Temple Emanuel (Cherry Hill, New Jersey)

Temple Emanuel is a Reform Jewish congregation located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. It was founded in 1950 on the western side of Cherry Hill, and moved in 1992 to Cherry Hill's east side. Its first rabbi was Herbert M. Yarrish, who served from 1956 to 1975. As of 2018, the senior rabbi is Jerome P. David, the assistant rabbi is Gidon B. Isaacs and the cantor is Neil Schnitzer.[2]

For similarly named synagogues, see Emanu-El.
Temple Emanuel
Religion
AffiliationReform Judaism
LeadershipSenior Rabbi: Jerome P. David
Assistant Rabbi: Gidon B. Isaacs Cantor: Neil Schnitzer
StatusActive
Location
Location1101 Springdale Road,
Cherry Hill, New Jersey, U.S.
Geographic coordinates39.8802°N 74.9694°W / 39.8802; -74.9694
Architecture
Completed1992[1]
Website
templeemanuel.org

History

Temple Emanuel was established in 1950 as Cherry Hill, New Jersey's first Reform Jewish congregation. They hired their first full-time rabbi, Herbert M. Yarrish, in 1956. Yarrish was a graduate of Harvard University, who had received a master's degree in Hebrew letters from Hebrew Union College in 1949.[3]

The members initially met in a variety of locations.[3] In 1959, when membership reached approximately 300, the congregation broke ground on its first permanent synagogue building in Delaware Township, on Cherry Hill's west side.[3][4] Jerome P. David joined as assistant rabbi in 1974.[1]

Yarrish retired in 1975; following his retirement he worked as a stockbroker.[3] He was succeeded as senior rabbi by Edwin N. Soslow, a role he filled until his death in 1987. Soslow was succeeded as senior rabbi by Jerome P. David.[1] The congregation moved to its current building in east Cherry Hill in 1992.[1][5]

In 2005, Temple Emanuel broke the world record for dreidel spinning, with 541 dreidels spun simultaneously for at least ten seconds. There were 578 participants, succeeding the previous record of 535 people by the University of Maryland Hillel in 1999. In 2010, members of Yeshiva University broke Temple Emanuel's record, by spinning a total of 618 dreidels.[6]

Current building

The congregation acquired 9 acres (3.6 ha) of land on the east side of Cherry Hill (at the intersection of Springdale and Kresson Roads) in 1989, and began construction of a new synagogue building there.[1] In 1992, the congregation moved to the new facilities, across from the Katz Jewish Community Center (which later opened in 1997).[1][5] The facilities include a social hall (used for special occasions such as weddings, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, and conferences), an industrial kitchen, an outdoor atrium (also used for Sukkot), a spacious lobby, chapel, sanctuary, library, preschool and Hebrew school complexes.

References
  1. "Our History", Temple Emanuel website. Accessed June 19, 2011.
  2. "Our Clergy", Temple Emanuel website. Accessed January 1, 2018.
  3. Downey, Sally A (September 19, 2007). "Herbert Yarrish, 87, rabbi and stockbroker", The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  4. Cammarota, Ann Marie T (2001). Pavements in the Garden: The Suburbanization of Southern New Jersey. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. p. 248. ISBN 978-0-8386-3881-1
  5. Preisler, Julian H (2008). Historic Synagogues of Philadelphia & the Delaware Valley. The History Press. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-59629-572-8
  6. See:
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