synagogue spotlight
What’s happening at ... Congregations of Shaare Shamayim
Congregations of Shaare Shamayim
Welcomes New Rabbi Sandra Berliner
JARRAD SAFFREN | STAFF WRITER
I n the history section on its web-
site, the Congregations of Shaare
Shamayim describe its community
as “a place that accepts all comers.” And
it’s hard to argue with that description.

Th e synagogue, located on Verree
Road in Northeast Philadelphia, is
actually 15 synagogues combined into
one. In 1966, the Greater Northeast
Jewish Congregation merged with
Congregation Shaare Shamayim of
South Philadelphia. Th en, in 1989,
it did the same with Congregation
Beth Judah. Finally, throughout the
1990s, 2000s and 2010s, many more
synagogues joined the community in
Northeast Philly.

Aft er completing the process in 2017,
temple leaders chose the updated name
“to be assured of never forgetting our
long history,” reads the history section.

Today that history, as well as the 400
families who keep it alive, are in the
hands of a new rabbi: Sandra Berliner,
a 67-year-old resident of Cheltenham
Township. The Congregations of Shaare
Shamayim welcomed Berliner to
its community on Aug. 15. But she
really started almost a year earlier.

Last fall, following the retirement of
Rabbi Reuben Israel Abraham, Berliner
stepped in to lead the congregation.

And then she just stayed ... until temple
leaders formalized the arrangement.

“Th ere was a wonderful chemistry
as she walked through and spoke to
people and got to know people,” syna-
gogue President Fran Gabriel said. “She
listened.” Berliner said she “clicked” with the
community when she started fi lling in
last fall.

“Everybody is warm and welcoming,
and I’m a warm and welcoming per-
son,” she added.

Th e rabbi prides herself on accessi-
bility, and it’s her goal to build relation-
ships, she says. If you have a spiritual
need, you can call her. Th e rabbi looks
at people “from where they are com-
26 Congregations of Shaare Shamayim in
Northeast Philadelphia
Courtesy of Congregations of Shaare Shamayim
ing from” without “any pre-conceived
ideas.” It’s an approach she developed
over the past 18 years as the rabbi
for Federation Housing, the Jewish
Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s
nonprofi t that helps people fi nd places
to live. In that role, Berliner visited
the organization’s many diff erent hous-
ing complexes. She hosted discussion
programs, holiday celebrations, private
counseling sessions and memorial ser-
vices. Berliner was meeting with people
from diff erent backgrounds and of
varying degrees of faith and practice.

It was her responsibility to be the rabbi
for all of them.

“I’m proud of the way the commu-
nity came together to study with me,
discuss with me, ask me for private
counseling,” she said. “I love being able
to teach. I like to think that I inspire
a sense of connection to our Jewish
traditions.” The Congregations of Shaare
Shamayim are similar. Th ere are dif-
ferent types of Jews within the larger
community. Specifi cally, one group in the com-
munity prefers a traditional service.

Th is means that Berliner, as a woman,
cannot lead it from the bimah. But the
other big group in the synagogue is an
egalitarian one, and the new rabbi is
very much allowed to lead its service
SEPTEMBER 1, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
from the bimah.

Yet aft er their respective services on
Shabbat, both groups get together for
a Kiddush. Th ey have joint events fre-
quently, and Berliner plans on engag-
ing everyone in classes together.

She wants to connect the groups in
synagogue life as oft en as possible. She
also believes that she can. Even though
Berliner will not lead the traditional
members in High Holiday prayers later
this month, she sees herself as “the
rabbi for the entire congregation,” she
said. “I see my role there as being a uni-
fi er,” the rabbi added. “I would like to
see both groups study together, engage
in social action projects together, cele-
brations.” Berliner is the fi rst female rabbi in
the community’s history, according to
Gabriel. Th e president called hiring a
woman “a big step for us.” She also said
that Berliner connected well with the
whole community when she started in
2021, and that traditional congregants
will do counseling with her.

Th e community’s spiritual leader
only conducting one of its services is
not even diff erent from what the con-
gregations did before. A year ago on
the High Holidays, Abraham led the
traditional service and temple lead-
ers brought in another rabbi to lead
the egalitarian service. Recently on
the Sabbath, Cantor Don Samuels and
Rabbi Sandra Berliner
Photo by Roy Berliner
some lay leaders have guided the tra-
ditional members in their prayer ses-
sions. Perhaps more than anything, too,
Gabriel believes that Berliner has the
right personality for such a unique role.

She’s warm, open and clear in her com-
munication with members.

“She has a wonderful rapport with
people,” the president said. “Sometimes
people mesh together at the right times.

It’s the right time for us as a congre-
gation that has a large and very warm
and welcoming, egalitarian presence,
as well as a traditional presence.” JE
jsaff ren@midatlanticmedia.com