Beth Tfiloh Congregation is a

Modern Orthodox Modern may refer to: History *Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Philosoph ...

congregation in

Pikesville, Maryland Pikesville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. Pikesville is just northwest of the Baltimore city limits. It is the northwestern suburb closest to Baltimore. The population was 30,764 at the 2010 cens ...

, having 3,500 members. The

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

seats 1,600 persons. Beth Tfiloh says it is the largest Modern Orthodox congregation in the U.S.

History

Beth Tfiloh Congregation was founded in

Forest Park A forest park is a park whose main theme is its forest of trees. Forest parks are found both in the mountains and in the urban environment. Examples Chile * Forest Park, Santiago China *Gongqing Forest Park, Shanghai * Mufushan National Fores ...

in 1921 with

Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

Samuel Rosenblatt, son of

Cantor A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds. In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...

Yossele Rosenblatt Josef "Yossele" Rosenblatt (May 9, 1882 – June 19, 1933) was a Ukrainian-born chazzan (cantor) and composer. He was regarded as the greatest cantor of his time. Biography Rosenblatt was born on May 9, 1882, in Bila Tserkva, Russian Empire. T ...

, who served in that capacity until 1972 when he was named Rabbi Emeritus. From 1972 to 1977, David Novak served as Chief Rabbi. He was succeeded by Mitchell Wohlberg, who served as Chief Rabbi of Beth Tfiloh Congregation from 1978 to 2021. In 2022, Rabbi Chai Posner succeeded Rabbi Wohlberg as senior Rabbi of the community. Rabbi Dr. Eli Yoggev serves as associate Rabbi, and Rabbi Chaim Wecker serves as ritual director. Beth Tfiloh operates the

Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School is a private community Jewish day school in Baltimore County, Maryland. It encompasses preschool through twelfth grade. The school has one campus in Pikesville. The campus includes the PreSchool, Lower School ...

Pikesville Pikesville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. Pikesville is just northwest of the Baltimore city limits. It is the northwestern suburb closest to Baltimore. The population was 30,764 at the 2010 cens ...

for children from preschool to twelfth grade. The Congregation also operates the Beth Tfiloh Camp in

Owings Mills Owings Mills is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Baltimore. Per the 2020 census, the population was 35,674. Owings Mills is home to the northern terminus of ...

on property acquired in 1951 as a camp for youth groups.

Beth El Congregation

In 1948, a group of nine lay leaders of Beth Tfiloh Congregation advocated for holding mixed-gender religious services and expanded b'nei mitzvah ceremonies.Our History
. ''Beth El Congregation''. Retrieved October 14, 2016. Their advocacy was unsuccessful, and instead they formed Beth El Congregation.

Beth Jacob Congregation

On March 8, 2007, Beth Tfiloh announced that it would merge with Beth Jacob Congregation, a 69-year-old congregation run at the time by Rabbi Gavriel Newman. Beth Jacob Congregation's membership had decreased over the years, and it was at about 500 in 2007, most of whom were age 75 or older. In a vote whether to go forward with the merger, 87 percent of Beth Jacob Congregation's members voted in favor. The merger happened in August 2007. Rabbi Newman decided to start a new congregation called Kehal Yaakov.

Winands Road Synagogue

Winands Road Synagogue was chartered in 1985, and was the last-remaining synagogue in the once-thriving neighborhood of

Randallstown Randallstown is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It is named after Christopher and Thomas Randall, two 18th-century tavern-keepers. At that time, Randallstown was a tollgate cro ...

. In 2016, the synagogue announced its decision to close its doors. In March 2018, a formal merger was announced between the two shuls, with Winands Road Synagogue members invited to formally join the Beth Tfiloh community and welcomed in a special Shabbat service in April 2018. The Winands Road building was later sold.

Notable members

Benjamin Cardin Benjamin Louis Cardin (born October 5, 1943) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Maryland, a seat he has held since 2007. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously was the U.S. representativ ...

, the senior

U.S. senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from Maryland.

References

External links

*
Maryland Historical Trust: History of Beth Tfiloh Congregation
— ''on Garrison Blvd. in Baltimore (1927 to 1966) + Pikesville (1966 to present)''. {{Authority control Jews and Judaism in Pikesville, Maryland Modern Orthodox Judaism in Maryland Modern Orthodox synagogues in the United States Orthodox synagogues in Maryland Religious buildings and structures in Pikesville, Maryland Synagogues in Baltimore County, Maryland Jews and Judaism in Baltimore Synagogues in Baltimore Jewish organizations established in 1927 1927 establishments in Maryland Synagogues completed in 1927 Synagogues completed in 1966