KESHER ZION SYNAGOGUE

Perkiomen and Clymer Avenues

Rabbi Joel Weintraub
President - Steven Finkel

Kesher Zion Synagogue was founded in 1929 by the merger of two previously organized congregations, B'nai Zion and Kesher Israel; chartered respectively in 1911 and 1913. The new affiliation occupied the site at 8th and Court Streets previously the home of Kesher Israel; and the building previously occupied by B'nai Zion (which had from 1884 to 1917 been the home of Temple Oheb Sholom) was sold. A Hebrew school was started in 1933 in a home rented at Perkiomen and Clymer Avenues. That area, plus adjoining plots of ground, were purchased in 1936 and 1945. Our present synagogue was built there and has been occupied since 1950.

A list of previous presidents of congregation includes, in order, Morris Rosenthal, Max Fisher, Louis Simon, David Schein, Dr. Meyer Quartner, Sidney Barrer, Robert H. Kauffman, Dr. David N. Farber, Jack Schnee, Dr. Gary Lattin, William Lidman, Alan Strauss, Dr. Irving Ehrlich, and Dr Lou Milakofsky.

Any discussion of organizations having to do with aid to Israel, from the beginnings of Hadassah, Jewish National Fund, Organization for rehabilitation Training, Pioneer Women, Zionist Organization of America, United Jewish Appeal, Israel Bonds, etc. would include the names of many, many members of our Sisterhood and Synagogue who were major actors in carrying out the local work of these bodies. In addition to these, there were the individuals of much larger groups who contributed in various ways on all other important levels. Financial help to Israel through UJA, Bond Drives, and other such direct aid has been on a plane during the past forty years, and will undoubtedly continue as long as assistance is required.

Photo: J G Friedman

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