Congregation Beth Israel (Media, Pennsylvania)
| Beth Israel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Reconstructionist Judaism |
| Leadership | Rabbi: Linda Potemken[1] |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 542 South New Middletown Road, Media, Pennsylvania,  United States |
| Website | |
| www.bethisraelmedia.org | |
Congregation Beth Israel is a Reconstructionist synagogue located at 542 South New Middletown Road in Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, near Media.[2] Formed in 1925 and granted a charter by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1929, Beth Israel is the first Jewish congregation founded in Media, the second-oldest in Delaware County, and the oldest Reconstructionist congregation in Delaware Valley.[3]
In 1935 the congregation bought the old Quaker school on Gayley Street in Media.[4] Originally Orthodox and led by lay members, Beth Israel allowed mixed seating in the 1940s.[3]
The congregation started hiring part-time rabbis from the Yeshiva University Synagogue Council in 1948, and in 1957 it hired its first full-time rabbi, a Yeshiva University graduate. Jewish families became attracted to local Conservative synagogues in the 1960s, and demographic changes and a deteriorating building led to a significant membership decline, with the synagogue almost failing. In 1972, Beth Israel affiliated with the Reconstructionist movement, and by the 1980s it had hired its first full-time Reconstructionist rabbi, and had outgrown its building. It moved into its current building on Middletown Road in 1997.[3]
As of 2009[update], the rabbi was Linda Potemken.[1]
References
- ^ a b Rabbi, Synagogue website. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
- ^ Synagogue website. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
- ^ a b c History, Synagogue website. Archived at the Internet Archive. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
- ^ "Providence Meeting History". Providence Friends Meeting. Providence Friends Meeting. Retrieved 9 December 2012.