About Us

Who We Are
Congregation Beth Israel of Media is a Reconstructionist congregation located in Media, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia. It is the second oldest congregation in Delaware County and the oldest Reconstructionist congregation in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

We are a vibrant, welcoming community committed to a Judaism that nurtures our members, engages in lifelong learning, and actively works to repair the world (tikkun olam). As part of the Reconstructing Judaism movement, we embrace our ancestors’ search for meaning, purpose, and value. We continue in their footsteps as we celebrate Jewish expressions of faith in many forms: prayer and action, debate and music, teaching and learning. Our diverse views of God include a conception of the Divine as a powerful force within and around us, helping us become our fullest selves and advancing justice in the world. For more information about Reconstructing Judaism, click here. To learn more about spiritual life at Beth Israel, click here.

At Beth Israel, we honor the spark of holiness in all and welcome people of all backgrounds. We are a community of multi-faith families and diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, races, ethnicities, abilities, and political affiliations. We’re also proud to say that we are working on making Beth Israel accessible for persons with disabilities, impairments, or conditions, and have already made great strides in doing so! For information on our work towards making our building and events accessible, click here. We have also been featured in both the press and other media; click here to see what others are saying!

Our History
Congregation Beth Israel was founded in 1925 as the first Jewish congregation in Media, Pennsylvania, originally located on Gayley Street and led by Yeshiva-trained Orthodox Rabbis. In 1948 mixed seating was instituted, and in 1950 a permanent ark was installed. (This is the same ark we use to this day!) The 1950s brought the first full-time Rabbi and the first newsletter. In 1970 after membership declined, Beth Israel modernized their building and adopted a contemporary form of Judaism.

In 1988, the congregation split, with Beth Israel losing close to one-third of their members. A new Rabbi was hired in 1989, a Building Search Committee was formed in 1996, and Beth Israel moved to their current location on South New Middletown Road in 1997. In September of that year, members of Beth Israel paraded with Rabbi Linda Potemken through the streets of Media Borough and Middletown Township carrying the Torahs to their new home. For more information on Beth Israel’s history, click here.