Temple Beth Sholom (Cherry Hill, New Jersey) Explained

Building Name:Temple Beth Sholom
Image Upright:1.4
Map Type:USA New Jersey Camden County
Map Size:260
Map Relief:1
Location:1901 Kresson Road, Cherry Hill, Camden County, New Jersey
Country:United States
Coordinates:39.875°N -74.9547°W
Religious Affiliation:Conservative Judaism
Administration:United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Status:Synagogue
Functional Status:Active
Architecture:yes
Established:1940
Capacity:2,200 worshippers

Temple Beth Sholom (abbreviated as TBS) is a Conservative synagogue located at 1901 Kresson Road in Cherry Hill, Camden County, New Jersey, in the United States.[1] TBS was founded in 1940 and moved to its current building in Cherry Hill in 1989.

History

A member of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, TBS was founded in 1940 at its former location at 19 White Horse Pike in Haddon Heights, about 6miles west of Cherry Hill.[2] [3] Among the founders was S.H. Fastow, the owner of Fastow's Five & Ten Cent Store in Haddon Heights, which opened in 1936 and closed in 2001. The founders located the synagogue in Haddon Heights hoping that as Jews moved from Camden into the suburbs, they would settle around the synagogue, but that did not happen.[4] As of 1948, the synagogue had 50 member families.[5] While in Haddon Heights, it grew to over 600 families.

In 1989, the synagogue moved to its current location in eastern Cherry Hill, at the corner of Kresson and Cropwell Roads.[6] [2] [7] [8] In January 1989, members of the congregation marched for 6miles carrying the synagogue's ten Torahs from their old location in Haddon Heights to the new synagogue in Cherry Hill.[8] The Cherry Hill synagogue seats 2,000 people, has a school wing with 19 classrooms, and in 2002 expanded to include a Green Center for Jewish Learning, an expansion of 13000ft2, that contains a multimedia resource center and seven high school classrooms. The synagogue includes about 1,000 member families, and offers a variety of educational and cultural programs.

Clergy

Former staff include Rabbi Albert L. Lewis (1917-2008), who served for 44 years at TBS.[9] [10] Lewis was also a Rabbi Emeritus at the synagogue.[11]

Steven Wernick is a former Associate Rabbi of the synagogue.[12] [13]

, the Senior Rabbi was Micah Peltz, the Associate Rabbi was Bryan Wexler, the Rabbi Emeritus was Steven Lindemann, and the cantor was Jen Cohen.

Notable members

As a child, celebrated Hollywood actor, producer, writer and director Michael Landon (born Eugene Maurice Orowitz) had his bar mitzvah at TBS.[14]

Notes and References

  1. News: Joyful noise HD:Jews, especially children, prepare to celebrate the holiday of Purim . https://archive.today/20120718223641/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courierpostonline/access/1844750591.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+18,+2000&author=&pub=Courier+Post&desc=Joyful+noise+HD:Jews,+especially+children,+prepare+to+celebrate+the+holiday+of+Purim&pqatl=google . dead . July 18, 2012 . Courier Post . March 18, 2000 . June 22, 2011.
  2. Book: Historic Synagogues of Philadelphia & the Delaware Valley . 2008. Preisler, Julian H. . 9781596295728 . June 22, 2011.
  3. Book: A Jewish tourist's guide to the U.S. . Jewish Publication Society of America. 1954. Postal, Bernard . Koppman, Lionel . June 22, 2011.
  4. News: Temple Beth Sholom . Jerusalem Journal . December 2, 2009 . Kalech, Charlie . June 22, 2011.
  5. Web site: Rabbi Emeritus Albert Lewis . TBS website . June 22, 2011 .
  6. Web site: History . TBS website . June 22, 2011 .
  7. Book: Pavements in the garden: the suburbanization of southern New Jersey, adjacent to the city of Philadelphia, 1769 to the present. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press . 2001 . Cammarota, Ann Marie T. . 9780838638811. June 22, 2011.
  8. News: Temple Beth Sholom Celebrates Opening Its New Synagogue . The Philadelphia Inquirer . Polk Rhodes, Rosalee . January 11, 1989 . June 22, 2011.
  9. Web site: Rabbi Albert L. Lewis, 90, Led Synagogue for More Than 40 Years. Jewish Exponent. June 16, 2011.
  10. Book: American Jewry and conservative politics: a new direction. registration . haddon heights Temple Beth Sholom. . Shapolsky . 1988 . Steinberg, Alan J. . June 22, 2011.
  11. Book: Broken Vows . Macmillan . 2002 . Francis, Eric . 9780312979331 . June 22, 2011.
  12. News: Local rabbis shed light on situation facing Israel . https://web.archive.org/web/20121107054525/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courierpostonline/access/1843602221.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+04,+2000&author=&pub=Courier+Post&desc=Local+rabbis+shed+light+on+situation+facing+Israel&pqatl=google . dead . November 7, 2012 . Courier Post . November 4, 2000 . June 22, 2011.
  13. News: Year 2000 full of promise for South Jersey clergy . https://web.archive.org/web/20121107054539/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courierpostonline/access/1846427991.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+31,+1999&author=&pub=Courier+Post&desc=Year+2000+full+of+promise+for+South+Jersey+clergy&pqatl=google . dead . November 7, 2012 . Courier Post . December 31, 1999 . June 22, 2011.
  14. Web site: Remembering an acting legend . S J Magazine . August 2023 . 11 November 2023 .