About Us

Congregation Or Ami is a dynamic Reform synagogue and the center of Jewish life in the Lafayette Hill area. We foster meaningful experiences through life-long education, spiritual worship, social action and acts of loving kindness. We believe in transforming our tomorrow by inspiring and supporting an inclusive and diverse congregation. With links to our past and an imaginative and contemporary eye towards the future, we practice Judaism filled with compassion, love, music and joy. Our connected congregation shines an innovative light on our Jewish traditions as we support each other through life’s most significant moments.

In 1947, the "Jewish Community Group of Roxborough" was founded, evolving into the Ivy Ridge Jewish Community Center in 1949. Initially affiliated with the Conservative Movement, we later joined the Reform Movement and were renamed Congregation Or Ami in 1965. Since the beginning, we have remained a beacon of Jewish life, undergoing several renovations. Led by esteemed rabbis, including Rabbi Seymour Prystowsky and Rabbi Kenneth Carr, we continue to thrive under Senior Rabbi Glenn Ettman and Cantor Jordan Franzel. For the full history, click the button below.

Full Or Ami History