Like Rachel U. puts it is so hard to find the words to describe how gorgeous BZBI ( as it is…read moreaffectionately known) is! A great place for everyone!

I keep trying to figure out how to review this place and not quite finding the words. I love this…read moresynagogue, both for the gorgeous Neo-Gothic architecture and stained-glass windows, and for the community where I spent most of my childhood eating hydrox and going to bar mitzvahs and USY dances. Since living away, I've still come back for the high holidays and always felt welcomed. The congregation seems to be growing with some younger families getting involved, and they offer lots of different services and classes during the year. I also knew this is where I wanted to get married, and so did just that =) They were a great help as I planned from Boston, with a wedding coordinator on staff for the day-of details. It was a bit surreal, but perfect.

My wife and I have been members for several years but attended services long before that…read more Rodeph Shalom is extremely welcoming and the community is so so friendly and very diverse... making it a great space for all regardless of who who are (age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation) or what you believe. Some people are highly religious and others are in it for the community aspects and no one is felt left out. The clergy and staff are all kind, compassionate, and knowledgeable. They get to know the congregants and form meaningful relationships. My personal favorite is the Friday night Shabbat It's a way for me to calm down at the end of a busy week and prep me into the weekend. I love the community, the songs, the shared experiences of congregants, and the sermons that are culturally relevant to what's going on around us today. They always tie into the Torah portion. There is something for everyone: Young friends events Adult education Events for families with young children Art (Philadelphia museum of Jewish art) Diversity groups Interfaith events Lgbtq events I cannot say enough wonderful things about this community and congregation

Rodeph Shalom is a great congregation filled with lots of loving people and a wonderful staff. The…read morerabbis and the cantor are top notch.

This shul has managed to maintain its original historic dignity. The majority of members are not…read morepoliticians or snobs. Decency. Honor. Respect. Balance. Community. I didnt think we made shuls like this anymore. Bravo! Principles and morals over money and influence. The Rabbi Avi Winokur still managed to win an award for being one of the top ten, most inspiring and influential Rabbis in America. He has the grey hairs to prove it. Ironically, thus conservative shul has also become a sanctuary for Orthodox Jews fed up with denominational politics. Strength to strength! The executive director, Betty, even caters the meals more often than not. One of the top 5 kiddushes in Philadelphia! What a privilege to review such a synagogue!

Three stars, not because it's bad, but because yelp defines four stars as "Yay! I'm a fan" and it's…read morenot quite there. I didn't actually go myself, but sent my dad as he was looking for a synagogue for the Saturday we were visiting Philadelphia, and this one seemed like it would do the trick. He said the service was fine, but was mostly women. Being conservative in the more literal sense (that is, stuck in his ways), he was amused that the service was led by a female rabbi, and that they wouldn't have been able to make a minyan without the women present. I suppose he was a little rattled by the break in tradition, but when pressed, he said that the rabbi was passionate and professional and took her duties very seriously. So, in all, I'd say it was a positive experience for the old man, who had never seen a female rabbi in action before. I guess I am a fan after all.

While I currently do not davnen at this Shul I have in the past. Rabbi Hirsch is one of the nicest…read morepeople in Philadelphia and really cares about the local Jewish community.

Rabbi Hirsch is inspiring, kind, and willing to give more time than any rabbi I've met in my entire…read morelife. His books on Pesach and the High Holidays helped me tremendously with my Jewish journey. The community is warm and welcoming.

I'm a bit of an architecture nerd and a Jewish history nerd. So when my mom, my husband, and I were…read morein Philadelphia for a long weekend a few weeks ago, I knew I wanted to visit Beth Sholom and take a tour. Why? It's Frank Lloyd Wright's only synagogue and so has a fascinating history! You can book a guided architectural building tour a head of time on their website - it's a 1.5-hour experience (movie and tour of the building). There's a gallery area with timelines and photographs that tell the story of Philadelphia's Jewish community and the Beth Sholom synagogue as well. The tour was great. I don't know if I find the synagogue beautiful, but I found it interesting and awesome (the glass panels, the ceiling, the chandelier, the sloped floor,...!). I'm so glad we made the hike up to Elkins Park to visit (we didn't have a car, so we took the regional train up from Philly and walked to the synagogue; we took a ride share on the way home since we were in a bit of a rush then). If you're interested in Frank Lloyd Wright, American architecture history, or Jewish American history, Beth Sholom is well worth a visit!

Beth Sholom "House of Peace" is a truly spectacular building with a spectacular story…read more Through trial and tribulation to get this masterpiece erected from the ground, it took around a decade. Frank Lloyd Wright was a master artist/architect/artisan to be able to take the requests of the Rabbi and create it into the space it is today. We really enjoyed the tour and the tour guide was very knowledgeable. I recommend stopping by this architectural wonder if you are ever near the Philly area. You can register for a tour online. Don't forget, tickets to tour FLW homes and buildings help the preservation efforts of these beautiful structures!

Very engaging congregation. I go here with my grandfather and usually my father and they are both…read moredelighted every time. Setting: gorgeous main sanctuary with Jerusalem stone and a real eternal flame. There is always plenty of seating. Accomodations: my grandfather uses a headset that Beth El provides so he can better hear the service. Everyone always tries to help him as much as possible, whether that's giving him chocolate or finding a place to sit. And the Cantor always makes sure that he has a chance to touch the Torah with his tallit. Service: a couple things to be desired here but none of them a big deal. The service is very lively, with everyone singing, and the Cantor has a great singing voice. The spirit in the room is palpable! I don't enjoy how they sort of take a break during the returning of the Torah, with the congregants talking amongst themselves but that only lasts a few minutes. I also don't love every dvar Torah, as some are too long winded to reach people unfamiliar with Torah but too basic in subject to reach more familiar people. However, there are multiple dvar Torahs in the service and usually at least one is interesting. They use the Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat and festivals (at least for Shabbat morning services and festivals). While I prefer the Siddur Lev Shalem, the Sim Shalom for Shabbat and Festivals of course works great. And here's where I'll put- the one star review on this page doesn't make sense. If you're familiar with synagogues at all then you know all synagogues require you to get a ticket for high holiday (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) services because that is when a synagoge is at its most crowded. Ridiculous. Social events: while I've never been to a social event since I live pretty far away, I always hear them announced and they always seem to have a ton going on, even including golf. They also had casual Shabbat last Shabbat where people were told they didn't have to dress as formally and that there would be a sort of tea time between Shacharit and the Torah Service. I didn't personally go but my father thought it was wonderful. Food: usually the food is pretty great. Admittedly, I only remember having been when there was a Bar/Bat Mitzvah (where the family is paying for some of the food) but then it's usually pretty great. It's always dairy and there's always egg salad and tuna salad but usually there's bagels (of all different flavors, I get blueberry), cream cheese, and smoked salmon as well as kugel. Sometimes there's also delicious macaroni and cheese. Overall, delicious. This is a great Conservative shul and everyone in the area should try it out!

Wow such sinagog much jewish. Wow. Very Hebrew. Much kosher. Such rabbi. Wow. Very hazzan. Much…read morereligious. Very conservative. Such review. Wow.

A great conservative shul where everyone fits in from tourists to undergrads to eighty year olds…read more They offer lots of programming for all ages as well. The cantor is super friendly and happy to help out with everything and anything. The shul itself is gorgeous with beautiful stained glass. Take a peek at the old neziner shul's bimah in the basement!

There have been a lot of positive changes to BZBI the past few years- most importantly to us is how…read moregreat the preschool is! We are thrilled with the teachers, the curriculum, and the friends our children have made. The program has a new director who has brought in even more enrichment activities for the students. There is a great tie to the shul and the community! We run into "school friends" outside of school. Our eldest is now enjoying the Hebrew school too! It is a warm and nurturing environment. We have been very happy at the BZBI preschool and our children have made wonderful friends.

Makes being Jewish joyful. Warm and welcoming to all…read more Outstanding focus on social justice issues! Moving to the area. Have picked out our shul before our home!

Hurtful experience without adequate recourse despite my requesting this repeatedly. I second the…read morecomment by the other reviewer about disability access on all levels, not just the physical. K.T. says they are working on this. My experience was not months but years ago. It was a bitter cup to find that a congregation so apparently focused on protecting one set of subgroups of Jews would feel so little responsibility to others who don't sound or look like them. All too human. May we rise to do better.

Shivtei Yeshuron-Ezras Israel is one of the few remaining synagogues in South Philadelphia. From…read morewhat I understand, there are still sabbath services held at this orthodox congregation. But it has also become a living museum of South Philadelphia Jewry. I toured the synagogue, which is within a 3-story rowhouse deep in South Philadelphia. Hidden Philadelphia was hosting an event and I am so glad they did. This is truly a hidden gem that will allow you to see history in a natural way, without fussy curation and plexiglass boxes. I had learned that there was an active Jewish community in South Philadelphia prior to WWI. In those times, the Irish, Italians, and Jews remained in separate corridors running north and south. And over the next 100 years, the Jewish community dispersed elsewhere, while the next waves of immigrants moved in. The synagogue itself is an amazing sight to see. I live in a South Philly rowhome and I was amazed at the size of the building. The synagogue is situated on the first floor and you can read the fading memorial plaques on the way. Upstairs you can see some of their archived objects, including hundreds of photographs in piles. I believe Hidden Philadelphia may have set that up, but it's fun to pick through the objects and photos like I used to explore my parents' attic when I was young. There is also a sewing exhibit on the second floor, which is part of a special project set up by the ADMK Knit lab. They are using looms to make a textile to put on the front of the building. A synagogue cozy, perhaps. I don't know whether the project is finished, but it was still running through 6/30/2013. The third floor is a vacant apartment, which still kept some objects, furniture and clothing. Some of a former Rabbi's belongings are still there. It's a mysterious place because the area reveals intimate details, but doesn't tell a complete story.

From the owner: We are a traditional Orthodox synagogue. The last remaining in south Philly.read more