Temple Shalom is a place to pray, learn, study, rest, and refresh our nefesh (soul). We have weekly services on Friday evening or Saturday morning led by our spiritual leader or lay leaders. Major Jewish holidays are celebrated in the synagogue as well as family life cycle events such as weddings and b’nai mitzvah. Contact us for specifics.
Jews who are not yet members of Temple Shalom are welcome to attend Shabbat services. We welcome Jews who are new to the area, visiting or seeking a new synagogue family, and encourage you to introduce yourselves at services.
We are a Reform synagogue, affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism. While our services are consistent in core prayers and rituals, having multiple leaders brings a freshness and variety of styles and melodies each week. We encourage lively Torah discussion during the service, and make connections between each weekly parsha (Torah portion) and current events in our own lives. We invite each member to follow along in our siddur (prayerbook) and in whichever language is most comfortable (Hebrew or English).
Beyond our services, we intend to be a place of rest and refuge for the Jewish community of Northwest Arkansas, free from proselytism of other faiths. We understand many people are curious about Judaism. It is important to understand that Judaism is a closed practice, meaning that it is not appropriate for those outside of the religion to attend services or events without being invited.
An exception is our Educational Shabbat, offered once in fall and once in spring. This service is open to anyone who wishes to learn more about Judaism, Jewish spiritual practices and the Jewish community in Northwest Arkansas. If you are not Jewish and are curious about what a typical Shabbat service is like, this is an appropriate opportunity to attend.
The next Educational Shabbat will be at 6 p.m. Friday, April 10, 2026, in the sanctuary. Registration is required. Please check back for future services.
The University of Arkansas Tyson Center for Faith and Spirituality in the Workplace co-sponsors this service. It lasts about 90 minutes and is followed by an oneg (dessert reception) and open discussion.
Due to security concerns, any non-member who is interested in attending a service that is not the semiannual Educational Shabbat service must contact the Temple office with a formal request to attend and be granted permission before coming to services.
Any individual who has not previously been granted permission to attend Temple Shalom for a specific event may be denied entry to the building. This is at the discretion of security and Temple Shalom leadership. Permission to attend one event does not connote permission to attend future events.
We recognize Judaism as an ethno-religion, with multiple races, cultures, identities and practices. We believe a community is strongest when we learn from one another’s experiences. Temple Shalom members include Jews from Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi, and other traditions, as well as Jews by choice from all over the world. Though our congregation belongs to the URJ, our individual members identify with Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Humanist and other streams of Judaism. We remain open to learning and implementing a plurality of Jewish practices as a congregation. The exception to this is Messianic Judaism, whose followers adhere to conventional Christian doctrine.