Joining Or Hadash

 

If you have heard about our hamish community, our creative religious school, our intellectually stimulating adult programming or our embrace of tikkun olam and thought, "Or Hadash may be the place for me," then now is the time to join! For new members, Or Hadash is offering a fantastic First Year Membership Special.  Pay $180 (only $15 per month) for a one adult household or $360 (only $30 per month) for a two adult household for your first year of membership. Please see our specials on the flier attached below. (We also offer a virtual [online] membership for non-locals who want to be an official part of our community!) If you have school aged children, in addition to the membership special, we’re also offering a FREE first year of Gan (Pre-K & K) at our SMILE religious school!

 

If you have any questions about membership, please feel free to contact our membership chair Gillian Szymanski or our Synagogue Administrator at 215-283-0276.  Our religious school director, Rabbi Erin Hirsh, would also be happy to discuss our SMILE religious school program with you. All necessary forms for membership can be found on the Membership Forms page.

 

Reconstructionist Judaism often cites “belonging” to the Jewish people -- not “believing” -- as the key to modern Jewish life.  At Or Hadash, we value each individual and the contributions that they bring to the community.  We welcome anyone that wants to be part of the Or Hadash community regardless of their personal financial circumstances.

 

“When we looked for a synagogue, we looked for a place where we’d feel comfortable and a place for our children’s education. In Or Hadash we found much more. Or Hadash has become an integral part of our lives; socially and intellectually it has enriched us. We’ve become much more involved as Jews.”
-- Sandy and Richard Malkin

“Or Hadash is a place that warms your heart and welcomes you into it’s soul.  It is a place where you and your family can simply be.  You will meet down-to-earth folks and their families who are focused on leading meaningful lives and just doing the best they can for themselves and their families.  We are people committed to each other and our community - our Rabbi inspires emotion, and brings a thoughtfulness and philosophy to our services and discussions that guide us to new places.  Our Ed Director has more creativity and love for our kids than she can barely contain!  Or Hadash is a rare gem and I feel so fortunate that our dear neighbors introduced us to it!”

--Stefie Loev, Mom of 13 year-old and 16 year-old daughters

Members since May 2012 

“As a result of joining Or Hadash and becoming Reconstructionist, we are so much more interested in Jewish culture and tradition. It has re-established in our minds our legitimacy as Jews. The sense of intimacy we feel with our havurah and at services attaches us to the community. It’s a whole new odyssey and enrichment for us at a rather late stage of our lives…and it’s fun, too. We love it.”
-- Ben and Joan Dickstein (z"l)

“Or Hadash has grown from the dream of a handful of families to a vibrant evolving congregation. We’re so pleased that we were able to have a role in shaping it.”
-- Burt and Barbara (z"l) Siegel

"We really lucked out in finding Or Hadash from a Google search when we moved to the area. It has been the perfect fit for our interfaith family, and even Joe, who is not Jewish, can be heard humming along to prayers during services. Our kids consider Or Hadash to be a second home, and we know that if we're at a large event, and we don't have eyes on them, someone does and cares about their wellbeing. Or Hadash is truly a special place, and our congregation is like family -- sometimes silly, sometimes serious, all the time wonderful."

-- Gillian and Joe Szymanski, Parents of 11 year-old son and 7 year-old daughter