{"id":224091,"date":"2026-06-20T22:07:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T22:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/224091\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T22:07:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T22:07:09","slug":"jewish-and-christian-congregations-team-up-to-provide-respite-at-west-reading-arts-on-the-avenue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/224091\/","title":{"rendered":"Jewish and Christian congregations team up to provide “respite” at West Reading Arts on the Avenue"},"content":{"rendered":"

There were plenty of opportunities to spend some money in Penn Avenue in West Reading on Saturday.<\/p>\n

With the borough hosting its popular annual Arts on the Avenue event, vendors of all sorts lined both sides of the thoroughfare.<\/p>\n

Displays featured candles and clothing. Brisket and beer were available. People could enjoy crafts and lemonade and artwork.<\/p>\n

But in the midst of all of those stands there was a financial oasis, a place where families could find something for free.<\/p>\n

For the second year in a row, Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom and Reading City Church teamed up to offer visitors to the event free refreshments, an air-conditioned space to escape the warm and crowded streets, free activities for kids and a chance to help out an important local nonprofit organization. City Church is located along Penn Avenue in West Reading.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is really just an attempt to provide a respite for families during Arts on the Avenue,\u201d said Rabbi Brian Michelson, leader of the Wyomissing synagogue.<\/p>\n

The effort is also a way for two different religious groups \u2014 one Jewish and one Christian \u2014 to show unity, Michelson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea is to really show that the faith community can stand together,\u201d the rabbi said.<\/p>\n

Sarah Bateman, pastor of spiritual life and community at Reading City Church, said now is a crucial time to share that message.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like very story you hear is about one more thing dividing us,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Bateman said people have lost focus on each other\u2019s humanity, instead focusing angrily on differences in opinions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to do something different,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Michelson said he hopes families who stopped by on Saturday hear that message and apply it to their own lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want them to see the fact that we are together, that we choose to work together,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have differences, but we have more in common.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with serving visitors to Saturday\u2019s event, the congregations accepted donations for Mary\u2019s Shelter, a local organization that provides housing and other services for young expectant or new mothers, as well as for teens.<\/p>\n

\u201cMary\u2019s Shelter has always been an organization in our neighborhood that is doing incredible work,\u201d Bateman said. \u201cProviding spaces, something to call their own, is so important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Activities during Art on the Avenue included music, artists and craftspeople at work, a showcase for borough businesses and Safe Berks annual Walk for No More to raise awareness of the dangers of domestic violence.<\/p>\n

\"SavannahSavannah Cornelius, staff member at Reading City Church, points out a spot on which to doodle with chalk to Colt katkowski, 5, who was there with his mom Maria and brother, 1, all of Hamburg, during Art on the Avenue in West Reading on Saturday, June 20, 2026. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)
\n\"TheThe Safe Berks Walk for No More begins the Art on the Avenue in West Reading on Saturday, June 20, 2026. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)
\n\"FestivalgoersFestivalgoers pick vote for their favorite plein air artists during Art on the Avenue in West Reading on Saturday, June 20, 2026. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)
\n\"RhettRhett Hawkings, 3, son of Angela Hawkins of Hamburg, plays with bubbles aat the Reading City Church during Art on the Avenue in West Reading on Saturday, June 20, 2026. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There were plenty of opportunities to spend some money in Penn Avenue in West Reading on Saturday. With…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":224092,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[349,182,139,28,128,130,129,706],"class_list":["post-224091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-berks-county","tag-local-news","tag-news","tag-pennsylvania","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news","tag-top-stories-reg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=224091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224091\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/224092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=224091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=224091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=224091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}