Birth
Members of the congregation that are celebrating the birth of a child or a grandchild are encouraged to share this simcha (joyous event) with the congregation. We would love to honor you with a special aliyah during our Torah service, and hold a very special naming ceremony for your newest family member. In addition, Ohev Shalom would be happy to provide you with a naming certificate, as a permanent record of the event, and give a small gift to the new parents on this wonderful occasion. Your simcha is very important to us, and we would be honored to celebrate it with you and your family.
Bar/Bat Mitzvah
Celebrating a child becoming an adult in the eyes of the Jewish community is a momentous and joyous occasion and is a milestone that you and your family will cherish and remember for many years. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony is meant to be a formal and public recognition of a young person’s willingness to accept and embrace the privileges, obligations, and responsibilities associated with living a full and meaningful Jewish life.
Our Rabbi, Cantor, and your child’s religious school teachers will work with you to ensure that everyone, especially your son or daughter, is prepared for his or her Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Over the course of the year preceding the celebration, your child will learn the meaning of his or her Torah and Haftarah portions and will explore his or her Jewish interests and develop a personal sense of Jewish identity. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to meet with the Rabbi and discuss any concerns or questions you might have about your upcoming simcha.
In order to have a Bar or Bat Mitzvah at Ohev Shalom, your child must achieve satisfactory attendance and progress in our religious school from third through seventh grade, or must be enrolled in a Jewish Day School through seventh grade.
Please contact our Rabbi, Cantor, or Executive Director if you would like more information about Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations at Ohev Shalom.
Wedding
Ohev Shalom is a wonderful place to celebrate a Jewish wedding! Our sanctuary creates a beautiful atmosphere, our bimah allows everyone to see what is going on, the staircase provides space for a large bridal party, and we have a gorgeous chuppah (wedding canopy) that was designed specifically for our sanctuary. If you have any questions about holding a wedding at Ohev Shalom, please be in touch with Rabbi Gerber or the synagogue office.
On the weekend before the big day, we would be honored to welcome the couple, along with the entire family, to celebrate this simcha (joyous event) at our Saturday morning services. This tradition is known as the Aufruf, and is an opportunity to give the couple an aliyah (honor) in front of the Torah. We recite a special prayer, sing “Siman Tov, U-Mazel Tov!” and give the couple a small gift from the congregation. This is a wonderful way to connect your simcha to the wider community, and to our religious services, and our entire congregation will be thrilled to celebrate together with your family.
Death
Losing a loved one is never easy, but Ohev Shalom’s caring community of members and staff will help you through this difficult time. Although death and funeral arrangements are sensitive topics that most individuals and families rarely speak of until the need arises, our Rabbi encourages you to discuss these issues ahead of time, and is happy to help facilitate the necessary conversations.
Our congregation is one of the few synagogues in the area, and the only one in Delaware County, that has its own cemetery – the Ohev Shalom Cemetery in Brookhaven. Additionally, we control a section of the Mt. Lebanon Cemetery in Collingdale, PA. If you need to arrange a funeral, please follow these steps:
- Call Rabbi Gerber at the synagogue office at 610-874-1465.
- Call Al Mendel of Goldstein’s Funeral Directors, Inc. at 215-927-5800. We encourage members to use Goldstein’s – they will assist you with all arrangements. If you choose to use another funeral director, please tell them to contact the synagogue office.
- Call Cemetery Chairman Stanton Myerson at 610-291-0747 to discuss grave sites at either Ohev Shalom Cemetery or Mr. Lebanon Cemetery.
- Stanton or our Executive Director can also help you choose a grave marker and monument; Ohev members are encouraged to use Ohev Shalom Monuments for their sites. If you choose another monument company, please be aware that all inscriptions on the stone must be approved by Ohev’s Rabbi. In addition, the monument company must contact either the Cemetery Chairperson or the synagogue office for cemetery fees and regulations.
- Call Josh Laster, Ohev’s Executive Director, to order a Yahrzeit Memorial plaque. When you order a plaque, you will automatically be notified of the Yahrzeit (annual memorial) date; if you do not order a plaque but would like to be notified of the date, please let the office know.
If you would like to learn more about funeral arrangements and ceremonies, please contact the Rabbi or Executive Director.
