Philadelphia Jewish History Tours

26/12/2024

Thank you Old Images of Philadelphia for this second night of Hanukkah post. And celebrity shout out, this little girl is Josh Shapiro’s aunt!

Hanukkah candles are lighted by Murray Savar and Marcelle Shapiro at the West Oak Lane Jewish Community Center, Sedgwick Street and Thouron Avenue.

22/12/2024

Thank you once again Old Images of Philadelphia for the Happy Hanukkah shout out to the Jewish community! I love that this picture features one of our favorite rabbis and synagogues, and according to one comment, one of our favorite cantors too. Temple Sinai, Rabbi Greenberg, Cantor Chaitovsky.

Hanukkah candles are lighted by Rabbi Sidney Greenberg (right) on the lawn of Temple Sinai, Washington Lane and Limekiln Pike in 1954.

Members of the junior choir chant holiday tunes.

04/12/2024

This picture came up on my Facebook Memories today. Pictured is the inside of the historic Vilna Congregation on Pine Street. What is particularly remarkable is that this interior no longer exists, as it has been repurposed to be the Center City Mikvah.

02/12/2024

We had a wonderful tour of the Jewish Quarter of Philadelphia with the Temple Beth Hillel Beth El sisterhood from Wynnewood, PA! I'm taking spring dates now- contact us for availability.

27/11/2024

Thank you Old Images of Philadelphia for posting about one of the most significant 20th century rabbis in Philadelphia.

Rabbi Aaron Landes was a prominent figure in the Conservative movement and served as a rear admiral in the United States Naval Reserve. For 36 years, he was the rabbi at Beth Sholom Congregation in Elkins Park, PA, and played a key role in establishing several Jewish educational and charitable organizations in the Philadelphia area.

In addition to his work as a religious leader, Rabbi Landes was a devoted military chaplain. He served as Director of Navy Reserve Chaplains and became the highest-ranking Jewish chaplain in the Navy. He also contributed significantly to the creation of Jewish chapels at the United States Naval Academy and the Naval Base in Norfolk, VA.

Rabbi Landes’ life was marked by his unwavering dedication to both his faith and his country. His leadership left a lasting impact on the Jewish community and the military, inspiring countless others into service. Rabbi Landes passed away in 2014.

07/10/2024

I was honored to give a lecture yesterday for the Philadelphia Jewish Genealogy and Archival Society about Jewish public art in Philadelphia with my co-presenter Jerry Stuart Silverman. One of the buildings I discussed was the Frank Synagogue, built in 1901 on the grounds of what was then The Jewish Hospital, today's Einstein Medical Center at Broad Street and Tabor Road. Today I found a video with some detail about the Frank Synagogue at minute 5:45. And though I had forgotten, I was acknowledged in the credits!

In this Moviehouse Production, we present four short stories:- A remembrance of Central High School’s class of 1905’s twenty-fifth reunion. The men of Centr...

02/10/2024

Thank you again Old Images of Philadelphia for honoring our historic Jewish community of Philadelphia. We wish our followers and friends LeShanah Tovah!

Eleven-year-old Kenneth Osokow (left) blows the shofar, or ram's horn, to herald the beginning of Rosh Hashanah at the Downtown Jewish Orphans Home, 9th and Shunk Streets.

Morris Adelman (center), chairman of the home's religious committee, reads a prayer book. Stephen Lickman, age 14, holds the Torah.

Temple University Libraries, Special Collections Research Center

16/09/2024

A couple of weeks ago we posted the recently restored memorial plaques from B'nai Moshe in South Philadelphia, which have found a new home in The Little Shul. Here is a picture of the former (and now demolished) B'nai Moshe from S. 5th Street. Let us also remember that in the 1910s and 20s South Philadelphia had more Jews than Italian-Americans. Basically from 2nd-8th Street and Spruce Street all the way to Oregon Avenue.

22/08/2024

Today we had another tour for the International Jewish Genealogy conference. This one was North Broad Street. We walked from Rodeph Shalom to the former Congregation Mikveh Israel - Synagogue of the American Revolution with many sites of Jewish historical interest along the way.

19/08/2024

Today was the first tour in a series as part of the 44th International Conference on Jewish Genealogy held this week in Philadelphia. We saw the Jewish Quarter, ending with a serendipitous meet up with a lovely woman, Sarah, pictured with guide Michael below. Sarah's father is Jewish genealogy royalty, Harry Boonin, author of The Jewish Quarter of Philadelphia, founder of the local genealogical society chapter, and all around impressive historian.

15/08/2024

https://www.inquirer.com/food/restaurants/kosher-deli-lipkins-overbrook-park-philadelphia-20240809.html It's about time! Yasher Koach to the new owners of the new Lipkins Bakery- once a staple of Castor Avenue. I am so looking forward to checking this out and enjoying a corned beef special in an actual kosher deli restaurant in Philadelphia!

There are Jewish delis all over — kosher delis, less so. The newly expanded Lipkin's Deli & Bakery is now one of the only sit-down kosher delis in the region.

19/07/2024

Thank you Old Images of Philadelphia for this nice reminder of Governor Shapiro's lifelong commitment to our Jewish community.

13-year-old and future Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro (left) and longtime pen pal Avi Goldstein, an emigre from the Soviet Union, blessed by Rabbi Aaron Landes at the Beth Sholom synagogue in Elkins Park during Josh Shapiro's bar mitzvah ceremony.

As a teenager, Josh Shapiro formed a national group, 'Children for Avi,' galvanizing kids across the United States to write letters on behalf of Russian refuseniks. Shapiro recalled writing letters to a refusenik named Avi Goldstein, who lived in Tbilisi. The Goldsteins, a family of scientists, had been trying to leave the Soviet Union for 14 years without success. With the help of Senator Ted Kennedy, Soviet authorities finally relented and allowed the family to leave the country.

Rabbi Landes told the congregation that Josh carried himself with a unique dignity that was reflective of a young man with a purpose and a goal. Shapiro replied his work was not done and worried about the thousands of other Jewish children enslaved in the Soviet Union.

10/07/2024

A number of years ago my very dear friends Mordechai and Mati Rosenstein took me through Mordechai's old neighborhood Strawberry Mansion, where he grew up in the 1930s and 40s. At that time it was one of Philadelphia's most significant Jewish neighborhoods. In memory of my friend whom we lost this week, here is the tour video that I took that day. May Mordechai's memory be for a blessing.

05/07/2024

Some unique South Philly Jewish history. Thank you Old Images of Philadelphia!

The Philadelphia Sphas, a basketball team that existed from 1917 to 1959, had a rich Jewish heritage. The team was founded by Eddie Gottlieb, a Jewish immigrant's son, along with his friends Harry Passon and Hughie Black, all of whom were Jewish and from South Philadelphia. The team's name, SPHAS, is an acronym for South Philadelphia Hebrew Association, which initially sponsored the team.

The Sphas' Jewish identity was a source of pride, and they were often referred to as the "Jewish team." Many of their players, including Gottlieb, were Jewish, and they drew support from the local Jewish community. The team played at the Broadwood Hotel, which was a popular gathering spot for the Jewish community. After games, fans would often stay for dances and social events.

The Sphas' legacy continues to be celebrated by the Jewish community in Philadelphia and beyond. They are remembered as a source of pride and a symbol of Jewish excellence in sports. The team's Jewish roots are a significant part of their history and a testament to the important role that sports can play in shaping community and identity.

02/07/2024

The YMHA Building on Broad Street- most recently part of the University of the Arts. What will be its next chapter? Thank you Old Images of Philadelphia.

The Gershman Y in Philadelphia is a cultural institution with a rich history dating back to 1875. Established initially as the Philadelphia Young Men's Hebrew Association, its history is deeply intertwined with the cultural fabric of Jewish Philadelphia, from Torah dedications and Israeli folk dancing, Isaac Bashevis Singer to Leonard Nimoy, Latkepalooza and Moo Shu Jew to "many a hilarious schvitz in the men's exec locker room," as writer Stephen Fried put it. Sadly, the Greshman Y vacated the building in 2018, leaving a void in Jewish Philadelphia.

Today, the building is home to the Gershman Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival (GPJFF), which showcases diverse films exploring Jewish culture, legacy, values, and experiences worldwide. Through the power of cinema, the festival celebrates Jewish heritage and inspires cross-cultural understanding.