Home > About Us > History

The Realization of a Dream. . .

It all began in 1946. The Jewish population on Philadelphia's Main Line was growing, but the number of synagogues was not. Twenty intrepid men and women decided to do something about that. Committed to establishing a new Jewish house of worship, they turned a modest six-room house in Haverford into the first Temple Adath Israel. Its religious school boasted an initial enrollment of six students!

By 1949, with membership now exceeding 400 families, there were sufficient resources to purchase an estate at Montgomery and Wynnewood Roads. However, it soon became apparent that even this new facility was also inadequate for the needs of the growing congregation. President George Friedland and other synagogue leaders determined that the time had come to create a permanent home for Adath Israel.

In 1953, seven acres were purchased at Old Lancaster Road and Highland Avenue in Merion and ground was broken for the new building. Founder and former Prime Minister of Israel Abba Eban was an honored guest at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Within just a year, a new 900-seat Sanctuary and 23-classroom educational building had been completed and for the first time we were able to hold High Holy Day services in a home of our own. In 1958, the final stage of the creation of our new home was begun. World renowned architects Petro Belluschi and Charles Frederick Wise created a sanctuary in the shape of a 12-sided tent designed to remind us of the first sanctuary in Sinai as well as the 12 Tribes of Israel. The decorative screen behind the bimah is designed to evoke the Wilderness through which the people of Israel journeyed en route to the Land of Israel, with the ner tamid in a randomly selected location, reminding us of God's presence in all places. Its distinctive design blends unique architectural features with reminders of our heritage, particularly evident as the Shabbat morning sun streams through the stained glass windows surrounding the Sanctuary. The synagogue was completed at last and officially dedicated in 1959. We were home.

We Continue to Grow
In 2003, Adath Israel added the Skaroff Multimedia Education Center and additional classroom space on the third floor. We continue to grow and now are home to over 550 families.