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.
Rabbi Linda's Blog: Invitation To Joy In The Hebrew Month of Adar
March 2024
On the Jewish calendar the Hebrew month of Adar is an invitation to cultivate joy. In the book of Esther, read on Purim, the text states: “That month was reversed for them from grief to joy” (Esther 9:22). In other words, the month of Adar was declared a month of happiness, not because the people were already joyful but because they were full of grief that shifted to joy.
In the cold, dark winter, with the news of the world bringing pain and worry, we are in a Jewish season that invites us to locate joy within ourselves, if even for a moment. The Baal Shem Tov teaches that when we create joy in our lives, we arouse the Divine joy which leads to the opening of the channels of even more blessing, bringing more joy. In short, there is momentum to this, if we can cultivate gladness, it will lead to more joy...
Tot Shabbat is Going Strong
Since last fall we’ve met on the 2nd Friday of every month, coming together to sing, color, play, eat, tell stories and celebrate Shabbat together as a community.
Over the past 6 months we’ve had 30 families participate, with about 5‐7 families per month.
Many thanks to our volunteers and our rabbinic interns, who make it all possible: Aya Baron, Lynn Cashell, Nora Chernov, Alicia DePaolo, Elaine Feldman, Alisa Herman‐Liu, Lydia Kendis, Randi Raskin Nash, Alan Ross, Kathy Trow. And of course Rabbi Nathan and Rabbi Linda. Special thanks to student rabbi Koach Baruch Frazier, who joined us for our February Tot Shabbat celebration.
If you’d like to attend or help out at a future Tot Shabbat please reach out to Jackie Gelman.
Upcoming dates: 3/8, 4/12, 5/10
Rabbi Nathan's Blog: Creating Holy Community
March 2024
After the dramatic story of the Exodus from Egypt and the receiving of the Ten Commandments at Sinai, the Torah portions in the latter part of the book of Exodus cover a tremendous amount of details concerning the material requirements for designing and building the desert Tabernacle, the mobile sanctuary that accompanied the Israelites on their wilderness journeys.
One of the takeaways from this description is simply the observation that details matter. That, if there were an incorrect number of planks for the tabernacle structure on one side, the whole structure might not stand.
We believe that this same lesson is relevant for our community of Beth Israel as well. At our December congregational meeting, Rabbi Linda and I shaped an exercise where we asked the assembled members to...