A Bensalem Congregation That Feels Like Family
On Bristol Road in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, Congregation Tifereth Israel has spent more than four decades gathering Conservative Jewish families around the rhythms of daily prayer, Shabbat, holidays, and the long arc of Jewish learning. Rabbi Jeff Schnitzer, the synagogue's spiritual leader since 1998, talks about the congregation in the language of family. Members "fight like family," he has said, "but when something happens, we celebrate and grieve together." The tagline that anchors the synagogue's home page distills the same idea in seven words: "more than a synagogue, it's a community."
Tifereth Israel sits at 2909 Bristol Road in Lower Bucks County. It combines a full daily prayer schedule, in-person and Zoom Shabbat worship, a year-round preschool and Hebrew school, a dedicated teen space inside the Jason Rubin Teen Center, a Sisterhood and a Men's Club, a Judaica gift shop, and the Bucks County Food Bank, all under one roof. A visitor who steps inside on Friday evening will hear Kabbalat Shabbat begin at 6:00 pm. A regular who joins on Sunday morning will find a daily minyan already in motion at 8:00 am, broadcast on Zoom.
Daily Minyan and Shabbat on Bristol Road
The heart of Tifereth Israel's religious life is its daily prayer schedule, which reaches well beyond a single weekly service. A daily minyan meets Sunday through Friday mornings at 8:00 am over Zoom. Evenings bring a second minyan at 7:00 pm on Sunday through Thursday, and a 6:00 pm service on Saturday evening as the new week begins. The Zoom link and passcode are shared in the congregation's weekly newsletter, TIdbits.
Shabbat takes shape around three gatherings. Friday evening Kabbalat Shabbat begins at 6:00 pm, in person and on Zoom. Saturday morning opens at 8:30 am with a Torah study that prepares the community for the 9:00 am Shabbat service that follows. For the High Holidays, the synagogue publishes a dedicated schedule and a Yizkor book to mark the day.
The congregation has also recorded a small library of audio clips so that worshippers can hear the melodies sung at Tifereth Israel. Each prayer in the T'filah library links to a short recording, from Shalom Aleichem and L'Cha Dodi through Ahavat Olam, Mi Camocha, Chatzi Kaddish, Vayechulu, Magen Avot, Kaddish Shalem, Kiddush and Aleynu. Families learning the service can listen until the melodies settle.
"We look at our community as family and not as members," the rabbi has said. That orientation shows in the rhythm of the week. Hybrid Shabbat services, meeting in person and on Zoom, regularly draw thirty or more people.
A Rabbi Who Was a Congregant First
Rabbi Jeff Schnitzer received his ordination from the Rabbinical Seminary International and has been the rabbi of Congregation Tifereth Israel since 1998. His path to the bimah began in the seats. He joined the synagogue in 1979 as a member, stepped away in 1985, and returned in 1995 as a congregant in time for his daughter's bat mitzvah. Three years later he took on the role of spiritual leader.
Cindy Citron serves as Director of Jewish Education, overseeing both the Judy Sare Nursery School and the Hebrew School. Jason Roe serves as Director of the Judy Sare Nursery School and the Tifereth Israel Hebrew School. Donna Bennett leads Sisterhood as its president, while Todd Sokol and Richard Harwood serve as co-presidents of the Men's Club.
The lay leadership includes a Board of Directors drawn from across the membership, with Jesse Sloane as President, Vice Presidents Jefrey Eiseman, Ed Saks, Ira Pogachefsky and Iris Stendig-Raskin, Treasurer Alan Snyder, Financial Secretary Jan Weiss, Recording Secretary Howard Estrin, and Corresponding Secretary Renee Sokol. Rick Schlaifer serves as Counsel and Jacki Cohen, of blessed memory, is remembered as Immediate Past President.
The synagogue office can be reached at office@tiferethisraelpa.org or at (215) 752-3468, with fax at (215) 757-8660. In-person visits are welcomed at the Bristol Road building.
The Jewish Learning Lab and the Sound of T'filah
The synagogue's educational philosophy is laid out in a document called the Jewish Learning Lab, which the congregation describes as "not your ordinary Hebrew school." It lists a series of "enduring understandings": the big ideas the program wants every student to leave with.
Among them: being Jewish means turning belief into action through Mitzvot, Tzedakah, G'milut Chasadim, and Tikkun Olam; every person carries Divine qualities through the idea of B'tzelem Elohim; the Jewish people are connected across generations by shared history and tradition; Jewish text is a living conversation that each generation adds its voice to; Jewish belief takes many authentic forms; holidays and rituals give shape to the rhythms of Jewish life; prayer is an ongoing conversation with God and the generations past; Israel is central to the Jewish story; and Hebrew is the language that unlocks the prayers and dreams of the Jewish people across miles and centuries.
In her message to parents, Cindy Citron frames the year around the Hebrew phrase l'dor v'dor, from generation to generation. The value of l'dor v'dor, she writes, "links our history with that of the past and the future," because "Judaism places great importance on memory." For one year the program spotlighted grandparents, with intergenerational programming designed to strengthen the bond between grandparents and grandchildren. Citron has also been accepted into a cohort of the Venture Israel Fellowship, a heavily subsidized program for Jewish educators, with the goal of bringing home renewed ideas for Israel education in the supplementary school.
The T'filah page gathers the melodies the community sings at prayer, line by line. The recordings carry a service from Shalom Aleichem through Aleynu and serve as a study aid for new learners and a refresher for regulars.
The Judy Sare Nursery School, Hebrew School, and Camp Simcha
The Judy Sare Nursery School, housed in the same building as the synagogue, is the educational hub of Congregation Tifereth Israel. Jason Roe, its director, oversees a year-round program and a summer day camp called Camp Simcha. The school's curriculum, the staff write, is "creatively designed to meet the varied needs of a particular age group as well as those unique needs of individual children," with a goal of enhancing each child's social, emotional, physical, and cognitive growth so that he or she can reach maximum potential.
For many Bensalem families, the nursery school is the front door to the synagogue. The preschool reopened with 24 children after a five-month pandemic closure, and has since grown to roughly 100 students. Many of those families come from non-Jewish backgrounds, simply looking for a quality preschool, and their enrollment has helped strengthen the synagogue. Most of the students in the Hebrew School today came up through the preschool, a pipeline Cindy Citron calls the program's strongest recruitment tool. The Hebrew School, which had about a dozen students in earlier years, now serves 48.
The Judy Sare Nursery School maintains its own web presence at judysare.org and is supported by a dedicated Judy Sare Nursery School Fund within the synagogue's giving program. The fund helps provide scholarship and financial aid for nursery school families.
Parents are asked to follow the security guard's instructions during drop-off and pick-up. "The most precious jewels in our Preschool, Hebrew School and Camp Simcha are your children," Cindy Citron writes, "and ensuring their safety when they walk into our building is foremost in our actions each and every day."
The Jason Rubin Teen Center
Inside the building, a separate space for teenagers has its own story. The Jason Rubin Teen Center began to take shape in 1998 after Jason Rubin, one of the synagogue's students, fell ill with a rare bacterial infection and died at the age of thirteen. Congregants and neighbors immediately began donating to build a center in his memory, recalling that Jason often said "there is no place for kids to get together except the mall."
The Teen Center has hosted Karate Nights, Movie Nights and sleepovers for USY members, and two annual fundraisers keep the program going: a Pancake Breakfast with a long record of strong turnout and a Grandparents Day for shared programming across the generations. Linda Trobman, a family friend, oversees and coordinates the events. Richard Rubin, Jason's father, leads the Jason Rubin Teen Center Memorial Fund, which awards $500 scholarships each year to two deserving students at Bensalem High School in Jason's memory.
The Jason Rubin Memorial Fund is one of the synagogue's named giving opportunities. Donations to it support the teen center itself and the scholarships it provides.
Bucks County Jewish Youth
Preteens and teens at Tifereth Israel are part of a combined youth program called Bucks County Jewish Youth, a partnership of five Conservative congregations. The sister synagogues are Congregation Adath Israel, Congregation Beth El of Yardley, Congregation Brothers of Israel, and Ohev Shalom. Together they offer three youth groups that give youngsters and teens regular opportunities to socialize and to experience Jewish life in the company of peers.
For high school students, a deeper layer of programming takes place at the Jason Rubin Teen Center, where USY gatherings and sleepovers are planned alongside the Pancake Breakfast and Grandparents Day. The program's Bucks County Youth pages list the latest schedule, upcoming events, and registration details.
Sisterhood: Mah Jong, Shared Meals, and Torah Fund
The Sisterhood of Tifereth Israel is affiliated with Women's League for Conservative Judaism and serves its members, the congregation, and the wider Jewish community. Donna Bennett is the current president. Sisterhood programs include a Paid-Up Membership Dinner, educational and fun programs, special-interest groups, and an Adult Bat Mitzvah curriculum, alongside the league's wider offerings such as Women's League Shabbat, CJ Magazine, Ba'Olam, the Women's League Institute, and the biennial convention.
Weekly life centers on Mah Jong and Canasta on Mondays from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, with an every-other-month book discussion at a member's home. The second Thursday of each month is Shared Meals, when Sisterhood joins Bensalem Presbyterian Church to serve the food-insecure community. A Mitzvah Project in early December, Yom HaShoah programming in the spring, a Tu B'Shevat Seder held jointly with the Men's Club, an Israel Celebration with the Men's Club and a Torah Fund Program round out the religious year.
By its own description, Sisterhood serves in four directions. To its members it offers programming and friendship. To the synagogue it offers minyan support, financial contributions, Shabbat dinners, and support for USY/Kadima and the Men's Club and PTO. To families it offers scholarships for USY, a Judaica Shop, and Bikkur Holim visits. To the Jewish community it carries out community-service projects, food-bank and shelter support, social action activities, and a Blood Drive. The annual Sisterhood Catering Menu generates a major share of Sisterhood's fundraising. Donations to Torah Fund support five Conservative and Masorti institutions of higher education around the world.
The Men's Club and the FJMC
The Men's Club of Tifereth Israel is led by co-presidents Todd Sokol and Richard Harwood. The organization's stated goal is to "increase its visibility within T.I. and the Bensalem community by developing meaningful events and activities for our members while providing more involvement in community service and charities." New members are welcomed; the Men's Club describes itself as all-inclusive.
The Men's Club is affiliated with the FJMC, the international Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs, which now reframes its name to stand for Friendship, Judaism, Mentorship, and Community, a vision Tifereth Israel's Men's Club has adopted. The annual calendar opens with a Sunday morning minyan, breakfast and nature walk with Congregation Brothers of Israel and continues with an Eagles tailgate party, a Phillies Playoff Watch Party, Sukkah construction help, a Sukkah Mediterranean Bash, a Man of the Year Roast and Toast brunch, a Latke Breakfast for the Hebrew School, axe throwing, trivia breakfasts, a multi-part "Israel, from a Dream to Reality" series, Worldwide Wrap, Shabbat Across America, an Israel Independence Day Celebration, Yom Hashoah Yellow Candle distribution, and sports pools for NFL football and NCAA basketball.
"This is an organization of the members, by the members, and for the members," the Men's Club writes. Members are invited to suggest programs for consideration.
The Gift Shop and the Bucks County Food Bank
Tifereth Israel houses the Bucks County Food Bank on its premises, taking on a community-wide role that extends beyond the congregation. Sisterhood's Shared Meals, run with Bensalem Presbyterian Church on the second Thursday of each month, complements the food-bank presence, and other community-service projects and a Blood Drive are part of the congregation's social-action calendar.
The Sisterhood runs a Gift Shop inside the building, offering what members describe as "a wide selection of merchandise at affordable prices." The shelves carry a large collection of mezuzahs, Shabbat candlesticks, Challah boards, serving trays, Tzedakah boxes, Hamsas, jewelry, and B'nai Mitzvah and Wedding gifts. The shop is open during synagogue events and when Hebrew School is in session. An illustrated slideshow of the inventory is available to browse. Purchases at the Gift Shop support Sisterhood and, in turn, the congregation.
For pastoral needs, a Bereavement Support Group meets on the third Wednesday of each month from 7:00 to 8:00 pm.
Membership, Tzedakah, and an Open Hand to All
"Tifereth Israel is an energetic and welcoming synagogue in Lower Bucks County." The congregation is "passionate about the inclusion of all people, all levels of Jewish knowledge and experience, all financial means, and families just like yours." Members pray in traditional Jewish modes and "we embody the best of what it means to practice an age-old religion in the contemporary world."
The congregation has been a force in education, religious services, and community events in Bucks County for more than four decades. Beyond the synagogue's walls, it houses the Bucks County Food Bank and runs weekly Torah Study. Inside, the Judy Sare Nursery School offers year-round educational programs and summer camp with an age-appropriate grounding in Jewish ritual and holidays.
Those interested in joining are invited to come for a visit. Inquiries can be sent to Ira Pogachefsky, the synagogue's Membership Vice President, or to Stephanie Sloane, Membership Chair.
Tzedakah, giving to the synagogue's many funds, is structured to accommodate a range of motivations. A $72 donation inscribes an "In Honor of" or "In Memory of" line on the inside cover of a Prayer Book. A $136 donation inscribes the same on a Chumash, a Hebrew and English text version of the Torah. Both donations send an acknowledgment card to the recipient. Honor and Memory cards are available at $10, $18, $36, $50, and $100, for birthdays, anniversaries, Bar or Bat Mitzvahs, Confirmations, graduations, weddings, births, new homes, speedy-recovery wishes, thank-you notes, and condolences.
The named funds include the Edith and Al Karp Memorial Fund, the congregation's general fund; the Melvin S. Chapman Memorial Fund, which helps fund scholarship and financial aid for Hebrew School students; the Shelley T. Schorr Memorial Fund, which helps fund scholarship and financial aid for JTE students; the Judy Sare Nursery School Fund; the Jason Rubin Memorial Fund, which supports the teen center; and the Youth Scholarship Fund, which supports the youth of T.I. Donations can be made online through PayPal or by calling the synagogue office.
The synagogue's membership base slid from 250 to under 130 before the pandemic and has been climbing again since. Rabbi Schnitzer has put the spirit of the place in a single image, one he uses when he meets a prospective member: members "fight like family," but "when something happens, we celebrate and grieve together." It is that feeling of family, he says, that has kept Congregation Tifereth Israel alive, and that keeps drawing new families in.