Congregation Rodeph Shalom History

Congregation Rodeph Shalom, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States, was founded in 1795, and is the first Ashkenazic synagogue established in the Western Hemisphere.

In the last decade of the eighteenth century, a small group of Orthodox Jews from Germany, Holland, and Poland formed a minyan to worship in a manner consistent with their shared religious background.

The congregation began our steady march toward religious liberalism when, in 1873, we became a charter member of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and affiliated with Reform Judaism.

At first, services were held in various locations in Olde Philadelphia. In 1866, the congregation built our first sanctuary. Frank Furness, considered the most talented and exciting Philadelphia architect of his time, designed a Moorish-style synagogue on Broad and Mt. Vernon Streets. On the left is a photo of a congregation dinner held in 1920 in the historic Furness synagogue building.

The congregation soon outgrew its building and replaced it with the current structure, completed in 1928. Inspired by the great synagogue of Florence, Italy, Rodeph Shalom is one of the only synagogues in this country that retains the Byzantine-Moorish style. It was designed by the firm of Simon and Simon, which built the Fidelity Building on Broad Street.

The sanctuary seats 1,640 people below star burst skylights. Its stained glass windows are one of the few remaining collections from the renowned D'Ascenzo Studio. The majestic bronze-and-enamel doors of the Torah ark grace the bimah. The D'Ascenzo Studio also designed the sanctuary's walls, ceiling, and dome, along with the carpet and ornamentation.

The Broad Street Foyer houses the Leon J. and Julia S. Obermayer Collection of Jewish ritual art. More than 500 ceremonial objects from around the world dating back to the 1700s are on display.

The Philadelphia Jewish Museum gallery, dedicated to Jacob Gutman, sponsors three to four exhibits of contemporary Jewish art each year, and is open for public viewing.

In the 1950s, Rodeph Shalom established a presence in Elkins Park to house a growing suburban Philadelphia membership.

Through the years the Congregation has taken great pride in Rodeph Shalom and has continued to work together to preserve it as a unique and significant religious and cultural institution in the Greater Philadelphia Region.

In 2002 the Congregation completed repairs and renovations of our historic chapel, part of our Simon and Simon designed Congregational building. The magnificent plaster ceiling has been restored. The Frank Furness sconces and furniture from our previous synagogue structure, used in the chapel, have been restored as well. The chapel has been reconfigured and additional lighting has been installed to enhance the historic aspects of the chapel. You can review the completed renovation process, through to completion, by clicking ontoto open the chapel renovations window.

In the fall of 2004 the Congregation embarked on an ambitious multimillion dollar renovation and restoration of the Simon and Simon/D'Ascenzo Studio designed sanctuary. The project, which took a full year, was completed in the fall of 2005. A new lower bimah was added as well as a new cross aisle to accomodate the disabled, and enhance the safety of the structure. The restoration project has won many awards including the prestigious 2006 American Institute of Architects Pennsylvania Design Award Citation of Merit presented by Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor, Catherine Baker Knoll. You can review the completed renovation process, through to completion, by clicking onto to open the sanctuary renovations window.

In 2006, as part of its new strategic plan, the Congregation decided to refocus its future, and sold its suburban Philadelphia facility. We welcomed Congregation Beth Ahavah in October 2006 as they marched their Torah from their Letitia Street site to their new home here at Rodeph Shalom. While Beth Ahavah, founded in 1975, continues to maintain its congregational identity, it is integrating its programming and membership with Congregation Rodeph Shalom’s.

Historical photograph from the Rodeph Shalom archives.
Photographic scanning and retouching by NSL Associates Incorporated
Photography by NSL Associates Incorporated