H eadlines
Building’s History Reveals Cultural Change
in a building on 74th
and Ogontz.

“It was a dreadful
JESSE BERNSTEIN | JE STAFF
building,” she said,
IN AN INCREASINGLY shuddering at the mem-
divided country, it can be dif- ory of the basement
ficult to imagine sites of unity classrooms. The build-
and tolerance for differing iden- ing in West Oak Lane
tity groups. But the building at worked well, though.

the corner of Limekiln Pike and From 1947 to 1977,
Washington Lane is, in some Temple Sinai was home
ways, a brick-and-mortar repre- to hundreds of fami-
sentation of what some disparate lies. In the early days,
Flossie Albert at her wedding to Bernard Albert, back
Masjidullah in its present form
Photo provided
groups have in common rather Bar Mitzvahs were
when the building was Temple Sinai
doubled and tripled up
than what sets them apart.

The West Oak Lane struc- on Shabbat, and Rabbi
In 1977, the congregation felt the enormity of the building of Joseph (Yusuf, in the Quran)
ture was first built by Jews in Sidney Greenberg, who would
become a
world-famous rabbi
relocated to its current location they were inheriting. He likened takes place in Chapter 12.

1947 for a congregation called
in his
own right,
was a
massive in
Dresher, and before long, the them to Joshua taking over lead-
Temple Sinai. Flossie Albert,
The most important 12 in
draw on
Friday evenings
and original
building had a new ership of the Israelites after Moses’ his life, however, is 7401 (7+4+1)
who broke ground on the
tenant: the West Oak Lane death, looking out over Canaan: Limekiln Pike, the adress of
complex’s school at the time, Saturday mornings.

“Sidney drew a mob. A Church of God.

recalled that the congregation
“How can we possess something the onetime-synagogue, one-
had been meeting for a few mob!” Albert remembered. The
Pastor Horace Sheppard, so large?” But they found a way, time-church that is now the
years at an American Legion synagogue was the center of whose pastor father led the church building a community of hun- home of Masjidullah, Inc.

before they tried a brief stint social life for its members.

back then, said the congregation dreds that stayed in the build-
“These were signs from God
ing until 2013 — enough time for that we were on the right path,”
Sheppard to leave, come back and Shabazz said.

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take his father’s place at the pulpit.

Until he found this build-
“Temple Sinai was just a ing, the congregation of hun-
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great building,” he said.

dreds had been packed into
Mezzuzahs from the pre- spaces far too small for its
vious residents remained on increasing growth. After a few
some of the doorposts, and near successes in the preced-
more than a few former Temple ing years, a large fundraiser
Sinai congregants came back in 2013 put the congregation
to pay their respects over the in the position to buy the
years, occasionally sitting in on Church of God, transforming
it into Masjidullah (“House of
Sunday services.

When it came time to sell God,” in Arabic). It was a sale
the building, there was interest that Sheppard was more than
from Imam Mikal Shabazz of happy to make.

“It still could be an example
the Masjidullah mosque.

of at
least, at the very least, a cer-
“Oh boy,” Shabazz laughed.

tain level
of tolerance and a cer-
“We had been looking for a
long time” — since at least tain level of respect for people,”
1990, he recalled. But this he said, to sell the building to a
building was the winner, in group of a different faith.

part because of Shabazz’s affin-
And now, the Masjidullah
ity for the number 12.

community has a space to
PA State Licensed / All caregivers are bonded and insured.

Ph i ladelph ia
a nd hold interfaith forums, prayer,
Pennsylvania, he explained, musicals, banquets and more.

both have
12 letters. “It’s like a dream come true,”
Philadelphia is 39 feet above Shabazz said.

sea level — 3+9 — and is situ-
“Independent of our labels
ated at 39 degrees latitude, 75 and our nationalities,” he said,
longitude. Masjidullah’s origin “we are all one.” l
story, he added, is similar to
that of Joseph, the favorite son jbernstein@jewishexponent.com;
of 12. Not only that, the story 215-832-0740
L O CAL
Helping to care for
the people you love.

6 FEBRUARY 14, 2019
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