obituaries
J Eighth-generation Mohel
Joel Shoulson Dies at 87
GALL SIGLER | SPECIAL TO THE JE
oel Shoulson, an eighth-genera-
tion mohel and Philadelphia res-
ident, died on June 10. He was 87.

Few children get the opportunity to
accompany their parents on business
trips, but for Shoulson it was normal
to travel around the Northeast with his
father, the mohel Morris Shoulson.

It was during these trips to celebrate brit
milahs across the country that Shoulson
decided to take on the family mantle.

As a teenager, he received surgical
training from Albert Einstein Medical
Center and was certifi ed by the
Philadelphia Board of Rabbis.

At 16, under the supervision of his
father, Shoulson performed his fi rst brit
milah. In subsequent years, Shoulson per-
formed more than 40,000 circumci-
sions, and his services were requested
in almost half of the U.S. states and
Canada. His years as a mohel conferred him
with a deep appreciation to the profes-
sion, its meaning and history.

He wrote on his website that, “Th e
Jewish people have traveled, settled in,
and absorbed more of the fl avors and
cultures of our planet than probably any
other group. Th e Bris ceremony depic-
tions you will fi nd, will certainly refl ect
those travels.”
Shoulson’s family certainly had its
fair share of travels. His father was
born in Jerusalem and ordained as an
Orthodox rabbi. He traveled across the
Atlantic Ocean in 1931 to become the
offi cial mohel of Philadelphia Jewish
Hospital, later renamed the Albert
Einstein Medical Center.

Th roughout his career, Shoulson con-
tinued to collaborate with his father in
the responsibilities of the profession,
and together they trained dozens of
students. For Shoulson, educating the commu-
nity about the brit milah tradition was
central to the job. In a 2013 interview
with the Jewish Exponent, he said that,
“It used to be that the mohel would walk
in, perform the rituals and it was done
without explanation … but I think it
prevents the family from understanding
the bris and appreciating the custom.”
True to his belief in the importance
of education, Shoulson created an infor-
mative website about brit milah and
guest lectured at the Reconstructionist
Rabbinical College.

Lack of transparency about the pro-
cess, Shoulson believed, was an unnec-
essary impediment to the celebration of
tradition. “Th e family got upset because they
thought that the baby was in pain, which
is a natural, psychological reaction. But
we have worked to make brit milah
happy occasions, and I believe that they
are,” Shoulson said in 2013.

During his many years as a mohel,
Shoulson developed rules that helped
him ensure that the brit milah is remem-
bered as a positive experience by friends
and family.

“Th e fi rst thing I do is say that no one
has to stay and watch who doesn’t wish
to do so. It’s not a spectator sport. Th ere
is no photography of the baby during
the procedure. Also, no one has to hold
Kaplan Continued from Page 20
into what he did with a desire to learn
all about it, through books, videos and
lessons, Busner Kaplan said.

“We could never go to sleep at night
because we would think of more funny
things to tell each other,” she said, describ-
ing Kaplan as “the perfect husband.”
Lawrence Kaplan said his father taught
him that he had “an obligation to be
informed.” He described his father as a man of
ideas and a devoted intellectual.

22 JUNE 30, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
Joel Shoulson
Courtesy of the Shoulson family
the baby down and restrain him. Th is
creates a diff erent atmosphere,” he said
in the Exponent interview.

Shoulson loved his profession: “I’m in
one of the most enviable positions any
Jew could be in ... I’m at the center of a
celebration of the birth of a new baby
and I perform the mitzvah of welcom-
ing a new member of the Jewish com-
munity,” he said.

Shoulson’s passion for the Jewish
community was shared with another
love — folk music. In a Facebook post
dedicated to her father, Th ea Shoulson
wrote that “He was a beloved fi xture of
the Jewish and folk music communities
and his memory will always be a bless-
ing in both.”
In 1961, Shoulson helped found the
Philadelphia Folk Festival, an annual
summer event that takes place in Upper
Salford Township. Th e festival celebrates
the work of “superstars and rising stars
alike,” and is organized by Philadelphia
Folksong Society.

Shoulson is survived by his children,
Th ea, Alex and Michael, and a grand-
daughter. JE
Gall Sigler is an intern for the Jewish
Exponent. “I was infl uenced by him, just his love
of literature and philosophy, particu-
larly politics and history,” Lawrence
Kaplan said.

Kaplan dreamed of becoming a writer
when he was young and maintained a
lifelong passion for writing. He shared
that passion with his son, who became a
writer himself.

“He was proud of me,” Lawrence
Kaplan said.

Kaplan is survived by his wife, son and
a granddaughter. He was predeceased by
his fi rst wife, Sandra Bergman Kaplan. JE
hross@midatlanticmedia.com



synagogue spotlight
What’s happening at ... Kesher Israel Congregation
Kesher Israel Reopening,
Reconnecting JARRAD SAFFREN | STAFF WRITER
R abbi Shelley Goldman arrived
at Kesher Israel Congregation
in West Chester in February
2020. One month later, the pandemic
forced the synagogue to become a vir-
tual institution.

So for much of her first two years,
Goldman has led a digital community.

Now, though, she is finally getting to
build a congregation in person.

And her core principle at the formerly
Orthodox, then Conservative and now
unaffiliated synagogue is clear: Bring
together the traditional and cultural con-
tingents of the 220-family congregation.

“It’s a community that has a robust
commitment to religious practice and a
real commitment and love for the cul-
tural practice of Judaism,” the rabbi said.

There is no real divide between those
two groups. They coexist peacefully.

They just have different Jewish priori-
ties and preferences for different types
of activities.

That’s why, coming out of the pan-
demic, Goldman is working on adding
activities that can attract all types of
congregants. Naturally, she is starting
with meals, as nothing brings Jews
together quite like eating.

In March, Goldman and synagogue
officials opened their Pottstown Pike
building for members to come together
and break bread again. Since then,
they’ve enjoyed meals during religious
school, oneg Shabbats and lunch and
learns with the rabbi, among other
dining events.

“Our first strategy is having a theme
of face-to-face,” Goldman said.

They plan on continuing that theme.

Rachel Mussaf, the congregation’s edu-
cation director, wants to broaden the
idea of what adult education looks like.

Kesher Israel has added a book club
and a human sexuality class. In the
fall, Goldman will teach a class about
exploring “hot topics” through a Jewish
lens. Such topics might include environ-
mentalism and gender identity. Sessions
may focus on exploring Jewish topics,
Rabbi Shelley Goldman talks to a KI
student. Courtesy of Rachel Mussaf
Kesher Israel congregants at an outdoor event
like Kashrut, through a modern lens.

Also in the fall, the synagogue will
revamp its Hebrew high school into
a collaboration with other Chester
County synagogues. It will include field
trips, community service programs
and social activities.

“It’s excellent,” Goldman said of the
temple’s program expansion so far.

“I never wanted to work primarily
online.” Congregants actually started coming
back together a year ago when services
and school became hybrid. But now,
they are transitioning back to what
feels more like an in-person institu-
tion, instead of a hybrid or virtual one,
according to Goldman.

While specific in-person programs
enhance that feeling, it’s really about
being together again, sans masks and
other restrictions. Mussaf, who started
in her position three years ago, noticed
a new energy in the Hebrew school this
past year.

Kids were together in the same
room, smiling and laughing. They
were not dreading being in school,
either. They wanted to be there with
their friends.

“It really brought tears to my eyes,”
she said.

As Kesher Israel returns to in-person
life, its foundation remains strong.

Its membership of 200-plus families
has held steady through the remote
pandemic years. Its religious school
student body fell to 42 during that
period but grew back up to 65 last sum-
mer. The temple coordinates between
eight and 12 bar and bat mitzvahs per
year, according to Mussaf.

Yet perhaps no aspect of synagogue life
reflects Kesher Israel’s strong foundation
more than its commitment to tradition
at Shabbat services. Those services on
Friday nights and Saturday mornings are
long; they include a lot of Hebrew and a
full reading of the seven aliyot.

At the same time, even before the
pandemic, congregants were com-
mitted to moving away from tradi-
tion where appropriate, according to
Goldman. KI of West Chester left the
United Synagogue of Conservative
Judaism, the North American organi-
zation for Conservative synagogues, in
2015, then embraced musical instru-
ments on Shabbat and intermarriage.

Today, it still tries to take a pro-
Courtesy of Rachel Mussaf
gressive approach where appropriate,
according to the rabbi. The temple’s
annual Shabbat service under the sum-
mer sky event in June turned into a
celebration of Pride Month this year.

Goldman, who is gay herself, read
quotes from famous LGBTQ+ people
between prayers to introduce each new
prayer. “Glimpses from people who are
speaking about their identities and
making the world a better place,” she
said. Goldman sees this balance between
tradition and progress as the future
of Kesher Israel. She also believes that
it’s a future people will believe in, and
Mussaf agrees.

Both women expect Kesher Israel’s
congregation to grow in the coming
years. Mussaf thinks “people want commu-
nity more than ever now.”
“They are looking for that in syna-
gogue walls,” she added.

“I think that we’re working on stabi-
lizing and then hopefully growing,” the
rabbi said. JE
jsaffren@midatlanticmedia.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
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