{"id":26525,"date":"2025-11-06T11:13:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T11:13:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/26525\/"},"modified":"2025-11-06T11:13:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T11:13:08","slug":"lower-merion-synagogue-overbrook-presbyterian-church-form-partnership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/26525\/","title":{"rendered":"Lower Merion synagogue, Overbrook Presbyterian Church form partnership"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi, Lower Merion<\/a>! \ud83d\udc4b<\/p>\n

After a fire destroyed part of Overbrook Presbyterian Church, a Wynnewood synagogue stepped up to help. In the wake, the two forged a deeper interfaith partnership<\/a>. Also this week, voters cast ballots for members of the school board<\/a>, Regional Rail delays<\/a> are likely to continue, the community remembers<\/a> Gladwyne resident and beloved radio host Pierre Robert, plus several area restaurants are dishing up Thanksgiving takeout meals<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Despite differing religious backgrounds, Rabbi Ethan Witkovsky of Temple Beth Hillel-Beth El in Wynnewood and Reverend Adam Hearlson of nearby Overbrook Presbyterian Church, have formed a close friendship that\u2019s brought their two houses of worship together in unexpected ways. <\/p>\n

That friendship, formed at a barbecue in 2023, quickly deepened in 2024 when a fire broke out at the church, displacing parishioners. Shortly after, when an \u201cOur Community Stands With Israel\u201d sign was vandalized at the synagogue, the church stood up to show its support. <\/p>\n

Those moments are part of a larger \u201cself-sustaining cycle of camaraderie\u201d between the two congregations that\u2019s become a \u201cdeeply profound\u201d partnership, The Inquirer\u2019s Denali Sagner reports<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\ud83d\udca1 Community News<\/p>\n

Voters headed to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in a number of local and state races. In case you missed it, Democrats swept the school board race<\/a> while Democrat Andrea Baptiste is projected to be the next jury commissioner. Statewide, voters chose to retain three of Pennsylvania\u2019s Supreme Court justices<\/a>, Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht. See more results here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

SEPTA has been granted an extension for emergency inspections and repairs to its Silverliner IV Regional Rail cars after several fires this year. Unable to make an original Oct. 31 deadline, the agency now has until Nov. 14 to complete inspections and until Dec. 5 to install thermal protection circuits. Regional Rail delays are likely to continue during that time<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The community is mourning the unexpected death of legendary radio host Pierre Robert, who died last Wednesday<\/a> at the age of 70. The Gladwyne resident was celebrated at an informal gathering<\/a> in Rittenhouse Square over the weekend, while Preston & Steve last week<\/a> dedicated an entire show to their longtime WMMR colleague. Tribute messages have poured in from friends and musicians<\/a> alike, while one friend is working with MMR higher-ups to memorialize Robert on his beloved 1970s Volkswagen RV affectionately known as Minerva<\/a>. Take a look back at Robert\u2019s career in photos here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

A grand jury probe by district attorneys in Montgomery, Bucks, and Chester Counties<\/a> found that many smoke shops used \u201cmisleading packaging and fraudulent lab reports\u201d to sell banned substances. The grand jury report, released last week, comes after a 10-month joint investigation and calls for better enforcement of stores selling banned substances, as well as asking lawmakers to create a statewide licensing system for the sale of THC products. Earlier this year, an Inquirer investigation<\/a> found that Monty Smoke Shop in Narberth was selling a product more than 24-times the federal potency limit of Delta-9 THC. <\/p>\n

Food pantry needs are growing as the government shutdown drags on<\/a>. Bryn Mawr\u2019s ElderNet<\/a> is seeking shelf-stable goods in addition to certain personal hygiene items. Narberth Community Food Bank<\/a> has a running list of its most-needed items, which includes boxed pasta, pasta sauce, canned goods, and pantry staples like flour and sugar. And Friends of Linwood Park<\/a> has added a food donation bin, with collected items being distributed to Ardmore Food Pantry and Germantown Community Fridge. It joins the pop-up food pantry at Schauffele Plaza<\/a> in Ardmore, where those in need can help themselves, or donations can be left.<\/p>\n

Speaking of donations, Lower Merion residents dropped off between 200 and 300 boxes of nonperishable items at the polls on Tuesday\u00a0that will be distributed to local food banks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Bala Cynwyd-based Jewish Family and Children\u2019s Service of Greater Philadelphia finalized its merger<\/a> with Abramson Senior Care late last month. The merger is expected to enhance social services and healthcare programs for older adults and their families. <\/p>\n

At the end of last month, Gratz College broke ground on its Bala Cynwyd campus<\/a> project, about a year after purchasing the properties at 327 Levering Mill Road and 382 Bala Ave. They will be combined by a two-story glass atrium. When completed next year, the campus will have a digital archive lab and a theater featuring what it\u2019s described as \u201cHolocaust educational hardware and software.\u201d <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfeb Schools Briefing<\/p>\n

Gladwyne Elementary ranks No. 5 in the state among the best public elementary schools, according to the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings<\/a>, released last week. It\u2019s followed by Merion Elementary at No. 8. U.S. News ranks schools based on how many students are proficient or above proficient in reading\/language arts and math state assessments, as well as test results within the context of socioeconomic demographics.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a book fair at Merion Elementary and Black Rock is hosting its fall play today and tomorrow. There will be health screenings throughout next week. See the school district\u2019s full calendar here<\/a>. Belmont Hills Elementary is hosting its annual food drive<\/a> next week, which will support the Narberth Community Food Bank. Requested goods are divided by grade. And on Tuesday, Harriton High will host a presentation on the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program<\/a> at 7 p.m. for eighth to 10th grade families.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf7d\ufe0f On our Plate<\/p>\n

Making Thanksgiving plans but don\u2019t feel like cooking? A number of area restaurants, including White Dog Cafe, which has locations in Haverford and Wayne, are offering Thanksgiving takeout meals. White Dog\u2019s menu includes an 18-pound turkey, soup, two sides, and a pie, as well as \u00e0 la carte offerings<\/a>. <\/p>\n

A new boutique wine bar is opening tomorrow in Wayne, taking over the former longtime home of Cowan\u2019s Flower Shop. Nature\u2019s Vin specializes in natural wines, showcasing those made by women. The new shop has a barroom on one side and a storefront and a marketplace on the other<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Good news for the caffeinated and chronically online: The once staunchly anti-Wi-Fi cafe La Colombe has quietly been adding internet connectivity in its cafes this fall, including in Bryn Mawr<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfb3 Things to Do<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf78 Sober Cocktail Hour<\/a>: Sip two non-alcoholic cocktails at this event. \u23f0 Thursday, Nov. 6, 7-8:30 p.m. \ud83d\udcb5 $25 \ud83d\udccd Wallace Dry Goods<\/p>\n

\ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f First Friday<\/a>: This month\u2019s event includes in-store deals at a number of Ardmore businesses, plus live music and food. \u23f0 Friday, Nov. 7, 5 p.m. \ud83d\udcb5 Pay as you go \ud83d\udccd Downtown Ardmore<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc0 9th Annual Race for Peace Committee Community and Police Basketball Classic<\/a>: Take in some friendly games of three-on-three and five-on-five basketball, plus dunk and three-point shooting contests. \u23f0 Friday, Nov. 7, 6-10 p.m. \ud83d\udcb5 Free \ud83d\udccd Lower Merion High School<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf7f The Parent Trap<\/a>: Catch a screening of the beloved 1998 film starring Lindsay Lohan. There\u2019s another screening on Nov. 22. \u23f0 Saturday, Nov. 8, 11 a.m. \ud83d\udcb5 $6.75-$7.75 \ud83d\udccd Bryn Mawr Film Institute <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc3 Sean Hughes Memorial 5K and Fun Run<\/a>: Now in its third year, the race benefits the Sean A. Hughes Memorial Fund and its goal to build a memorial garden in memory of the beloved LMHS principal who was killed in a car crash<\/a> four years ago. \u23f0 Sunday, Nov. 9, 9 a.m. \ud83d\udcb5 $30-$40 \ud83d\udccd Lower Merion High School<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc15 The Dogist Live<\/a>: Elias Weiss Friedman, the Lower Merion native behind the popular canine-centric social media account and books, is bringing his show to Ardmore. \u23f0 Sunday, Nov. 9, 4 p.m. \ud83d\udcb5 $39.85-$77.63 \ud83d\udccd Ardmore Music Hall<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfe1 On the Market<\/p>\n

A Gladwyne estate with a carriage home and pool<\/a><\/p>\n

Built in 1938, this sprawling Gladwyne estate features a five-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bathroom main residence, in addition to a two-bedroom, two-bathroom carriage home. The main white painted stone house spans three levels, with a foyer, dining room, office, and living, family, and sitting rooms, each with their own fireplace, on the first floor. The kitchen has a double oven and island and connects to a breakfast nook. The second level is home to the primary suite, which spans its own wing and has walk-in closets, a sitting room, and an ensuite bathroom. Other features include a slate terrace, a pool, a three-stop elevator, and a walk-out basement with a bar and a stone fireplace. <\/p>\n

See more photos of the property here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Price: $2.8M | Size: 7,112 SF | Acreage: 2.47<\/p>\n

\ud83d\uddde\ufe0f What other Lower Merion residents are reading this week:<\/p>\n

By submitting your written, visual, and\/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer\u2019s Terms of Use<\/a>, including the grant of rights in Section 10.<\/p>\n

This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer\u2019s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com\/donate<\/a>. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org\/supporters<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hi, Lower Merion! \ud83d\udc4b After a fire destroyed part of Overbrook Presbyterian Church, a Wynnewood synagogue stepped up…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26526,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[183,185,184,186,17418],"class_list":{"0":"post-26525","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-lower-merion","8":"tag-lower-merion","9":"tag-lower-merion-headlines","10":"tag-lower-merion-news","11":"tag-lower-merion-township","12":"tag-lower-merion-wynnewood-overbrook-presbyterian-temple-beth-hillel-lmsd-school-board"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26525","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=26525"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26525\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}