Temple Adath Israel of the Main Line

If I had written this review after visiting only a few times, I would rave about it. The Rabbi is outgoing, the Cantor has a wonderful voice and a thoughtful grasp of the liturgy and theology, the regulars (enough to fill the smaller chapel even in the summer) are active, and the Torah study (which meets downstairs during the Torah service) is engaging. If you are planning to attend services for the High Holidays and maybe a couple other times a year, this place is great.
Having gone every week for a year, I can’t quite rave about it. The Rabbi wears on you after a while. He is always «on» and has catch phrases that the congregation and the Cantor have started to mock. A recent merger with a smaller synagogue is not going well (do mergers ever go well?) and you will hear griping if you talk to the right people. Torah study is fun and you will learn something, guaranteed. The Torah study regulars pose thoughtful questions and have meaningful, open discussions. Mike, the lay group leader, is well-​versed in Biblical Judaism and always comes well-​prepared. They are open to pretty much all interpretations of the Torah and are always happy to have newcomers, whether you plan to come regularly, just once, or off-​and-​on. My only complaint here is that the group used to be more discussion-​focused and has become a bit more lecture-​style over the year. That said, when you interrupt Mike and pose a discussion question, it usually generates thoughtful discussion from the group. I still rave about the Cantor — he is awesome.