Virtual Shabbat Box
This Virtual Shabbat Box from the Reconstructionist Movement holds wonderful resources to help you celebrate.
Adult Education
We believe that Jewish learning is a lifelong journey. Join us for classes on Torah, Hebrew, finding your way in our ever-changing world, and much more!
Join Us In Prayer
We offer a participatory, inclusive, and vibrant community exploring Jewish life with dedication, warmth and enthusiasm.
Social Action
We believe in living our values. Join us in Social Action activities to Heal the World (Tikkun Olam). Scroll down or click here for Social Action news and events.
A Strong Jewish Education
We encourage each student to deepen and expand their Jewish knowledge in ways that are meaningful to them.
Rent Space at Beth Israel
Beth Israel now offers space for rent. We have spaces to accommodate groups large and small. Call us at 610-566-4645 or click on the button below.
Concert to Benefit Ukraine on May 29, 2022 at 3PM
The Arioso String Quartet and mezzo soprano Tatyana Smolen, along with the Beth Israel Music Appreciation Society and other performers, will play a free benefit concert at Beth Israel to raise needed relief funds for Ukraine. The concert is being organized by Beth Israel member Carol Briselli. The members of the Arioso Quartet are violinists Igor Szwec and Gregory Teperman, violist Carol Briselli and cellist Vivian Barton Dozor. The public is warmly invited to attend at 3PM. Donations to Ukraine charities will be solicited. Masks are required. A Facebook Live stream will also be offered. Thank you to the Social Action Committee for arranging this important event.
Welcome Beth Israel's new Education Director,
Molly Paul!
Beth Israel is thrilled to welcome our new Education Director, Molly Paul. Molly is a student at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and is excited to begin inspiring our students to learn about Judaism.
Rabbi Linda's Blog: "Turn My Weeping Into Dancing"
July/August 2021
Shall we hold a memorial service to mourn those lost to COVID? That question has circulated in a variety of interfaith discussion groups. Most agree that it is important to mark the losses of the pandemic, including lives lost as well as the variety of physical and emotional hardships that many experienced.
But how and when?
Judaism understands that we need time to mourn. We mourn our personal losses throughout the year at Yarzheits and at Yizkor. We also have an annual day of mourning that is coming up this month ‐ Tisha B'Av. Tisha B'Av, marking the destruction of the 1st and 2nd Temples, invites us to chant Lamentations, to grieve deeply and in so doing, pave the way for healing, for teshuvah and ultimately for joy. Tisha B'Av begins the arc of the High Holiday season, inviting us to embrace the pain of loss before we enter the spiritual work of the Days of Awe, ending in a joyful dance on Simhat Torah.
Rabbi Nathan's Blog:
"The Torah of Transitions"
July/August 2021
I recently listened to a fascinating radio program that focused on a person who was able to listen to and follow four symphonies playing at the same time! This carries multi‐tasking to a new extreme!
This idea of holding and following multiple pushes and pulls at the same time also reflects a bit of our current reality. On the one hand we are still in the midst of a pandemic in our country and are still contending with systematic racism and a fractured political system. On the other hand, Pennsylvania, along with other states is in the process of lifting its mask mandate, signaling a significant shift in our state towards a more minimized pandemic reality. We are more hopeful than we have been in a while, and we find ourselves in a liminal moment of transformation.
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