Reform
History
Reform Judaism believes that the Torah was not written word for word by God. Rather, it is a humanly authored document inspired by God. Reform Jews do not believe in the direct observance of all of the laws, but they retain the values and ethics of Judaism overall.
Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom
The congregation was first established in Reading in 1865, and since then has moved to several sites throughout the city. The congregation moved to the current location in Wyomissing in October of 1998. Their Ark, which is unique in that it has glass doors, houses five Torahs, one of which is called the Westminster Scroll, which was sent to the US after World War II, because no one from the town in Hungary from which it came survived the war. The sanctuary contains the windows from the previous synagogue and was designed with an emphasis on light, so the Hebrew scripture above the Ark reads "For You are the fountain of life; by Your light do we see light." (Psalm 36:10)
Photos
Click the thumbnails for larger images. Photo by Rebecca Krieger unless otherwise noted.
The exterior of Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom, in Wyomissing.
The sanctuary of Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom, in Wyomissing.