Our History

Early 1980s -- Carl Glassman and Dinie Sulnitzer host seders, Shabbat services, and Hanukkah celebrations in their home and then at the Wedgwood Inn after its founding in 1982.

1990 -- Sandy Roth, who would later become KHN’s first rabbi, meets founding members during a Hanukkah celebration.

1993 -- Sandy Roth announces she’s enrolling in rabbinical school at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC).

1994 -- Sandy Roth leads the unnamed group in a Passover seder in the fall, and the group holds its first High Holiday service with about 150 attendees.

1994-1995 -- The group, now known as Kehilat HaNahar (KHN, or the Little Shul by the River), continues to hold about two events a month (mostly Friday night services) at public spaces in Lambertville and at the Solebury Meeting House. The Shul School also starts in 1994. As Sandy Roth pursues her rabbinical training at RRC, an affiliation with the Reconstructionist movement is established.

Jan. 1996 -- KHN purchases its building from Pam Minford, who was using the 1851 schoolhouse as a storage facility for her restaurant and catering business in Lambertville.

June 24, 1998 -- The building for Kehilat Hanahar has its dedication ceremony. Among the many comments during the ceremony, Reverend David Anderson of Trinity Episcopal Church said, “I think it’s a sign of vitality in the community. We need diverse faiths [in New Hope]".

September 1998 -- KHN hosts an art show featuring nationally recognized local artists, an early sign of what would become KHN’s tradition and practice of welcoming a diverse group of people from all walks of life.

2000 -- The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation presents founding member Abraham Leibson with the Tof Miriam Award for Artistry and Creativity. KHN wrote the following note in the gala program: “Thank you for your dedication, wisdom, and gentle creativity. You inspire each of us and have helped knit us together in community.”

Aug. 29, 2000 -- A spray-painted swastika and hateful statement were found on the side of KHN’s shed. Members from various religious and community organizations gather at the site and offer support to KHN.

Fall 2000 -- The swastika and hateful graffiti are covered over by the tile mosaic we now see, expressing themes of love and acceptance. The Council of Churches changes its name to the Delaware Valley Interfaith Council and invites Rabbi Sandy to join. She later goes on to be President of the organization.

2001-2008 -- As New Hope grows, so does KHN's membership.

2008-2011 -- Rabbi Sandy is diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.  A series of student rabbis help provide coverage as she, despite illness, continues to lead the congregation.

2011-- Having battled cancer for three years, Rabbi Sandy dies at 58.

2011 -- After an extensive search, Rabbi Diana Miller is hired to be the new spiritual leader at KHN.

2017 -- A successful “Burn the Mortgage” campaign results in the Little Shul paying off its mortgage.

2018 --  KHN membership continues to hold strong and steady, with Rabbi Diana Miller leading the congregation.  The life of the community continues to grow.

2019 --  KHN celebrates it's 25th anniversary! KHN held a fundraiser, a picnic, and a special Kabbalat Shabbat as part of the festivities.  The 25th anniversary was celebrated with an article in the Jewish Exponent newspaper that you can read HERE. 

2024 - - Rabbi Janine Jankovitz becomes the new spiritual leader of KHN.

The Rich History of Our Synagogue Building

Kehilat HaNahar’s building possesses a deep, rich history that embodies the many diverse facets of New Hope’s past two centuries.  It sits on one of the highest elevations in New Hope, a site that was used during the Revolutionary War as a redoubt (lookout or bunker) by General George Washington’s troops to help protect New Hope from the British army¹.

Circa 1850, the New Hope School District constructed a school on the site; it served that purpose for nearly 90 years.

From 1941 through 1996 the building was a stained-glass studio for renowned artist Valentine D'Ogries until his passing in 1959. For the next two years it was owned by well-respected Solebury physician and collector of art, Dr. Kenneth Leiby.  The building then became Albert’s Old School House Inn, a restaurant, and was later used by local restauranteur and catering icon Pamela Minford to store catering supplies.  Pamela was very supportive of the local Jewish community, helping with the process of purchasing the building.

In January 1996, the growing Kehilat HaNahar congregation purchased the building.  According to Abraham Leibson and Carl Glassman, both founding members, the first Passover seder was held in the building before renovations began. There were large holes in the floor, muck in the basement, and debris all around.  As everyone needed plastic hard hats for the event, it became known as the “Hard Hat Seder”.  

Hard Hat Ceremony - 1996

As part of the building renovation, the new congregation needed to plug nearly 3,000 holes in the walls and ceilings but wherever possible, proudly maintained the original architectural elements, including the pressed tin ceilings, the tall seven-foot windows, the roll-up room dividers, the beautiful woodwork, the back porch, and the iconic bell tower. 

The official synagogue building dedication took place in June of 1998.  Stained glass windows funded by congregants were later added to the tall windows.

Today, The Museum of Modern Art in New York City houses the striking early 19^th century painting by renowned New Hope artist Joseph Pickett, titled “Manchester Valley”.  The painting depicts William Maris’s Lepanto Mills and the New Hope and Ivyland railroad in the foreground, with an oversized depiction of the old schoolhouse, now known as Kehilat HaNahar, sitting atop the hill overlooking the town.  Maris apparently employed immigrant workers who lived in housing constructed east of the mill along Mechanic Street. Coming from the British Isles, these immigrants called their new home "Manchester Valley".

Historical references are from "New Hope, Pennsylvania: River Town Passages" by Roy Ziegler for the New Hope Historical Society (iUniverse, 2008), pp. 75-76.