Temple Emanuel of South Hills has shaped Reform Jewish life in Pittsburgh's South Hills since May 1951, when a small group of ambitious families began gathering in homes, schools, and churches to bring the spirit of Reform Judaism to their neighborhoods. Today the congregation sits on Bower Hill Road in Mt. Lebanon, where it runs a thriving worship community, an Early Childhood Development Center, a religious school, an adult education program, and a far-reaching social action effort organized around the motto Living, Learning, Leading Judaism. Rabbi Aaron Meyer serves as Senior Rabbi, Rabbi Mark Joel Mahler remains Rabbi Emeritus after a thirty-eight year rabbinate, and the staff team works alongside a Cantorial Intern through an ongoing Cantor Search. The congregation explicitly welcomes Jewish, interfaith, and LGBTQ+ individuals, couples, and families into every corner of communal life.
From Living Rooms to Bower Hill Road
Congregants met in living rooms, schools, and churches between 1951 and 1953. In 1954 they purchased land on Bower Hill Road and broke ground on an original first floor designed by Percival Goodman, one of the twentieth century's leading synagogue architects. Six years later a second phase added the Sanctuary and Social Hall, and by the end of the 1980s the membership had grown to roughly six hundred families. The building became fully accessible in 1990 through major renovations, and in 2002 the congregation completed a $3.6 million expansion designed by Temple member and past president Daniel Rothschild. Two projecting wings - one with classrooms and learning spaces, the other housing a chapel, library, and community room - were arranged around a courtyard. Eight additional religious school classrooms, a new library, a youth lounge, a Women of Reform Judaism room, and renovated preschool classrooms were part of that work.
In 2003 the building's second prayer space, the Beit HaT'filah, was dedicated: a circular room rich in Judaic symbols and described in regional guides as "revolutionary." A Holocaust Memorial Garden anchors the courtyard, marking its twentieth anniversary in 2024 with plantings that memorialize the six million Jews lost during World War II and honor those who survived. The community adapted quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, launching livestreamed services, Zoom lifecycle events, and hybrid classes that have continued ever since. In 2022 the Board of Trustees initiated a strategic planning process, and a congregational vote on October 27, 2024 approved Bylaws revisions that took effect on July 1, 2025 with a smaller and more nimble Board of Trustees, opportunities for non-Jewish Board membership, an Individualized Giving Model for financial contributions, and the Board of Trustees serving as the electoral body for Trustee transition.
Goodman Architecture and the Stained Glass of Robert Pinart
The Sanctuary's modernist shell is the work of Percival Goodman, but the dazzling glass that fills its south wall is the work of French dalle de verre master Robert Pinart (1927-2017). Pinart immigrated to the United States in 1951 and was among the first artists to introduce dalle de verre techniques here, working frequently with Goodman on synagogues across the country. He received the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the Stained Glass Association of America in 1993.
Nine monumental windows along the Sanctuary's south wall, beginning at the bimah and continuing toward the rear, honor Israel's great leaders, teachers, prophets, and poets: Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Ezra the Scribe, Rabbi Hillel, Moses Maimonides, and Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise. A second set of nine windows behind those portraits celebrates the Jewish year - Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Purim, Passover, Shavuot, and Shabbat - in abstract panels of color and form. The largest windows in the Sanctuary and lobby also spell out an abstract hey, the first letter of "Hineh Mah Tov" ("How good it is"), with the entire phrase written in both Hebrew and English at the bottom of the windows as a tribute to the founders' vision of a spiritual home where the South Hills Jewish community can gather. Irving Isaacs, the congregation's Board President when the building was first designed, pushed for the storytelling stained-glass cycle rather than the simple decorative panes originally proposed, and founding families purchased windows honoring loved ones whose names can still be read in the lower corners of each panel.
The Beit HaT'filah, the Community Room, and the Holocaust Memorial Garden
Open since 2003, the Beit HaT'filah ("House of Prayer") is the congregation's circular worship space filled with Judaic symbols and intended for smaller, more intimate services. It is regularly used for b'nai mitzvah celebrations, the Sunday Morning Minyan, and weekday or smaller Shabbat gatherings. Across the courtyard, the community room hosts adult education and library programming, and the Pollon Family Library - a circulating collection of Jewish and general-interest books for adults and children - is open any time the building is. The Holocaust Memorial Garden, anchoring the courtyard between the two wings and supported through the Holocaust Memorial Garden Fund, is recognized as a place where Temple and the broader South Hills community gather for remembrance and reflection.
Shabbat at Temple Emanuel
Weekly Shabbat worship is the rhythm of the synagogue. Friday evening services begin at 7:00 PM in the Beit HaT'filah, led by Rabbi Aaron Meyer together with the cantorial team. Services are also livestreamed on the congregation's Facebook page and YouTube channel. Following the service, the community gathers for an oneg - a reception of snacks and conversation - that members and families often sponsor to mark birthdays, anniversaries, family milestones, or yahrzeits.
Saturday mornings offer several entry points. A pre-recorded Shabbat morning video, including the traditional first aliyah from the Sefer Torah in Hebrew and English translation along with a brief teaching on the weekly parasha, is released at 8:30 AM on Facebook and YouTube. At 9:00 AM, Rabbi Meyer leads a robust, interactive Torah Study of the weekly portion in person and on Zoom; no prior background is required. When a bar or bat mitzvah is being celebrated, that morning's service begins at 10:30 AM in either the Sanctuary or the Beit HaT'filah, with clergy working with the family to design a service that is meaningful and that includes the non-Jewish parent in the celebration in a way that feels authentic. The weekend closes with a brief Havdalah at 8:00 PM, hosted virtually on Facebook.
Sunday mornings begin with the lay-led Sunday Morning Minyan at 9:30 AM, a casual service in the Beit HaT'filah also available on Zoom. It is described as "a great opportunity to become familiar with the service and with Hebrew, to meet other members, and to say Kaddish." All Temple worship services are family-friendly, and Temple publishes a Learn the Service video series for visitors who want to follow along at home or prepare for a first service.
Music, the Kol Emanuel Band, and the Cantor Search
Music has long been central to Temple Emanuel. Rabbi Mark Joel Mahler played guitar and sang at every Shabbat and Festival evening service during his rabbinate, set traditional prayers to contemporary melodies ranging from joyful to contemplative to stirring, and was part of the Kol Emanuel Band one Shabbat evening each month. Cantor Kalix Jacobson, whose tenure closed in mid-2024, was widely recognized for bringing contemporary and inclusive musical leadership to the bimah. The Cantor position is currently being filled through a Cantor Search. In the interim, Cantorial Intern Jacob Shinder, an experienced songleader, provides musical leadership for Shabbat services, Torah Center, holidays, and lifecycle events, directs the Adult Choir, and works with b'nai mitzvah students.
Early Childhood Development Center: A Reggio Emilia Approach
Temple's Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) is rooted in the Reggio Emilia philosophy of education, an approach developed in the Italian city of Reggio Emilia that treats the image of the child as competent, the school environment as essential, parents as co-responsible partners, and teachers as researchers. At ECDC, classrooms are organized around provocations and explorations, and an emergent curriculum lets educators respond to the interests of the children. The Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood inform but do not dictate the practice.
Six core values give the program its Jewish texture: Hachnasat Orchim (Welcoming), Kehillah (Community), Kavod (Respect), Tzedakah (Sharing), Simchat Limud (Joy of Learning), and a commitment to documentation that records and revisits the children's learning. The center is led by Senior Director of Temple Kate Louik. Music is taught by ECDC Music Specialist Rebecca Closson; Rabbi Emily Meyer leads the First Experience program; and Ellen Drook teaches Kindergarten Enrichment.
Torah Center: Religious School from PreK Through Seventh Grade
Torah Center engages students in PreK through seventh grade and their families in Jewish life and learning, blending inspiring courses, family worship, holiday programming, social action, and informal youth gatherings. The center is directed by Steph McFerron, who also serves as Temple's Event Coordinator for lifecycle events.
Students in PreK through second grade meet on Sunday mornings from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM. Students in third through sixth grades meet twice a week, with Sunday classes from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM and a Wednesday session either from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM or from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM, with families choosing the Wednesday slot that fits each week. A weekly fifteen-minute virtual touch point with a Hebrew teacher supplements the in-person learning. For families seeking more individualized Hebrew instruction, the Individualized Hebrew Option (grades 3-6) adds a virtual thirty-minute private session each week for an additional fee. Seventh graders gather weekly on Sunday mornings from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM.
Becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah at Temple Emanuel is a multi-year process that includes Hebrew study, regular attendance at services, and family participation in mitzvot. Clergy work with each family to design a service that is meaningful and that includes both parents and family members in the celebration, and a bar or bat mitzvah service begins at 10:30 AM on Saturday morning in either the Sanctuary or the Beit HaT'filah.
High School Program and the Madrichim Team
For eighth through twelfth graders, Temple partners with Beth El Congregation of the South Hills to offer a High School Program that meets on Sundays from 12:15 PM to 1:15 PM, right after Torah Center dismisses. Described as "real, relevant, and fun," the program emphasizes time with friends, meaningful Jewish discussions, food, stronger connections with the rabbis, and engagement with current events. Rabbi Aaron Meyer, Rabbi Alex of Beth El, and the cantor team lead sessions, joined by special guests whose topics are tied to what's happening in the world and in congregants' lives.
Students in eighth and ninth grade can apply to join the Madrichim Team (affectionately the M-Team) as classroom assistants and small-group leaders in the religious school. Tenth through twelfth graders may apply for paid positions or volunteer roles, and community service hours are available upon request. Madrichim applicants are required to complete Pennsylvania child abuse, state criminal, and FBI background clearances before working with students.
Adult Learning and the Pollon Family Library
Adult learning at Temple takes the form of single lectures, multi-session series, workshops, and on-the-spot text study, all led by clergy and guest scholars. The Rabbi's weekly Torah Study on Saturday mornings at 9:00 AM is the centerpiece, with additional programming on weeknights and Sunday afternoons through the Beit Midrash track and other series. A range of holiday-themed intensives round out the calendar. The Pollon Family Library, the circulating library in the Community Room, holds a vast collection of fiction and non-fiction for adults and children, with displays refreshed outside the Beit HaT'filah. Rabbi Aaron Meyer also represents Temple in the South Hills interfaith community and in the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh Rabbi-Priest Dialogue.
Kulanu, the Caring Community, and Temple Emanuel Gardens
Kulanu ("all of us") is Temple's inclusion collective, working with families and educators to make Jewish learning and worship accessible to people of all abilities. The Caring Community, supported by the Larry and Brenda Miller Memorial Caring Community Fund, reaches out to members in times of crisis, illness, or bereavement with meals, visits, and other practical supports. Temple Emanuel Gardens convenes volunteer gardeners who tend the courtyard planting and the Holocaust Memorial Garden. The Charlotte and Peter Cooper Garden Fund sustains one section of the courtyard, and a separate Cemetery Beautification Fund supports Temple's cemetery beyond perpetual care.
Women+ of Temple Emanuel, Men+ of Temple Emanuel, and TERMS
Women+ of Temple Emanuel (WTE) welcomes single, married, and partnered members of all backgrounds - including born Jewish, Jews by choice, and non-Jewish members of Jewish families - into a community organized around Tikkun Olam, the Jewish value of repairing the world. WTE supports Temple through programming, fundraising, and financial contributions. Men+ of Temple Emanuel (MOTE) builds community among the men of the congregation through social and service activities, including Super Bowl gatherings, Steelers watch parties, sukkah assembly, and the signature monthly "Brews Night" at local breweries. TERMS - Temple Emanuel Retirees in Mitzvah Service organizes the congregation's retirees around mitzvah-driven service projects, with annual traditions including the Memorial Day Bagel Brunch, preparing a meal for a partner agency, the Labor Day picnic, and helping assemble and dismantle the sukkah each fall.
Social Action and Tikkun Olam
Temple's social action program, led by Programming and Communications Director Sarah Mangan, publishes a near-monthly Social Action Update that compiles volunteer opportunities, community partnerships, and congregational initiatives. Members serve on the Commission on Social Action of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and participate in joint programs with other South Hills congregations. Recent efforts have included food insecurity programs, blood drives, sandwich drop-offs at the Temple, ongoing dialogue with Rabbis Against Gun Violence, and Habitat for Humanity projects in the South Hills.
A Brighter Future on Bower Hill Road: The Solar Panel Project
A 368-panel solar array now spans Temple's roof, fully operational and capable of offsetting more than 80 percent of the building's annual energy consumption. The project took shape to replace an aging roof and to put the congregation's environmental values into practice: a single effort that simultaneously takes care of the building and embodies the Jewish principles of Bal Tashchit (Conservation of Resources), Tikkun Olam (Repair of the World), and L'Avdah Ul'Shomra (Safeguarding the Earth). The system is expected to save the congregation $1.3 million over the thirty-year warrantied lifetime of the panels. A grant from the Jewish Solar Challenge helped make the project possible.
Welcoming Interfaith Families and LGBTQ+ Members
Temple Emanuel explicitly welcomes Jewish, interfaith, and LGBTQ+ individuals, couples, and families, and the congregation's Vision statement names each of these communities by name. When an interfaith family joins, all immediate family members are considered full members of the community, and clergy work with each family to include both parents in the celebration of a bar or bat mitzvah. No one is pressured to convert; the Jewish community's sages have long held that conversion is not valid if it results from pressure or coercion.
The congregation's Congregational Code of Conduct, developed by a task force of Temple members in consultation with staff and the Board of Trustees, makes the values of respect and sacred community explicit and offers a clear path for reporting alleged violations to the Board President, Rabbi Aaron Meyer, or Kate Louik. The process balances the Jewish principles of judgment (din) and compassion (rachamim).
Living, Learning, Leading: New Bylaws for a Modern Congregation
The strategic plan that has reshaped Temple since 2022 rests on two pillars: increasing congregational vibrancy and transforming the revenue model to ensure financial solvency. The plan translates into three practical shifts. Creating multiple pathways for belonging decouples the traditional concept of "membership" from a recurring annual financial commitment, so anyone can engage with Temple through services, programs, lifecycle events, or learning without an upfront dues payment. A more inclusive board opens board service to non-Jewish members of the community who support Temple's Vision and Mission, provided that the President, Vice President, and a majority of the Board remain Jewish, while introducing term limits and a smaller Board of ten to twelve members that meets quarterly. An Individualized Giving Model replaces traditional age-and-stage dues categories with personalized conversations that ask members to consider Temple's needs, their own financial circumstances, and the values they wish to support.
Twenty-three named funds - including the General Fund, Capital Fund, Holocaust Memorial Garden Fund, ECDC funds, scholarships, the Cantor and Rabbi Mahler Rabbinic Chair funds, and the Security Fund - give members many ways to direct their giving. A Life and Legacy Program invites members to remember Temple in their wills, trusts, retirement accounts, or life insurance policies; there is no minimum gift required.
Clergy, Cantor, and Staff
Rabbi Aaron Meyer is in his fifth year as Senior Rabbi of Temple Emanuel of South Hills, known for his warmth and his welcoming of interfaith families and all people. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Science from The Ohio State University and a Master's Degree and ordination from the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, and he holds a Certificate in Gerontology from the University of Washington. He co-chaired the Faith Action Network, Washington's largest interfaith coalition, and remains active in the South Hills interfaith community and the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh Rabbi-Priest Dialogue. His wife, Rabbi Emily Meyer, serves Temple as the Lifelong Learning Coordinator; they have two young children.
Rabbi Mark Joel Mahler served Temple Emanuel as Associate Rabbi and Temple Educator from 1980 to 1985 and as Senior Rabbi from 1985 until his retirement in June 2018, a rabbinate of thirty-eight years. His passion is Talmud Torah, the study and teaching of Jewish texts across history, philosophy, linguistics, ethics, mysticism, and ritual practice, and he holds a Doctor of Divinity from Hebrew Union College. He is currently writing a book updating the Halacha to make each of Judaism's 613 commandments relevant and observable today.
Jacob Shinder serves as Cantorial Intern, providing musical leadership for Shabbat services, Torah Center, holidays, and lifecycle events while directing the Adult Choir and working with b'nai mitzvah students. Operating leadership is shared by Kate Louik (Senior Director of Temple and ECDC Director), Steph McFerron (Torah Center Director and Event Coordinator), Rebecca Closson (Finance and Development Director and ECDC Music Specialist), and Sarah Mangan (Programming and Communications Director). The Board of Trustees for fiscal year 2026-2027 is led by President Beth Schwartz, Vice President Steve Del, Treasurer Rob Edelson, Secretary Liz McCallum, and Immediate Past President Michelle Markowitz.
Planning a Visit
Temple Emanuel of South Hills is located at 1250 Bower Hill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15243. The main office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and on Fridays from 9:00 AM to noon (the Preschool and Religious School keep different hours). The main phone number is (412) 279-7600; Rabbi Aaron Meyer can be reached at extension 204, ECDC Director Kate Louik at (412) 279-7687, and the Education Office at extension 214.
Prospective members are welcome to attend a service, sit in on adult education, stop in for a volunteer project, or simply reach out to a member of the clergy or staff. Membership conversations through the Individualized Giving Model happen only after a newcomer has found their own fit in Temple life. Virtual visitors can join Shabbat services, the Sunday Morning Minyan, and Torah Study through the congregation's Facebook page, YouTube channel, and Zoom links published each week.