Designing and building a new Temple was an amazing personal experience for me both as a member of the congregation and as a professional architect. I was given the honor by other congregation members to be part of a selected group of people to represent the interests of Temple Beth Elohim on the Architect Selection Committee and on the Building Committee. This volunteer work lasted for six years from 2006 until 2011, when the new Temple opened its doors.

We selected one of the best architectural firms in Boston: William Rawn Associates. Our decision was based on a thorough evaluation of more than 30 architectural firms. William Rawn's team did a magnificent job in interpreting our desires and aspirations, and working closely with us on every aspect of the architectural design.

Being the only professional architect on the Building Committee, I had a unique opportunity to be on the "other" side of the client-architect relationship dynamics. This time I was a client. My professional training helped us in forming the client’s opinions and conveying them to the design team in more precise and understandable architectural terms. I was also able to put on my "designer" hat and influence many architectural design decisions throughout the entire design and construction process.

In 2006, before starting the schematic design, the members of our committee and William Rawn's team took an inspirational trip to Israel. We visited many synagogues there, and as a result, our new Temple incorporated several concepts learned from the analysis of the Sefardic synagogues.

The first concept was a courtyard before the entry into the building. This courtyard became a transitional space where the worshiper can mentally separate the mundane from the holy, and enter the Temple better prepared to the synagogue experience. The second concept was a centrally located bimah, the podium where the Rabbi conducts the services, and a corresponding circular seating arrangement.

Another important aspect in our work was the design of the Ark and Tamid, the Eternal Light, the most important elements of a synagogue. Its physical shape, color and texture were of utmost importance. The winning design was selected after a design competition among professional artists and sculptors.

The construction of the Temple was finished by the end of 2011, and the result was very well received by all congregants. The project itself was highly praised by architectural critics including Robert Campbell who gave high marks to the design team in his article in the Boston Globe.