Fall 2023 - Philadelphia

Mikveh Israel's Gala Celebration this past Spring honoring the retirement of Rabbi Albert Gabbai

Bienvenidos from Congregation Mikveh Israel, the Synagogue of the American Revolution, located in Center City, Philadelphia. Our community was founded in 1740 and since then, we have played an unparalleled role in the growth of the American Jewish community – with our congregation and ministers publishing the first American Jewish periodical (The Occident), introducing the first regular English language sermon, and founding institutions such as the Jewish Theological Seminary (not originally a Conservative school), and the National Museum of American Jewish History. 

Tisha BeAv Services this Summer at Mikveh Israel

Unique among the Sephardic Brotherhood’s congregations, we follow the Western Sephardic (also known as Spanish-Portuguese) customs. This tradition traces back to Spanish and Portuguese conversos who fled Iberia and reclaimed their Judaism in places such as Amsterdam, Italy, and England, with some later settling in the Caribbean and the American colonies.  The Western Sephardic tradition distinguishes itself in the beauty of its melodies, the relative lack of Kabbalistic/Mystical elements in its liturgy, and its wealth of treasured minhagim -- from a slow march of the Torah back to the Ark, to a fondness for formal hats, to candlelit Tisha BeAv services, to the wistful melody known as La Despedida (“The Farewell”) that serves as the setting for many prayers on the last day of festivals.  Today our prayers are almost entirely in Hebrew, but we still maintain fragments of liturgical Spanish – including the greeting of “Munchos Anyos” on the High Holidays, our Society of Levantadores (Torah lifters), and the singing of Bendigamos at the end of Birkat HaMazon - the blessing after a meal. 

Today we are a thriving congregation of about 200 families. A few still trace their roots to the early Spanish-Portuguese Jews, but our membership is diverse – with congregants and their families hailing from places such as Morocco, Iran, Egypt, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Israel, the Ottoman Empire, Ukraine, Russia, Yemen, and Jamaica. From the earliest days of our community, our members have included not just Sephardim, but also Ashkenazim and converts as well. 

Despite our relatively small size, we are unimaginably active. We host bountiful, catered communal meals every Friday evening, Saturday afternoon, and holidays. Through the meals and a relationship with the hotel next door, we happily welcome tourists and our own out-of-town members each week.  Once a month, our Young Professionals dinners attract over 100 singles on Friday nights, while honoring a different Jewish community around the world. Recent dinners focused on the communities of Mexico, Indonesia, and Syria, while upcoming dinners will feature Persia, Morocco, India, and Hungary. Driving women’s participation, we have begun – in addition to our regular readings – hosting women’s readings of the Megillot, with girls as young as eight and as old as nearly eighty learning and chanting Megillat Esther, Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs), Ruth, and Eicha (the Book of Lamentations). Our Gala honoring Rabbi Albert Gabbai (who is transitioning to Rabbi Emeritus) sold out, with over 300 people coming to honor him for his 35 years of service to the Congregation.

The coming months will be just as active. Our new Rabbi Yosef Zarnighian teaches a class every week on the laws of Shabbat, and will soon begin teaching a class on the principles of Judaism. We again expect to welcome dozens of out-of-town guests for the holidays, while decorating a massive Sukkah that is without comparison. Tour groups drop by frequently, and Jews from throughout the Philadelphia area choose Mikveh Israel as the place for their wedding, Berit Milah, or other Simha. 

Please come visit us in Philadelphia, and let us welcome you to our Mikveh Israel family.