Kesher Israel Congregation: Nearing a century of devotion

Name of congregation:

Kesher Israel Congregation.

Location: West Chester.

Affiliation or denomination: Jewish, affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

Size of congregation: 350 families.

Question: What is the history of the congregation?

Answer: Our congregation was organized in 1914 by a handful of Jews living in West Chester who first met in homes. In 1925, the congregation built a synagogue on North Church Street in West Chester. That building was expanded in the 1940s to meet the needs of the growing congregation.

In the 1970s, the Jewish population in the area grew rapidly and the congregation outgrew the building on Church Street. This led to the construction of the present building on Pottstown Pike, just north of the borough of West Chester, which was completed in 1988.

After more explosive growth in the area in the 1990s, we were again in dire need of space. In 2001, we added a three-story school wing that houses our religious school, preschool, library, kosher kitchen, offices and several other facilities, and made the sanctuary handicapped-accessible.

Q: What makes you proud of your synagogue?

A: We are a vibrant, warm and welcoming community located in the heart of Chester County. Our mission is to build community with the tools of Jewish tradition. At Kesher Israel, our members feel welcome, respected and valued. We meet the social, spiritual and intellectual needs of our community with warmth, enthusiasm, openness and caring. While we are rooted in the spiritual depth of our tradition, we are always looking for ways to make Judaism real and relevant today, with a constant eye towards innovation and an awareness of the uniqueness of each person's spiritual journey.

We provide the tools to help our members grow spiritually and connect with and deepen their understanding of Jewish traditions, values and practices. Our approach to worship is traditional, as well as egalitarian. Women fully participate in the religious and ritual life of the congregation. We provide a welcome, nonjudgmental atmosphere where Jews of diverse backgrounds can come together and express their Judaism in a manner which is most meaningful to them, be it through acts of loving kindness, coming together socially, study or prayer. We are also very welcoming to interfaith families, and encourage our non-Jewish family members to become involved in all that Kesher Israel has to offer.

Kesher Israel has something for everyone, from our Young Parents Playgroup to our Empty Nesters group. Our building is rarely quiet. At all hours of the day and night, the walls echo with voices of our preschool children, our religious school students, our Gratz High School students, our active committee members, and the myriad of other classes, activities and group meetings that take place on any given day or evening. On the Sabbath and on holidays our joyful and participatory prayer services spill out of the sanctuary and into holiday meals, alternative services and a full and developed Junior Congregation program.

Kesher Israel is also Synaplex congregation, which means that we encourage the celebration of the Shabbat through diverse and nontraditional avenues. By participating in Synaplex, we bring the beauty and joy of celebrating Shabbat to our entire community by offering different ways in which Shabbat can be experienced. We also value Jewish learning for all ages, and as well as having a preschool and full-day kindergarten and religious school, we are the host site in Chester County for the Florence Melton Adult mini-school.

Q: How do you see your congregation's role in your community?

A: We endeavor to make our community and our world a better place through active Jewish living, which is informed by Jewish learning as we aspire to find greater purpose and meaning in our daily lives. We believe that Tikun Olam, Repair of the World, is a vital Jewish value, and it is our role to join like-minded people and communities to help make our world a better place and to promote wholeness, peace and holiness everywhere.

Staff: Rabbi Eric Rosin is our full-time pulpit rabbi. We also have a full-time education director, Rabbi Cynthia Kravitz, and co-directors of our preschool, Gail DeMarco and Rohna Paskow. We also have two part-time office staff, a rabbinic intern, a librarian, a youth group adviser, and numerous religious and preschool teachers and classroom aides.

Days and hours of services: Shabbat services are offered on Friday evenings at 7:30 p.m., with the first Friday night of each month at 6 p.m. We also offer a monthly Tot Shabbat on Synaplex weekends. Saturday morning services start at 9 a.m., with Torah study from 10 to 10:30 a.m., the Torah service at 10:30 and we conclude the service at approximately 12:15 p.m. On Synaplex weekends, we also offer an alternative prayer service which features meditation and chanting and is very user-friendly.

Street address: 1000 Pottstown Pike, West Chester, Pa. 19380

For more information: How to contact you. 610-696-7210 or shalom@kesher-israel.org

Web site: www.kesher-israel.org