Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel (Philadelphia)
| Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel | |
|---|---|
Keneseth Israel synagogue entrance | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership | Rabbi Benjamin P. David |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 8339 Old York Road, Elkins Park, Greater Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19027 |
| Country | United States |
Location just outside the city limits of Philadelphia | |
| Coordinates | 40°05′09″N 75°07′38″W / 40.0859°N 75.1273°W |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Synagogue |
| Established | 1847 (as a congregation) |
| Completed |
|
| Website | |
| kenesethisrael | |
Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel (KI) is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.
The congregation was founded in Philadelphia in 1847 and is recognized as the sixth-oldest Reform congregation in the country. By 1900, it had become one of the largest Reform congregations in the United States.
The synagogue occupied several locations in Philadelphia before constructing a building on North Broad Street in 1891. In 1956, the congregation relocated to its current site in Elkins Park.
Since appointing its first rabbi in 1861, the congregation has been led by eight rabbis, including David Einhorn, Joseph Krauskopf, Bertram Korn, and Simeon Maslin, who served as president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis from 1995 to 1997. The current senior rabbi is Lance J. Sussman.
Notable members of the congregation have included Arlin Adams, Edward R. Becker, Jan E. DuBois, Horace Stern, members of the Gimbel family, Lessing J. Rosenwald, William S. Paley, Simon Guggenheim, and Walter Annenberg. Albert Einstein accepted honorary membership in 1934.