Congregation Beth El (Voorhees, New Jersey)

For similarly named synagogues, see Beth-El.

Congregation Beth El
Formation1921
Founded atParkside, Camden, New Jersey
Headquarters8000 Main Street
Location
Coordinates39°52′03″N 74°56′44″W / 39.867637°N 74.945447°W / 39.867637; -74.945447
Membership800 families (2023)
Senior Rabbi
David Englander
Cantor
Alisa Pomerantz-Boro
Associate Rabbi
Sam Hollander
Rabbi Emeritus
Aaron Krupnick
Jason Whitney (President)
Publication
Beth El Newsletter
AffiliationsConservative Judaism
Websitebethelsnj.org

Congregation Beth El is a Conservative synagogue located in Voorhees, Camden County, New Jersey, in the United States. The synagogue was founded in 1921 in Camden, New Jersey; moved to Cherry Hill, New Jersey in 1968; and to its current location in 2009. The congregation counted 800 member families in 2023.[1]

History

Congregation Beth El was founded in 1921, in Parkside, Camden, at Park Boulevard and Belleview, opposite Farnham Park.[2][3][4] Beth El was formally opened on October 2, 1921 with the first night of Rosh Hashanah. Services were led and the sermon delivered by Rabbi Solomon Grayzel[5] who was contracted for the year while he completed his Phd at Dropsie College across the river in Philadelphia. It was Camden's first conservative synagogue.[4]

The congregation had an annual Chanukah Ball beginning in 1922, a religious school beginning two years later, a Hebrew Free Loan Society, a Hebrew ladies charity society, and in the 1930s hosted sorority and fraternity meetings on Tuesday nights.[3]

Its synagogue building was demolished in 2000, and a Boys and Girls Club was built in its location.[2]

Harry B. Kellman served as rabbi of Beth El from 1947 until 1969. He was succeeded by Rabbi Harold Kahn.[6]

Beth El relocated in 1968 to 2901 W Chapel Avenue in suburban Cherry Hill.[2][4] The congregation had grown to 625 member families, most of whom had migrated east from Camden to Cherry Hill. Beth El raised more than $1.1 million and retained Harold A. Wagoner and Associates as architects. The new building's sanctuary sat 1,000, which could be expanded to seat 3,000 for high holidays and rose to 75-feet high above street level. Classrooms were built for the religious school which numbered 600 students as well as a chapel seating 90 for weekday services. The auditorium could accommodate up to 600 guests for events. The final building cost would exceed $2 million.[7] William Zorach's sculpture "Memorial to 6,000,000 Jews" (1949) was relocated to the new building.[8]

Congregation Beth El's Rabbi Harry Kellman recruited Rabbi Isaac Furman to run Congregation Beth El's religious school in 1958. During his first year at Beth El, Rabbi Furman started the Beth El Academy Jewish Day School, motivated by the need for a Jewish day school for his own children.[9] The school moved with Beth El to Cherry Hill in 1968 and was renamed the Harry B. Kellman Academy when Rabbi Kellman retired in 1969.[10] The school became independent of Congregation Beth El in 2001. Ahead of Beth El's move to its current location, Kellman Academy moved to it own campus in Voorhees in 2008.[11]

For years a more traditional synagogue affiliated with Conservative Judaism, Beth El elected to conduct egalitarian services and include women's participation in 1996.[12]

In 2009, Beth El sold its Chapel Avenue property to a 2,500-member Christian congregation based in Philadelphia. On April 5, 2009, members of Beth El walked 6½ miles transporting 10 Torahs to the new synagogue in neighboring Voorhees, within the Main Street Complex.[13] With the sale of the Chapel Avenue property, assessed at $9.9 million, the Voorhees campus consists of a 1,200-seat sanctuary, 500-person social hall, coffee bar and administrative offices. The remainder was raised through congregant donations.[14]

Congregation Beth El Today

The Beth El synagogue includes the Early Childcare Center preschool as well as a Religious school for elementary school age children, and hosts several groups, including Sisterhood, Men's Club, Young Families, Habonim (Empty Nesters), Youth Department (Youth groups), Kavod (LGBTQ Adults and Allies), Achim Sheli: My Brothers and Sisters (celebrating ethnic and cultural diversity), and Chevra: Creating Connections for Adults.[15] The synagogue provides religious education for youth and adults.[16]

As of 2026, the synagogue is led by Senior Rabbi David Englander, Alisa Pomerantz-Boro who has served as Hazzan since 2004, and Associate Rabbi Sam Hollander who joined the synagogue in 2025.[17] Rabbi Aaron Krupnick first came to Beth El as Associate Rabbi in 1994, was named senior rabbi in 2000, and has served the congregation as Rabbi Emeritus in 2022.[18]

The synagogue's Voorhees building sanctuary seats 1,200, and its social hall accommodates 450 tabled guests.[19]

References

  1. ^ Saffran, Jarrad (August 16, 2023). "Rabbi David Englander Establishes Himself at Congregation Beth El in NJ". Jewish Exponent. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Mid-Atlantic Media. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c Preisler, Julian H. (2009). Historic Synagogues of Philadelphia & the Delaware Valley. ISBN 9781596295728. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  3. ^ a b Gillette, Howard Jr. (9 August 2006). Camden After the Fall: Decline and Renewal in a Post-Industrial City. ISBN 0812219686. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  4. ^ a b c Vernon, Leonard F.; Meyers, Allen (2007). Jewish South Jersey. ISBN 9780738550022. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  5. ^ "Jewish Synagogue Opened at Camden; Rosh Hoshana and Yom Kippur Services Conducted by Rabbi Solomon Gravzel". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. October 3, 1921. p. 6.
  6. ^ Hagenmayer, S. Joseph (June 25, 1996). "Rabbi Harry B. Kellman, 89". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. R2.
  7. ^ ""Noah's Ark' Temple Rises in Cherry Hill". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. June 25, 1967. p. 53.
  8. ^ Arms Bzdak, Meredith; Petersen, Douglas (1999). Public sculpture in New Jersey: monuments to collective identity. ISBN 9780813527000. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  9. ^ Brenowitz, Stephanie (March 8, 1998). "Pioneer at Jewish day school stepping down after 38 year". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. GL4.
  10. ^ Portnoe, David (July 15, 2020). "Community mourns passing of beloved Rabbi Isaac Furman". jewishvoicesnj.org. Cherry Hill, New Jersey: Jewish Federation of South New Jersey. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
  11. ^ Kessler, Harriet (September 24, 2008). "New building, new name; Kellman Brown Academy to open Oct. 16 in Voorhees". jewishvoicesnj.org. Cherry Hill, New Jersey: Jewish Federation of South New Jersey. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  12. ^ Brenowitz, Stephanie (November 23, 1997). "Modern Orthodox synagogue bucks a trend". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. GL4.
  13. ^ Henry, Cynthia (April 6, 2009). "A moving day For synagogue, a new home". Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  14. ^ Henry, Cynthia (January 24, 2009). "Church to buy Beth El property The synagogue will leave Chapel Avenue. It will sell the site to a charismatic Christian congregation". Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  15. ^ "Welcome Message - Welcome to Congregation Beth El". 2017-08-21. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  16. ^ "Religious School Welcome - Welcome to Congregation Beth El". 2017-08-03. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  17. ^ "Beth El to install Rabbi Hollander with a 'Dueling Pianos Celebration'". jewishvoicesnj.org. Jewish Federation of South New Jersey. November 12, 2025. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  18. ^ "Clergy - Welcome to Congregation Beth El". August 3, 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  19. ^ "Congregation Beth El". eventective.com. Eventective. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
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