Chabad of Penn Wynne
Chabad of Penn Wynne is a Jewish outreach organization serving the Jewish community of Wynnewood and the surrounding area. At Chabad, everyone is welcome! From young families to seniors, we offer programs and events for all ages and stages—from Hebrew School and family holiday programs, including events at the Greenhill Condominium, to adult learning through JLI, daily services, our weekly Shabbat minyan and Kiddush. We are here to make Jewish life accessible, meaningful, and welcoming to everyone in our community.
You may recognize us from community events like our Chanukah Gelt Drop with the Penn Wynne Fire Station, Shavuot Ten Commandments reading and ice cream at the Penn Wynne Library, or Shofar in the Park. We bring Judaism right to your doorstep too, from delivering Shmurah Matzah to bringing a Sukkah or Menorah to your home. Whether you have a Jewish question, need assistance, or simply want to connect, Chabad is here for you. Don’t hesitate to reach out—we look forward to welcoming you! To stay connected with everything happening at Chabad, sign up for our weekly emails using the “subscribe” tab above.
Our Staff
Rabbi Moshe & Devorah Brennan
Rabbi Moshe and Devorah Brennan have been serving the Penn Wynne Jewish community since 2011, with a vision of building a warm, welcoming Jewish community where everyone—regardless of background or level of observance—feels at home, connected, and inspired to participate in Jewish life.
Rabbi Moshe was raised in Brooklyn, NY, where he attended Oholei Torah in Crown Heights before continuing his studies in Manchester, England and Miami, Florida. He later received Rabbinic Ordination from the Central Lubavitch Yeshiva. Devorah was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, where she attended Hebrew Academy of Cape Town and Herzlia High School, followed by Bais Rivkah teacher’s seminary. In 2004, they moved to the Main Line, where Rabbi Moshe and Devorah served as Directors of Programming at Chabad of the Main Line. In 2011, they moved to Wynnewood to direct Chabad activities in the Penn Wynne area. Today, Rabbi Moshe oversees community outreach, educational programs, services, and adult learning, while Devorah leads women’s programming, children’s and family initiatives, and community events. Together, they are raising their seven children while working to make Jewish life accessible and meaningful to every member of the community
About Chabad-Lubavitch
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The Philosophy Chabad-Lubavitch is a philosophy, a movement, and an organization. It is considered to be the most dynamic force in Jewish life today. Lubavitch appropriately means the “city of brotherly love”The word “Chabad” is a Hebrew acronym for the three intellectual faculties of chochmah—wisdom, binah—comprehension and da’at—knowledge. The movement’s system of Jewish religious philosophy, the deepest dimension of G‑d’s Torah, teaches understanding and recognition of the Creator, the role and purpose of creation, and the importance and unique mission of each creature. This philosophy guides a person to refine and govern his or her every act and feeling through wisdom, comprehension and knowledge. The word “Lubavitch” is the name of the town in White Russia where the movement was based for more than a century. Appropriately, the word Lubavitch in Russian means the “city of brotherly love.” The name Lubavitch conveys the essence of the responsibility and love engendered by the Chabad philosophy toward every single Jew. The Movement Following its inception 250 years ago, the Chabad-Lubavitch movement—a branch of Hasidism—swept through Russia and spread in surrounding countries as well. It provided scholars with answers that eluded them, and simple farmers with a love that had been denied them. Eventually the philosophy of Chabad-Lubavitch and its adherents reached almost every corner of the world and affected almost every facet of Jewish life. The Leadership No person or detail was too small or insignificant for their love and dedicationThe movement is guided by the teachings of its seven leaders (“Rebbes”), beginning with Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi of righteous memory (1745–1812). These leaders expounded upon the most refined and delicate aspects of Jewish mysticism, creating a corpus of study thousands of books strong. They personified the age-old Biblical qualities of piety and leadership. And they concerned themselves not only with Chabad-Lubavitch, but with the totality of Jewish life, spiritual and physical. No person or detail was too small or insignificant for their love and dedication. In our generation, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of righteous memory (1902–1994), known simply as “the Rebbe,” guided post-holocaust Jewry to safety from the ravages of that devastation. The Organization The origins of today’s Chabad-Lubavitch organization can be traced to the early 1940s, when the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn of righteous memory (1880–1950), appointed his son-in-law and later successor, Rabbi Menachem Mendel, to head the newly founded educational and social service arms of the movement. Today 4,000 full-time emissary families direct more than 3,300 institutions Motivated by his profound love for every Jew and spurred by his boundless optimism and self-sacrifice, the Rebbe set into motion a dazzling array of programs, services and institutions to serve every Jew. Today 4,000 full-time emissary families apply 250-year-old principles and philosophy to direct more than 3,300 institutions (and a workforce that numbers in the tens of thousands) dedicated to the welfare of the Jewish people worldwide |
