The Sanctuary is the heart and soul of Har Zion; it reflects the core values of our community. The envisioned improvements will preserve and enhance the beauty and grandeur of this most sacred space, while increasing its functionality and accessibility for ourselves, Jewish organizations, and the community at large. We will add a lower, hydraulic bimah that can extend into the congregation and retract into the floor. This reimagined bimah configuration allows enhanced warmth and intimacy as we can face one another during times of prayer, celebration, joy, and sorrow. Sacred moments and experiences will be placed at the very center of the gathered community. The renovations will offer more natural light, flexible seating, and greater accessibility to the bimah; they will celebrate the majesty of our beautiful Ark and exquisite stained-glass windows.

The Chapel is filled everyday with the voices of our community – in prayer, conversation, and learning. It hosts a variety of offerings for all generations and constituent groups. The improvements will allow for more natural light and an accessible, flexible layout and bimah. This new configuration will enhance the Chapel as a vibrant ritual and educational hub for our synagogue.

The Den, a reimagined space just off the Kramer Entrance to the synagogue, will be a comfortable lounge and work area for both casual social gatherings and learning. It should be a great space to read a book; discuss current events; to watch the Birds, Phils, Sixers, and Flyers; enjoy an espresso; and to reconnect with members and friends.

The Kitchen is already a favorite space for volunteers and caterers to prepare meals for Shabbat, holidays, and celebrations. The proposed renovations will add an entirely new dimension of social and educational opportunities. The Kitchen will be an excellent catering space, and it will be a warm and engaging space for us to gather. The transformation of the kitchen relies on a programmatic investment as well as a capital investment. Some of the highlights of the reimagined kitchen will include significant audiovisual upgrades for teaching purposes, capabilities for livestreaming and recording, and additional supplies to facilitate experiential participation.

Gesher is the “bridge” between religious school education and b’nei mitzvah preparation for our students and their families.

The significance of students becoming b’nei mitzvah comes from the understanding that they are powerful, trustworthy, and responsible Jewish adults. Har Zion affirms that these young teenagers have wisdom and talents that are needed to add beauty and holiness to the world; we celebrate the b’nei mitzvah journey as a transformational experience for students, their families, and the community.

The Gesher experience begins in 4th grade with a family Parsha Party and culminates after 7th grade, when Gesher students gather on the bimah and sound their own Shofar as the sun sets on Yom Kippur. Through unique, enriching experiences like these, Har Zion invests significant resources to enhance students’ knowledge and mastery of the material and build meaningful friendships and connections among their peers, their families, and their clergy.

The success of Gesher encourages us to expand the offerings and bring families closer together. These offerings include parent/family education, travel to Israel, Gesher Shabbat and holiday experiences, and incentivized opportunities to chant Torah and lead the congregation in prayer.

The community cultivated through Gesher will inspire and prepare families and their teenagers to take advantage of the opportunities to further Jewish growth and connection through “The Link.”

Teenagers are the future of the Jewish community. To support their well-being and foster their Jewish identity and sense of belonging, we must provide opportunities for meaningful connection with Jewish peers. Current programming for teens at Har Zion includes participation in Lower Merion Area Hebrew High School (LMAHH) and our celebrated teaching certificate program, which run through senior year. Teens and parents have expressed a desire for additional pathways to Jewish connection.

“The Link” is a newly imagined program designed to serve and invigorate our teen involvement. The purpose is to link our teens, educationally and socially, between the culmination of Gesher and when they head off to college or their next adventure. When teens gather in their space, supervised by a dedicated professional, we will create opportunities for them to discuss experiences and Jewish values around relationships, college, antisemitism, and community service. This engagement can occur on Har Zion’s campus or around the greater Philadelphia area in collaboration with partnership organizations. The relationships formed through these teenage years will help form a support network for these students as they navigate the blessings and challenges of life at college.

So much time together is spent in our home kitchens: cooking, sharing, eating, laughing, consoling, and storytelling. The kitchen is a sacred space in our homes; it can and should be one in our spiritual home as well. The Teaching Kitchen will be one of the most active spaces in the synagogue. It will be a center for building community through both peer-based and intergenerational gatherings. We anticipate it being regularly enjoyed by Men’s Club, Sisterhood, teens in The Link, Gesher students, families, young adults, and empty nesters.

We will hire a professional to coordinate and supervise all related activities in the Teaching Kitchen. We envision a wide range of offerings including cooking and eating for health and wellness, holiday celebrations, and text study around food. We will share our food and our hearts through community service, and we will also entertain through cooking competitions, kids cooking seminars, food expos, and chef demonstrations and tastings. There will be a full menu of exciting options— from soup to nuts, as it were.

Har Zion continues to be a fount of leadership for the greater Philadelphia Jewish community, as well as for the State of Israel. We understand that the changing demands of the 21st century require American Jewry to evolve in vision, resources, and skills.

The Leadership Development initiative will create and support a continuous pipeline of enthusiastic, skilled, and connected leaders for our community. Each cohort of Fellows, selected for their passion, commitment, and leadership potential, will participate in monthly roundtables with respected leaders and educators in the Jewish community. Fellows will benefit from relationships with mentors from the Har Zion community and expert coaching sessions on Jewish communal and nonprofit leadership. The learning and support continue after the completion of the program with opportunities for networking, guidance, and growth.

Leadership development is a direct and crucial investment in our future. We will cultivate a community of emerging leaders and ensure Har Zion’s strength for decades to come.

Har Zion is fortunate to have an Endowment set up through the generosity of donors over the last century. Their gifts have ensured that Har Zion serves the community, above and beyond what current revenue could afford. It is our turn to add to that Endowment, so we can continue everything we have come to love about Har Zion now and into the future.

A commitment to the Har Zion Endowment will provide earnings that will help to offset anticipated annual operating expenses, keep Har Zion affordable, and provide resources for unanticipated future capital and programmatic needs as they arise.

Every commitment to our Endowment makes us stronger.