Shalom, Francis: How Area Synagogues Are Handling the Pope Visit

Pope Francis arrives in Philadelphia Saturday morning for an occasion that’s been long-awaited for the region’s Catholics. The Pope will travel around the city and, on Sunday, say Mass on Ben Franklin Parkway.

This weekend also marks a religious observance for Jewish people in the region. This past week was the High Holidays- with Pope Francis spending his first day in the U.S. on Yom Kippur- and this weekend includes both the weekly Shabbat observance (Friday night to Saturday night) and Sukkot. The latter observance, a “Feast of Tabernacles” that entails building wooden huts at synagogues and sometimes at home, begins Sunday night.

How are local synagogues handling the logistics, of Shabbat services and observance, as well as the beginning of Sukkot, while the Pope is in town and security is in place?

Most local synagogues appear to be going ahead with Friday night services as on a typical Friday, although logistical concerns could potentially result in diminished attendance. One exception is Beth David Reform Congregation in Gladwynne, which is closing the building on Saturday and Sunday. Sukkot Study on Monday will move to noon.

Congregration Rodeph Sholom on North Broad Street, probably the closest synagogue to the Parkway, will hold Friday services as normal, but is encouraging observers to walk to services rather than drive.

Adath Israel, in Merion Station, hosted Friday Morning Family Movies- one of which was Keeping the Faith, the 1999 comedy in which Ben Stiller and Edward Norton played a rabbi and priest who were lifelong friends. It also hosted a “POPe-Up Work Cafe” for people in the area not able to go to work Friday due to security barriers.

A Broomall synagogue, Congregation Beth El-Ner Tamid, is hosting 56 pilgrims from Kentucky this weekend for the World Meeting of Families.

Congregation Or Shalom in Berwyn will hold services as scheduled. Services are scheduled as normal at Or Shalom in Berwyn as well.

At Aish HaTorah in Bala Cynwyd, near Ardmore, services will be held as scheduled Friday and Saturday, with Kiddush in the Sukkah Sunday night.

Mishkan Shalom, in Roxborough-Manayunk, appears to be holding to a normal schedule.

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Pope Francis, for his part, addressed the International Council of Christians and Jews in June.

“Christians, all Christians, have Jewish roots,” Francis said, according to an official Vatican transcript.

“Because of this, since its inception, the International Council of Christians and Jews has welcomed the various Christian confessions. Each of them, in its own way, has drawn near to Judaism, which in its time, has been distinguished by diverse trends and sensibilities. The Christian confessions find their unity in Christ; Judaism finds its unity in the Torah. Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Word of God made flesh in the world; for Jews the Word of God is present above all in the Torah. Both faith traditions find their foundation in the One God, the God of the Covenant, who reveals himself through his Word.”