Serendipity is a happy combination of fortunate and often unexpected circumstances. So it was with Temple Micah.
The story begins in the spring of 1969 when a group of liberal Jews felt the need for a new congregation which would be open and comfortable for all individuals wishing to
realize their own personal connection to Judaism. On Friday night, June 20, 1969, thirty people got together at the home of Paula and Stuart Gottlieb, who would become
Temple Micah’s 1st president, to create a new congregation. They decided to name it after the ancient prophet Micah, who lived 800 BCE and preached simply that man
should be just, kind, and humble. Irving and Jewel Seligman, Jack and Florence Mars, Ronald and Eileen Wolk, Howard and Judy Wolff, and Leila Rosenthal volunteered along
with the Gottliebs to serve on a steering committee that would provide leadership and direction.
The first congregational meeting of Temple Micah was a Friday evening service, held three weeks later on July 11th at the Rider College Chapel. It was “open to the
public,” as would be all future Temple Micah services, including High Holy Day services.
One of the early leaders and later a president of the congregation was Harry Kihn. Mr Kihn was recognized as a major contributor to the development of the first successful
color TV transmission system at RCA and was an active member of the Lawrenceville community. He and Stuart Gottlieb approached Reverend H. Dana Fearon III, who was pastor of
the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville, and requested permission for their young Jewish congregation to use the church’s beautiful sanctuary for its upcoming 1969 High
Holy Day services. This historic church had been founded as Maidenhead Church on a land grant in 1698. The current structure was built in 1764 and enlarged to its present
size in 1833. Reverend Fearon was enthusiastic about having a Jewish congregation share this church. He felt his congregation would benefit from the exposure to another
religion and people with different cultural backgrounds. This was surely serendipity. Reverend Fearon presented the idea to his church Trustees. They agreed to a one year
arrangement, which could be renewed if it worked satisfactorily. The first High Holy Day service was held that fall at the church with a guest rabbi, Rabbi Alexander
Schindler, who was then a Vice President of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC).
In early 1970, Jack Mars, Temple Micah’s 2nd President, learned about a rabbi in the area, Albert Ginsburgh, who was leading a floating congregation, Temple Judea,
which was then meeting in Doylestown. Rabbi Ginsburgh came from a tradition of scholarly Eastern European rabbis with a liberal philosophy. He always tempered his services
with warm humor and a whimsical charm and had already developed a strong following. He was quite eager to lead a young, part-time congregation, and when Jack told him about
Temple Micah, which now had a permanent home at the church, serendipity struck again.
In 1970 Al Ginsburgh became our first rabbi and remained so for the next 22 years. Even after he moved to Boston in the mid 1970’s when his wife Fruma, a prominent
gynecologist, took a position with the newly established Harvard Health Clinic, Rabbi Ginsburgh commuted ‘religiously’ for all scheduled services. Also in 1970,
Alfred Beck joined as our first cantor and served for 24 years. Soon thereafter Dorothy Koppelman started a small but active religious school, now named after a founder and
former president, Irving Seligman.
Since Temple Micah’s beginning, the staff and congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville as well as other community members of all faiths have played an
important role, whether participating in our regular services, interfaith services or Passover Seders. Pat Wight, an ordained Episcopal Minister, played organ and read at
our High Holy Day services for over 20 years. Over the past thirty five plus years, Temple Micah members and friends have always contributed to the upkeep of the church and
have generously supported their periodic capital fund raising projects. After all, this beautiful and historic church is our house of worship; and we are who we are, in
large part, due to our extraordinary relationship with their gracious staff and membership.
In 1992, when Rabbi Ginsburgh retired after 22 years, Temple Micah was forced, for the first time in its history, to search for a new “part-time” rabbi - not an
easy task. Providence smiled on us again. Rabbi Ellen Greenspan, who had served as an Assistant Rabbi and Director of Education at Rodeph Shalom in Philadelphia, had
recently returned from1 ½ years working and studying in Israel. She was now living in New Jersey and was looking to lead a part time congregation. It was a perfect match,
and that fall she officiated at her first of many High Holy Day services.
Rabbi Greenspan brought new energy and innovation to the congregation, including family services, during both High Holy Days and rest of the year. She guided our
acquisition of a beautiful Torah and ark as well as new, contemporary prayer books. The rabbi has also built a vibrant religious school that is now attended by eighty
children and she performs as many as a dozen bar/bat mitzvot a year.
When Al Beck retired in 1994, we were delighted to be able to attract Cantor Nat Entin, a prominent Philadelphia cantor and Jewish music educator. He performed superbly for
four years, and in 1998 we were blessed once again when Adrienne Rubin joined our Temple Micah family. Adrienne brings genuine warmth and an operatic quality to all of our
services; and together with the rabbi they create an enjoyable learning atmosphere for the children.
Behind all of this, we have been fortunate to have dedicated members on our Board of Trustees, led by our current president Bob Pollack, as well as many other volunteers
who serve this congregation.
We have every reason to believe that serendipity will continue, enabling Temple Micah to remain a vital institution in our community and always ‘open to the public’
for many years to come.
Serendipity is a happy combination of fortunate and often unexpected circumstances. So it was with Temple Micah.
The story begins in the spring of 1969 when a group of liberal Jews felt the need for a new congregation which would be open and comfortable for all individuals wishing to realize their own personal connection to Judaism. On Friday night, June 20, 1969, thirty people got together at the home of Paula and Stuart Gottlieb, who would become Temple Micah’s 1st president, to create a new congregation. They decided to name it after the ancient prophet Micah, who lived 800 BCE and preached simply that man should be just, kind, and humble. Irving and Jewel Seligman, Jack and Florence Mars, Ronald and Eileen Wolk, Howard and Judy Wolff, and Leila Rosenthal volunteered along with the Gottliebs to serve on a steering committee that would provide leadership and direction.
The first congregational meeting of Temple Micah was a Friday evening service, held three weeks later on July 11th at the Rider College Chapel. It was “open to the public,” as would be all future Temple Micah services, including High Holy Day services.
One of the early leaders and later a president of the congregation was Harry Kihn. Mr Kihn was recognized as a major contributor to the development of the first successful color TV transmission system at RCA and was an active member of the Lawrenceville community. He and Stuart Gottlieb approached Reverend H. Dana Fearon III, who was pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville, and requested permission for their young Jewish congregation to use the church’s beautiful sanctuary for its upcoming 1969 High Holy Day services. This historic church had been founded as Maidenhead Church on a land grant in 1698. The current structure was built in 1764 and enlarged to its present size in 1833. Reverend Fearon was enthusiastic about having a Jewish congregation share this church. He felt his congregation would benefit from the exposure to another religion and people with different cultural backgrounds. This was surely serendipity. Reverend Fearon presented the idea to his church Trustees. They agreed to a one year arrangement, which could be renewed if it worked satisfactorily. The first High Holy Day service was held that fall at the church with a guest rabbi, Rabbi Alexander Schindler, who was then a Vice President of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC).
In early 1970, Jack Mars, Temple Micah’s 2nd President, learned about a rabbi in the area, Albert Ginsburgh, who was leading a floating congregation, Temple Judea, which was then meeting in Doylestown. Rabbi Ginsburgh came from a tradition of scholarly Eastern European rabbis with a liberal philosophy. He always tempered his services with warm humor and a whimsical charm and had already developed a strong following. He was quite eager to lead a young, part-time congregation, and when Jack told him about Temple Micah, which now had a permanent home at the church, serendipity struck again.
In 1970 Al Ginsburgh became our first rabbi and remained so for the next 22 years. Even after he moved to Boston in the mid 1970’s when his wife Fruma, a prominent gynecologist, took a position with the newly established Harvard Health Clinic, Rabbi Ginsburgh commuted ‘religiously’ for all scheduled services. Also in 1970, Alfred Beck joined as our first cantor and served for 24 years. Soon thereafter Dorothy Koppelman started a small but active religious school, now named after a founder and former president, Irving Seligman.
Since Temple Micah’s beginning, the staff and congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville as well as other community members of all faiths have played an important role, whether participating in our regular services, interfaith services or Passover Seders. Pat Wight, an ordained Episcopal Minister, played organ and read at our High Holy Day services for over 20 years. Over the past thirty five plus years, Temple Micah members and friends have always contributed to the upkeep of the church and have generously supported their periodic capital fund raising projects. After all, this beautiful and historic church is our house of worship; and we are who we are, in large part, due to our extraordinary relationship with their gracious staff and membership.
In 1992, when Rabbi Ginsburgh retired after 22 years, Temple Micah was forced, for the first time in its history, to search for a new “part-time” rabbi - not an easy task. Providence smiled on us again. Rabbi Ellen Greenspan, who had served as an Assistant Rabbi and Director of Education at Rodeph Shalom in Philadelphia, had recently returned from1 ½ years working and studying in Israel. She was now living in New Jersey and was looking to lead a part time congregation. It was a perfect match, and that fall she officiated at her first of many High Holy Day services.
Rabbi Greenspan brought new energy and innovation to the congregation, including family services, during both High Holy Days and rest of the year. She guided our acquisition of a beautiful Torah and ark as well as new, contemporary prayer books. The rabbi has also built a vibrant religious school that is now attended by eighty children and she performs as many as a dozen bar/bat mitzvot a year.
When Al Beck retired in 1994, we were delighted to be able to attract Cantor Nat Entin, a prominent Philadelphia cantor and Jewish music educator. He performed superbly for four years, and in 1998 we were blessed once again when Adrienne Rubin joined our Temple Micah family. Adrienne brings genuine warmth and an operatic quality to all of our services; and together with the rabbi they create an enjoyable learning atmosphere for the children.
Behind all of this, we have been fortunate to have dedicated members on our Board of Trustees, led by our current president Bob Pollack, as well as many other volunteers who serve this congregation.
We have every reason to believe that serendipity will continue, enabling Temple Micah to remain a vital institution in our community and always ‘open to the public’ for many years to come.
Dr. Stanley Rosenberg 2005