Congregation Rodeph Shalom
Congregation Rodeph Shalom is a Reform congregation in Center City Philadelphia. As an inclusive community, it offers services, programs, and activities for a diverse population, including interfaith couples and individuals of varied backgrounds and sexual orientations.
History
Congregation Rodeph Shalom dates its founding to 1795 with the coalescing of the first Ashkenazic congregation in the Western Hemisphere. Because the congregation chose to follow the German/Dutch order of prayer, in 1812 it was chartered by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania as the “Hebrew German Society (Rodeph Shalom).” From its founding, Rodeph Shalom was determined not to exclude members based on financial circumstances. Additionally, in 1829, a rule about intermarriage was established: “Members who married non-Jews would not be expelled as long as they raised their children as Jews.”
Vision
Congregation Rodeph Shalom is committed to providing opportunities for our members to participate in the four pillars of Jewish life: prayer, study, social action and community. We celebrate a diversity of spiritual perspectives on ritual, study and Jewish practices.
In the Reform tradition, clergy and members are partners in congregational life, combining the history, creativity and richness of Jewish tradition with individual personal, ethical and spiritual convictions. Involvement with Rodeph Shalom often changes as we journey through the passages of life. Yet, adherence to core principles has held our community together for over two hundred years.
Building
When Rodeph Shalom outgrew its first building, the membership decided to raze the 60-year-old Frank Furness building and erect a new, larger synagogue on the same site. Inspired by the great Synagogue of Florence, Italy, RS is one of the only synagogues in the United States that retains the Byzantine-Moorish style. The building was designed by the firm of Simon and Simon; the stained glass, hand-stenciled walls, star burst dome light by the D’Ascenzo Studio.
The Ark in the Sanctuary is Italian marble and the Ark doors, made of Italian bronze, weigh 1,000 pounds each. In the Ark are six Torah scrolls, the smallest of which was rescued during the Holocaust from Brno, a small town in the Czech Republic and given to Rodeph Shalom as a gift from Rabbi Wice upon his retirement in 1981.
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Info
615 N. Broad St.<br>Phila 19123
215-627-6747
Sunday Services
(as of May 13, 2011)
- Shabbat Evening Service, Fri, 6 PM
*Torah Study, Sat, 9:15 AM
*Shabbat Morning Service, Sat, 10:45 AM
*Sunday Seminar, Sun, 10:30 AM