Lower Merion has one of the most beautiful and spirited Jewish communities in the country. There are large areas of undeveloped space that bloom with bountiful azaleas in the spring and remind you of a picture postcard when the snow settles on our lawns and trees. The Jewish community has both integrated itself into the larger township community and retained its special, unique character as well. Worship opportunities are plentiful and varied. Within an easy commute (never more than 7 miles), you can find everything from Reform to Orthodox congregations, intimate to spacious buildings and many options in between. There are supplementary Religious Schools, Day Schools, a multi-service Jewish Community Center and so much more. We have truly built a kehillah (the Hebrew word for "community") in Lower Merion.

Kehillah of Lower Merion (KLM) was born in January 2003 with a grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia (in cooperation with the Jewish Outreach Partnership). A Steering Committee of Rabbis, community volunteers and representatives from Jewish community organizations (e.g., JCCs Kaiserman Branch) came together over many weeks to discuss the needs of Jewish Lower Merion and the possible role that this new community building project could play. The result of these meetings was the evolution of the following Statement of Purpose for KLM:

To transform the culture of the Jewish population of Lower Merion into that of a welcoming community of shared heritage and values that is more Jewishly engaged. This would be accomplished by:

• Improving communication;
• Building connections and breaking down the artificial barriers that keep people isolated (e.g., synagogue and movement affiliations);
• Creating opportunities and mechanisms for bringing people together; and
• Developing a heightened sense of Jewish awareness.

This is an evolving mission statement. As KLM grows and develops, so will our goals and programs. We are still in our infancy. We have much to do in order to grow up and mature as an organization that meets the needs and desires of our community.

To contact Kehillah of Lower Merion, please call Alyse W. Unterberger, Coordinator.

Kehillah of Lower Merion
1001 Remington Road
Wynnewood, PA 19096-2399
610-645-8380
aunterberger@philafederation.org

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