Located in Sharon, MA, Kol Tikvah is a small, independent Reform temple dedicated to helping individuals and families live their best Jewish life - whatever that means to you.
Who says a good temple is hard to find? Located just off South Main Street and just a couple of minutes' drive from Route 95, Kol Tikvah is a convenient Jewish destination for folks from over 14 surrounding towns.
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Welcome to Kol Tikvah
Spiritual Leadership
Rabbi Randy Kafka
Rabbi Randy Kafka is a member of the Sharon Interfaith Clergy Association and a co-founder of Sharon Interfaith Action. She was ordained by the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College in 2008 and earned a doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Harvard University in 1989.
Books by Rabbi Kafka:
So May It Be: Reflections On What Really Matters
A Time for Everything: More Reflections On What Really Matters
from the archives: Rabbi Kafka speaking about the intersection of Science and Religion
Assistant Rabbi Talia Young
Rabbi Talia Young was ordained by the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College in 2026. Originally from the Bay Area, she also calls the Twin Cities, the forests of Connecticut, and Jamaica Plain home. With over a decade of experience in a variety of Jewish educational settings from summer camp to college campuses to climate justice non-profits, community building and relationships are at the heart of her work. She is also a poet, songwriter and improv comedian. Rav Talia fell in love with Kol Tikvah when she served as our rabbinic intern from 2024-2025, and she is honored to return as Assistant Rabbi. She would love to connect with you. Please reach out anytime!
Kol Tikvah Board
Officers:
President: Randy O’Brien
VP of Finance: Ian Dembsky
VP: Karen Winkler
Secretary: Marci Elman
Past President: Harriet Cohen
Board of Trustees:
Mark Brenner
Wendy Cardoza
Aprille Dembsky
Jeremy Gordon
Adam Green
Randi Green
Laurie Silver
Special Trustee: Kiki Mednicov
Our Czech Holocaust Torah
We are honored and proud to be the keepers of one of the Torah scrolls saved from Nazi destruction and now part of the Memorial Scrolls Trust collection. Our scroll (MST #1214) is an “orphan” Torah, meaning that it cannot be traced to any particular community.
Our custom is to celebrate and read from our scroll annually, on Yom Kippur afternoon. It is too fragile to handle more often.
In the words of temple president Randy O’Brien:
“Those who came to the Yom Kippur afternoon service, in addition to hearing heartfelt presentations on this year’s theme from three members, also experienced a special, intimate time with our Holocaust Torah. We all gathered around the side ark and together escorted the Torah to the reading table. We thought about its story, the region it came from, and paused to recall those who once used it in their own synagogue. We then shared in reading a line-by-line translation of the afternoon Torah portion as Rabbi Kafka read it from the scroll. We then quietly, as one community, escorted it back to its ark. A simply lovely and moving ceremony.”
Please visit the Memorial Scrolls Trust website for more information and educational resources.
