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!

Huge new building and great location, but the cost to run must be outragous because their preschool…read moretuition is the most expensive in town. By far! Would love to belong to this trendy temple, but think I'll be taking my worship up the road for a few less sheckels. They still pray to the same G-d right?

Very family and child friendly congregation. Fabulous and kindhearted clergy and staff.read more

Great Bingo! Friendly and new equipment. Has the camera of the ball and the callers are good with…read moregood personality. They really know what they are doing and are super friendly! Concessions are good, hot dogs, hot pretzels and cakes . We won. Will definitely be going back

From the owner: We are a welcoming, uplifting and inclusive Reform congregation. Our ritual practice includes…read morespiritual and enriching Shabbat and Holiday worship services for adults, families and children. All are welcome to join us for Shabbat and Holidays!

This is by far the most beautiful synagogue in Philadelphia. At one time, many years ago, they…read moreused to have multiple morning minyans of over 500 people each. How many people walked by this shul and said, "That's where I'm getting married." That's how nice it is. Today, it is operated by Chabad. They have revitalized and injected new blood into this historic shul. The services are amazing, warm and friendly, as well as all of the classes and guest speakers they invite. Like I said, no other shul comes close. The rabbis are approachable, know Jewish law and are always available to the community. Contact Rabbi Goldman and Rabbi Schmidt for more information.

A very warm and inviting shul. They have a lovely preschool which is caring, open, and loving!read more

If I could give zero stars I would. We are not members of a congregation, so Rabbi Marx was a…read more"rent-a-rabbi" for my mom's funeral service. His speech was eloquent, but completely vanilla, because he spent all of ten minutes collecting background. At the service itself, he stopped the procession at the wrong grave site, then when we arrived at the correct grave site, wanted to "confirm" that we would leave the casket at ground level rather than lower it, and then tried to rush everyone out while family members were throwing dirt on the lowered casket. When I asked him if anyone told him we would not be lowering the casket, he said no, but he assumed we wouldn't. When I said we shouldn't leave because folks were still throwing dirt, he said we were mostly done. I sent him an email afterwards expressing disappointment. He sent back a dictated message with lots of typos about his taking pride in comforting people. Maybe it was a busy day for the rabbi, but he did not treat my family with respect, let alone emapthy, on a day when we needed both.

This Rabbi works long hours, devoted to his congregation. He is in the office at 9am and out around…read more9pm. He has cut vacations short during congregant emergencies. He is the longest serving Rabbi in the Bucks/Montgomery county area. He moved to north of the Mason-Dixon Line (Pennsylvania) from south Florida. He really helped in increasing the number of members of the congregation. I attended a class he taught. I also had a free Jewish breakfast in the synagogue social hall and had the honor of meeting him in person when he sat at my table. The class I attended was held in the Gitlin Sanctuary, which is quite attractive/nice. The synagogue sets on a beautiful parcel with a pond, etc. It sets on a large lot and is a roomy, attractive building inside and out.

Rabbi Brown is very personable and accessible. The members are a close bunch. The facility is…read moreclean, comfortable. You'll feel like part of a family. For those who are not comfortable with Hebrew, the family services are leaning towards those who don't know and want to know.

After searching for synagogues in the Chester County area and attending many area services, we…read morejoined B'nai Jacob - a nearly 100 year old schul in Phoenixville. The members were warm and inviting (and not pushy!) when my family attended services the first few times, and Rabbi Brown is enthusiastic, patient, knowledgeable and welcoming. The kids love her. It is a conservative synagogue, but fairly laid-back to accommodate members at both ends of the spectrum - those who are pretty devout ... and those of us who like the holidays and community events, and don't remember much Hebrew from our youth. Some interesting adult ed classes, and a great Hebrew school for kids.

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.