for their $40,000 grant toward this project.

Can I still give or get involved?

Absolutely. Every contribution, large or small, helps us pay down the solar loan and sustain our building for generations to come. Contribute here, or if you're considering a leadership gift, multi-year pledge, or legacy commitment, contact Benita Block at bblock@templehbt.org.