About RCOS (Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom)

In 1864, 20 committed Jews joined together to form what has become Reading’s oldest surviving Jewish congregation, Oheb Sholom. Like many of its time, the congregation initially met in donated or rented rooms. Nearly twenty years later, Oheb Sholom found it’s first permanent home in a renovated church just outside the downtown area of Reading. Dr. Isaac Mayer Wise dedicated the building on August 1, 1885.

Our first rabbi, Rabbi George Levy, led the congregation in its transition from Orthodox to Reform. Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom formally adopted The Union Prayerbook in 1894.

The congregation celebrated its 50^th Anniversary at the Rajah Temple in 1914. Click on this photo to enlarge it.

By 1919, after Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom had grown to more than forty families, the congregation decided to build a new synagogue building on one of the main arteries of Reading, Perkiomen Avenue. Rabbi Stephen S. Wise dedicated this building in 1923.

Over the last seventy-nine years, we have grown from 109 families in 1930, reaching our peak of 320 families in 1983. The congregation celebrated its 100^th Anniversary in 1964. Click on this photo to enlarge it.

Today’s smaller Jewish community in Berks County is reflected in our current membership of 260 family units. However, that number is currently on the rise.

In June 1996, the congregation voted to move to a new facility. A site committee was established to discuss all options and in January 1998, the congregation voted to purchase the former Glad Tidings Church in Wyomissing Hills, in Reading’s western suburbs. A multi-million dollar renovation and expansion of the new facilities began in April 1999.

Like many Reform Congregations, we once had a full professional choir and permanent organist. Our most notable music director was Mr. Willie Richter who came to us directly from Germany. During his forty-year tenure, Mr. Richter composed many works, a number of which have become standards of Reform musical liturgy.

In its 133-year history, Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom has employed only nine full-time rabbis. See our list of Rabbis. Significantly, only five rabbis have served this congregation in the past one hundred years. One of our previous leaders, Rabbi Sidney Regner, left his twenty-seven year tenure at Oheb Sholom to become Executive Vice President of the Central Conference of American Rabbis Our current emeritus rabbi, Rabbi Alan G. Weitzman, served our congregation from 1964-1998. Our current rabbi, Rabbi Brian I. Michelson, began his tenure with Oheb Sholom in August 1998.

The organization of the Temple is similar to most synagogues. Refer to the Leadership Page for more information. It has an elected Board of Trustees headed by a president. Together with the Rabbi, the president plays a major role in the administration of the Temple. Over our 130 year history, the List of Presidents who have previously served us number less than 40.

The Temple is an active congregation supporting several Affiliate Clubs, most notably the Sisterhood and the Brotherhood. The Temple maintains an Office Staff to assist with the communication with its congregation as well as the routine administrative matters.

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