Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on February 28, 2020

Rabbi Elisha Friedman stands in front of the future home of Kesher Israel Congregation in Riverside.

Last year, the Susquehanna United Methodist Conference closed many of its churches, and now one has been bought by another religious organization.

Kesher Israel, an Orthodox Jewish congregation in Uptown Harrisburg, is moving from its home of 72 years to the former Riverside United Methodist Church on the 3000-block of N. 3rd Street.

Its really exciting, Kesher Israels Rabbi Elisha Friedman said. People feel like weve got the perfect building.

Friedman explained that theyre moving because members felt the old synagogue on the 2500-block of N. 3rd Street was not located centrally enough for their community.

Most families live anywhere from one-half to two miles away from Kesher Israel, he said. That may not seem far, but for a congregation whose observation of Shabbat, the Sabbath day, restricts driving on a Saturday, it entails a lot of walking to and from services and prayers.

Walking a mile with two or three little kids on a Saturday can be really difficult, Friedman explained.

Kesher Israel was interested in the location of the church building for a while, but the sale and consolidation of the Methodist Churches in Harrisburg allowed them to begin negotiations. The synagogue purchased the church building last month for $176,000.

The new building is significantly smaller than the current synagogue, so Friedman believes the congregation will save money in the long run. However, with a congregation of about 125 families and individuals, some members are concerned about the size and have proposed an addition.

Other renovations may include work on heating and air conditioning, electricity and bathrooms.

And what about their current building?

Friedman explained they have received offers for it, but have not yet decided when to sell. He is also not certain when the congregation will move into the new building, but hopes to at least transition Friday evening and Saturday afternoon services to the space soon.

The new building will place Kesher Israel in close proximity to another synagogue, Chisuk Emuna, which is just next door.

One of the nice things is we are going to be close to this conservative synagogue, Friedman said. We are hoping that the relationship will develop a little more.

Kesher Israel also is working heavily to market their congregation and the Jewish community generally in Harrisburg. Friedman believes the community they built in Harrisburg is unique.

We are really trying to grow our community, he said. We are the only legit small town in the U.S. where you can live a full Jewish life. Our hope is that this move is going to contribute to that.

Kesher Israel is located at 2500 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg, and is moving to 3200 N. 3rd St. For more information, visit https://www.kesherisrael.org/.

Read this article:

New home planned for Kesher Israel, as congregation purchases former Riverside Methodist church - The Burg News

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