Mention the name Doris Garrett to any Rodeph Shalom long-time congregant and you will get the same reaction as that expressed by Ivan Gable upon hearing of her death on September 9, 2009: “Doris Garrett epitomized Rodeph Shalom to many congregants over almost two generations. She was Rabbi Wice’s confidant...

By Catherine Fischer, Director of Programming and Membership The Torah, our Jewish guide to living, teaches over and over again, more times than any other mitzvah (commandment), that we are supposed to welcome the stranger (aka a person whom we do not know).  Being welcoming, showing compassion and doing acts...

By Jody Kidwell, Cantorial Soloist Last Shabbat, Rodeph Shalom had some uninvited “guests” on the sidewalk.  The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) of Topeka, Kansas came to Philadelphia to stage protests at the International Conference of Jewish Genealogy and Philadelphia Congregations.  The WBC are NOT officially affiliated to mainstream Baptists; and many...

Progressive Judaism celebrates a ground-breaking success of Jewish pluralism and religious freedom in Israel

Are new parents in my generation simply influenced by a character on the popular television show, "Friends," who named her daughter, Emma?

by Rabbi Jill L. Maderer Why was Thursday night different from all other nights?  Matzah ball soup on the table cloths, jumping singing frogs in every family, and Elijah the prophet in costume!  Tots, parents and grandparents sang with spirit and Miles found the afikomen at RS’ first ever Tot...

 By Rabbi William Kuhn The Seder is filled with many questions, but one of the most asked questions is, “Which is the correct Haggadah to use?” Is there a real, official Passover Haggadah? Well, the answer is the same as the answer to so many Jewish questions, “Yes and No.”...

By Rabbi William Kuhn  The political situation in Israel is more interesting than you can possibly imagine. During the recent Convention in Jerusalem of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), we heard from several members of Knesset (the Israeli parliament), who tried to give us some insight into the...

By Rabbi Jill Maderer The Four Special Torah Portions Prepare Us for Pesach On what day of the week do we start to wish our friends a “Shabbat shalom”? On Wednesday! When does the process of High Holy Day repentance begin-Yom Kippur? Rosh Hashanah? No! The High Holy Days actually...

Congregation Rodeph Shalom, a Reform congregation located in Center City Philadelphia, connects a diverse population to Judaism through prayer, study and social action. We are an inclusive community with families who have life-long Jewish connections, adults new to Jewish study, interfaith couples, and individuals of varied backgrounds, sexual orientations and philosophical points...