Room Details

Gitlin Sanctuary

 Our sanctuary is the main worship space and heart of Congregation Beth Or. Beth Or means “House of Light” and our renowned 39 stained glass windows that adorn the worship space bring the outside light into our home.

The sanctuary is used for all celebrations and services including High Holy Day services, weekly Shabbat services, B'nai Mitzvah, Confirmation and Wedding celebrations. Funerals also take place on occasion in our worship spaces. The sanctuary has permanent seating for 400 and can expand to provide seating for up to 1500.

Jayne Haines Memorial Chapel

Our chapel provides a smaller alternative, intimate space for worship services and life cycle celebrations held at Congregation Beth Or. It has flexible seating for 100. We hold our music classes, choir rehearsals, Kabbalat Shabbat services and much more in this space.

The chapel is shaped like an octagon and reminds us of the 8 lights of the menorah, keeping in mind our congregation’s name – Beth Or – House of Light. The Ner Tamid for the chapel was taken from the sanctuary in our former location in Spring House, PA. The beautifully appointed ark to house our Torahs was built especially for this worship space. In 2015,  we added new stained glass windows to the ark and the chapel designed especially for Beth Or and this space.  The main window on the back of the Ark depicts a path representing the entrance to your Jewish journey and the side panels depict the 7 species.  The windows in the back of channel depict three of the holy cities – Jerusalem, Sfat and Tiberias.

Rosenfeld Social Hall

Our beautiful, state-of-the-art social hall is used for congregational meals, events, movie screenings, and more.

It is also rented by members or the community for small gatherings of 50 or parties of up to 400 people. The room can be decorated to fit your theme and your liking. The social hall can also section off into 2 or 3 areas to accommodate your needs. The space features a large dance floor, caterer-friendly kitchen and state-of-the-art projector and 2 screens.

Contact Amy Abrams, 215-646-5806, if you are interested in renting space to celebrate a simcha or host an event at Beth Or.

Shmear Café

The Shmear Cafe is run by Rebbitzen Laurie Marx and several volunteers with the goal to raise funds for our food-related social action causes in an eco-friendly environment. There are 2 causes in particular with which Beth Or participates: Meals that Matter and Soup Squad. Meals that Matter cooks individual meals and Soup Squad cooks single serving soups for food insecure individuals and is distributed in the surrounding Philadelphia area.

The café is bustling on Sunday during religious school hours. Parents often enjoy a coffee and kibbitz while their children are in classes. A seasonal menu is offered, emphasizing brunch food. Most items are homemade, such as muffins, kugel and granola. And of course, bagels and shmear!!

Contact Laurie Marx with any questions or if you are interested in volunteering to help out in the café.

The Olitsky Art Gallery

The Olitsky Art Gallery features artists for a month-long exhibit with an opening Shabbat reception so that our members have an opportunity to meet the artist. The art gallery offers cultural dimensions to our congregational experience. All of the artwork is available for purchase and 20 percent of all sales go back to Beth Or. 

Current and upcoming art installations are featured in the Beth Or Spotlight newsmagazine, our Monthly Events mailer, and the website calendar.

Contact Karen Liebman with any questions.

Herzfeld Memorial Library

Our spacious library serves our members with over 4000 items, including general interest Judaica, fiction, history, interfaith, Holocaust resources, bible, holidays and observances, pre-school and children's sections, DVD and videos, reference materials, biography, newspapers and journals. We have an automated catalog and circulation. The library received Advanced Accreditation from the Association of Jewish Libraries, a world-wide organization of Judaica librarians.

The library is a resource to the Religious School students and teachers. Classroom visits to the library occur on a regular basis, and library materials are available for use in the classrooms. The library is open when the building is open. It is staffed on Sundays during Religious School hours.

You can leave messages for the librarian by calling 215-646-5806 x226.

Tarshis Gift Shop

The gift shop is run by Beth Or Sisterhood volunteers and is packed with wonderful Judaic merchandise. The shop is open most weekday mornings until noon and Sunday mornings until 1 pm.

It is stocked year round with Shabbat candles, bar mitzvah and wedding gifts, tallit, educational toys, giftware, jewelry, mezuzahs, books, Ahava Skincare and so much more. Seasonal items are available too! In winter, you’ll find Chanukah candles, menorahs and chocolate gelt. An assortment of the traditional needs of Passover, Haggadahs, Seder plates and cups for Elijah and Miriam are stocked in the spring.

Our buyers do their best to find merchandise that is made in Israel, handcrafted and socially responsible. The result is a unique shopping experience, always exciting and always changing. Stop in and browse. As our hours are dependent on the school calendar, you may wish to call ahead and confirm, 215-646-5806 x217.  You can also make an appointment by contacting Debbie Schwartz. Sisterhood members, temple staff and teachers get 15% off every time they shop.