Hand in hand, two Cherry Hill synagogues unify into one, with participation by members of each a goal.

Services began at a symbolic 7 p.m. last Friday as the Jewish congregations of M'kor Shalom and Temple Emanuel joined in worship for the first time.

The starting time represents a recurring theme in the unification of the two Reform synagogues in Cherry Hill. M'kor Shalom services were at 6:30 p.m. and Temple Emanuel's were at 7:30 p.m.

The merged congregations compromised at 7.

Compromise, agreement and inclusion have fueled the unification of the synagogues, following a two-year spiritual, legal and financial process that became official last Thursday (June 30) with the formation of Congregation Kol Ami.

The first meeting of Kol Ami's executive committee, made up of members from each former congregation, is this Wednesday.

Even selecting a new name — Kol Ami means "Voice of Our People" — involved members of each congregation who were asked for their nominations, congregation Co-presidents Sallie Brown, from Temple Emanuel, and Drew Molotsky, from M'kor Shalom, told 70and73.com in an interview at the synagogue on Friday a couple of hours before services began.

More than 100 suggestions were made, and the committee in charge of reviewing potential names vetted each. The long list was pared down to 30, from which five finalists were selected, the co-presidents explained.

Members then voted, ranking their choices from one to five. Molotsky said it was not even close, with 80% of members selecting Kol Ami for their first- or second-place choices.

The new congregation's home is in the former Temple Emanuel at Springdale and Kresson roads. M'kor Shalom, on Evesham Road near the Voorhees and Evesham borders, will be sold.

» EARLIER ARTICLE: How the merger of two longtime Cherry Hill synagogues will work.

Joining the two congregations was marked by a "March of the Torahs" ceremony on Sunday, June 26, when about 200 people carried M'kor Shalom's Torah scripture books just over two miles on Evesham and Kresson roads to Temple Emanuel, where they were met by 100 other celebrants.

Video courtesy The Lubetkin Media Companies

"We're getting married, we're moving in together," Molotsky said. "We're moving into her home," he added with a smile across the table at Brown.

In fact, a symbolic wedding ceremony and party is being planned for this fall.

Just as when a couple moves in together, furnishings from each synagogue are being combined. Stained-glass windows, artwork and commemorative plaques are among the M'kor Shalom holdings moving into the former Temple Emanuel. 

The 850 Evesham Road M'kor Shalom property is being subdivided, and the wooded part to the east will be sold to Public Service Electric & Gas Co. for a new electrical substation. 

Molotsky said the synagogue part of the property on the west side now is under contract for a sale and that he could not say more, other than it will have a similar use.

"It's not being torn down," Molotsky said of the new owner's plans.

Early childhood education schools from M'kor Shalom and Temple Emanuel are being combined into one at Kol Ami. The pre-K program for the fall already is filled and the school has a waiting list, Brown said.

Kol Ami also offers a Camp Sunshine summer program and the congregations' religious schools will be joined into one and overseen by an employee from each of the temples.

Molotsky, excusing himself for using a cliché, said the whole of the combination will be greater than the sum of its two parts. 

"We will be in a very strong financial position once it's all settled," said Molotsky, who lives in Mount Laurel but grew up on Cherry Hill's west side.

The unexpectedly early sale of the M'kor Shalom building provides support, he said. Leaders originally budgeted to pay the costs of the building for more than 18 months, and now the sale of the temple is expected to close in October. 

As a combined congregation of as many as 700 to 800 families, Kol Ami will be able to be more aggressive and innovative in programming, education and philanthropy than either was before, Molotsky explained.

Molotsky is a lawyer and Brown is an accountant — professions that aided them in their roles in the unification.

But they said the unification effort had guidance from experts.

Law firm Ballard Spahr, based in Philadelphia, provided legal work free of charge, they said.

And M'kor Shalom member David Weinberg, whose career has been spent guiding corporate mergers and acquisitions, was the "main point person" and led a team of four core team members (two from M'kor Shalom and two from Temple Emanuel) in working through details of the combination. Overall, more than 100 members were involved in some aspect of the unification.

Even the clergy team reflects the blend. 

Temple Emanuel Rabbi Jerome P. David last September retired as senior rabbi and became rabbi emeritus, a role he will continue at Kol Ami. Rabbi Jennifer L. Frenkel, who was senior rabbi at M'kor Shalom, is Kol Ami's senior rabbi.

Cantor Rhoda J. Harrison, of M'kor Shalom, is the Kol Ami Senior Cantor, joined by Cantor Neil M. Schnitzer, who was at Temple Emanuel.

"We have a lot of work to do," Brown, of Cherry Hill, said. "This is just the beginning."