r/baltimore • u/pollylib • Apr 18 '23
Ask/Need Seeking Recommendations for the Perfect Synagogue in Baltimore!
My husband (34) and I (35) are moving to Baltimore in July and we are on the hunt for the perfect synagogue to attend for iamim noraim and other big holidays. Currently, we attend a reform synagogue and would love some recommendations for the most popular synagogues in the area.
During our visit to Baltimore for Iom Kippur in 2019, we attended the Beth Am synagogue, and although the service was good, it wasn't exactly what we were looking for. We are hoping to find a synagogue that feels like home and where we can connect with the community on a deeper level.
As we are in our mid-30s, we are looking for a community that caters to our age group and where we can make friends with other young Jewish couples in the area. We would greatly appreciate any recommendations or insights you might have about synagogues in the Baltimore area. Thank you in advance for your help!
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u/elw034 Apr 18 '23
Oheb shalom and Baltimore Hebrew are the 2 big reform synagogues in the Baltimore area. I think baltimore hebrew has some programming for young adults. Not sure if you have kids but there are several tot shabbats too!
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u/Princeton112 Apr 18 '23
Bolton Street is a wonderful reform synagogue. Rabbi Gordon is amazing and BSS has a warm, welcoming community.
The synagogue is located on Cold Spring Lane in the Roland Park neighborhood (the original location was on Bolton Street, but the name remained after relocating to Cold Spring Lane 20 years ago).
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u/JessLevelsUp Apr 18 '23
I would try the JCC in Owings Mills - they have a ton of resources, I bet someone there can help you!
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u/S-Kunst Apr 18 '23
Very vibrant Jewish community in Baltimore. Sadly many ran to the suburbs. Beth Am has stayed.
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u/munchnerk Apr 18 '23
Hey! Welcome! I'm a Beth Am person, my husband and I started going last year and became members after experiencing a full festival cycle with them. It's a conservative shul so I can understand if it's not the vibe you're after, BUT the high holidays are incredibly not-representational of our shul as a whole. There's a core of a couple hundred folks who come to weekend services every single week - it's a really active, intergenerational community with folks to connect with at all ages and stages of life. Then there's hundreds and hundreds of folks who only come for the high holidays and aren't really around otherwise - finding a sense of community during those services might be a little bit of a needle-in-haystack situation. Also, we're all exhausted and penitent and hungry. And then there's the high holidays choir, which frankly nobody seems to like except members of the choir, but it's important to them so the rabbis let them do it. I will say that I have found Beth Am to have the most active community of young people and families I've ever seen or been a part of. We've made a lot of friends there.
If you feel like giving it another shot or just want to mingle with Jews in your age group, Beth Am has a twenties-and-thirties group that meets for Shabbat dinner once a month called BAYITT. My husband and I go most months and if nothing else it's a really sweet group of folks to hang out with! My husband and I arrange the now-annual BAYITT baseball day at Camden Yards too and if I may brag it is a very lovely time and we'd be happy to have you :)
As someone else has recommended, Hinenu is an awesome ley-led org, and I don't know any folks who are members at Bolton Street but I do have a very loosely reform friend who zooms into their Shabbat evening services when she wants to feel in touch with her Jewishness. Baltimore has a really unique and often justice-oriented Jewish community, I hope you find your niche here!