The Shtiebel

What The Shtiebel does

The Shtiebel (legal name: South Philadelphia Shtiebel) is a registered 501c3 Modern Orthodox Jewish community founded in 2018-2019 by Rabbanit Dasi Fruchter and headquartered at 1311 S. Juniper Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, where it operates a second-floor davening space with an accessible platform lift, a Beit Midrash and library, a children's playlab, and a sukkah. The organization's core offerings are prayer services (Shabbat and holiday davening), structured Torah learning across multiple tracks (Tuesday Night Torah, Daven Learn Work, Mishna Yomit, Foundations of Halachic Life, Chassidut, Meta Halacha Chabura, and women's Rosh Chodesh gatherings), and communal hospitality including a weekly dairy kiddush lunch and delivered meals. Youth and family programming covers Kids Davening, Tot Shabbat, Family Musical Kabbalat Shabbat, and sensory-friendly activities. The Shtiebel is positioned as a "radically inclusive" Orthodox congregation, participating in the Eshel Welcoming Shul's Project and maintaining a reserved nonbinary seating section, while remaining within Orthodox halacha.

The organization operates without proprietary technology, relying instead on commodity platforms to extend its reach and operations. The Zoom Room (meeting ID 9099867176) provides virtual attendance for davening and learning; Slack functions as the day-to-day community engagement channel; Givebutter processes donations, sponsorships, and High Holiday seat reservations; Typeform collects RSVPs and community forms; Buzzsprout, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music distribute the RaDaf Yomi daily Daf Yomi podcast hosted by Rabbanit Dasi Fruchter; and Google Calendar sync exposes the programming schedule. Paid staff are limited to 3-5 people (Founder/Spiritual Leader/Interim Executive Director, a separate Interim Executive Director, a Chief Executive Assistant, a Youth and Family Engagement Coordinator), with substantial operational reliance on a volunteer bench organized into named Team Leads for security, ritual, learning, space, and volunteer coordination, and on a Governing Board plus a 2024-constituted Advisory Board.

The revenue model is donation-only and structurally nonprofit: a free, no-membership-dues participation model layered with optional recurring Buildership subscriptions (monthly tiers from $36 to $500), an annual Tomchei Shtiebel major-donor society ($6,500 to $50,000+ with restricted-fund directing at higher tiers), one-time Kiddush and lifecycle sponsorships, High Holiday sponsorship, and broader one-time giving (DAFs, stock, employer match, direct gifts). Pricing language explicitly cites that Buildership is the financial backbone, with the Heart level ($180/month) designated as a level that, if matched by every household, would cover 45% of the budget, and the Shabbos Table tier ($125/month) framed as the full annual per-household cost of operating the Shtiebel. The primary customer base is the South Philadelphia Jewish community, including young families, LGBTQ Orthodox individuals and allies, Jewish learners at all levels, and community members in need of pastoral and material support.

Name

The Shtiebel

Legal name

South Philadelphia Shtiebel

Website

https://southphiladelphiashtiebel.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Shtiebel is a Modern Orthodox Jewish community center in South Philadelphia providing prayer services, Torah learning, youth and family programming, and lifecycle event support, funded via recurring Buildership subscriptions and a major-donor circle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Community Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

akta.pro primary industry

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Orthodox Jewish community
• Jewish prayer services
• Torah learning programs
• Jewish communal gatherings
• Religious community center

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Buildership Program: Monthly recurring subscription donations at various levels ($36-$500/month) that form the financial backbone of operations. These include The Shabbos Table ($125/month), The Drafting Table ($30/month), The Breakfast Nook ($100/month), The Cozy Armchair ($56/month), The Roofdeck View ($300/month), The Sustainer ($500/month), and custom amounts.
2. Tomchei Shtiebel Society: Annual major donor program at $6,500-$50,000+ per year with directing capabilities to specific focus areas like kiddush, youth programming, learning, and security.
3. Kiddush and Event Sponsorship: One-time sponsorship opportunities for communal meals and learning events, celebrating lifecycle events, anniversaries, yahrtzeits, and milestones.
4. High Holiday Sponsorship: Voluntary sponsorship for High Holiday services and programming, separate from free ticket reservation system.
5. One-time Donations: Individual donations through various channels including employer matching, donor-advised funds (DAF), stock donations, and direct giving.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Shtiebel is a Modern Orthodox Jewish community center that provides daily and Shabbat prayer services (davening), a structured slate of recurring Torah learning classes and chaburot, holiday programming across the Jewish calendar, youth and family programming, pastoral lifecycle support, and a meals and hospitality program for the Jewish community in South Philadelphia. All offerings are delivered free of charge, with community members supported through physical attendance, virtual Zoom participation, and an on-demand podcast (RaDaf Yomi).

Product overview

The Shtiebel is a Jewish community center providing a unified offering of spiritual services, learning programs, and community gatherings. The core offering centers on Orthodox Jewish prayer services (davening), Torah learning, and community hospitality. Key programs include weekly Tuesday Night Torah and Daven Learn Work sessions, RaDaf Yomi daily podcast, Foundations of Halachic Life classes, and Youth and Family Programming. The organization operates on a Buildership subscription model supplemented by Tomchei Shtiebel premium giving and Kiddush sponsorships. Holiday celebrations (Sukkot, Chanukah, Purim, Pesach, Shavuot, High Holidays) form seasonal programming anchors, while meals and hospitality services provide physical nourishment alongside spiritual programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Buildership: Monthly subscription program supporting the Shtiebel's operations, with tiers from $36/month to $360/month
• Tomchei Shtiebel

Products and services

• RaDaf Yomi Podcast Daily Daf Yomi Talmud-page learning podcast hosted by Rabbanit Dasi Fruchter, distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music for community members and broader listeners who cannot attend in person.
• Buildership Program Opt-in monthly subscription donation program offering tiered giving levels ($36, $90, $125, $180, $300, $500, or custom amounts) that form the financial backbone of the Shtiebel's operations.
• Tomchei Shtiebel Society Premium annual giving circle for major donors with annual gifts of $6,500–$50,000+, including the ability to direct support to specific focus areas such as kiddush, youth programming, learning, and security, and perks at the $10,000+ level.
• Youth and Family Programming Comprehensive programming for Jewish families with children, including Shtiebel Pop-up Playspace, Kids Davening, Tot Shabbat, Family Musical Kabbalat Shabbat, Tot Sukkah Singalong, and sensory-friendly activities.
• Meals and Hospitality Program Community support program providing a free weekly dairy kiddush lunch, delivered meals for community members facing illness, surgery, shiva, or financial barriers, and Shabbat hospitality matching for visitors.
• Holiday Celebrations In-person celebrations for Jewish holidays including Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Purim, Pesach, Shavuot, Tisha B'Av, and High Holidays, comprising prayer services, communal meals, and Torah learning.
• Kashrut Guidelines and Certification Community kashrut standards that enable shared hospitality within the shul community, covering food preparation and kashering procedures and accepting OU, OK, Star-K, and cRC certifications.
• Shtiebel Zoom Room Virtual gathering space enabling community members to participate remotely in davening, learning, and community connection activities from any location.
• Kiddush and Event Sponsorship One-time sponsorship opportunities for communal meals and learning events, enabling community members to celebrate lifecycle events, anniversaries, yahrtzeits, and milestones.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served a quadrupling Jewish population in Center City/South Philly from 2009-2019
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EshelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEshel is an organization that envisions a world where Orthodox LGBTQ individuals can live out their lives in the Orthodox communities of their choice. The Shtiebel participates in the Welcoming Shul's Project led by Eshel and has a seating section with signage reserved for nonbinary community members.
• Mekor HabrachaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner synagogue for joint programming including Sukkah Hop events, fostering inter-community connections and collaborative holiday celebrations.
• PhilabundanceminorOthersFood drive partner for Maot Chittim donations during Pesach, collecting extra boxes of chametz for food donations to neighbors in need.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Congregation Beit Simchat Torah: Pioneering LGBTQ-affirming Jewish congregation in New York City offering inclusive prayer, learning, and community programs. Directly comparable to The Shtiebel's mission of radical inclusivity within a Jewish community framework, though CBST is rooted in a progressive rather than Orthodox halachic tradition.
• Mekor Habracha: Partner synagogue for joint programming including Sukkah Hop events. Comparable to The Shtiebel as another Modern Orthodox-affiliated, community-led congregation in the Philadelphia area hosting inclusive services and holiday programming.
• Romemu: Progressive Jewish spiritual community in New York City offering prayer, meditation, learning, and lifecycle events with a non-membership-due model. Shares The Shtiebel's emphasis on accessibility, inclusivity, and a community-built operational structure.
• IKAR: A progressive, inclusive Jewish community in Los Angeles known for creative spiritual practice and social justice orientation. Comparable to The Shtiebel as a non-dues-paying, community-led synagogue emphasizing participation, learning, and progressive values within Jewish tradition.
• Congregation Sha'ar Zahav: San Francisco LGBTQ-affirming synagogue rooted in Jewish tradition with strong learning and social justice programming. Comparable to The Shtiebel's focus on welcoming historically marginalized populations within a halachic or traditional Jewish framework.
• Mechon Hadar: New York-based Jewish learning-centered community offering prayer, study, and rabbinic leadership development with a non-membership model. Comparable to The Shtiebel's emphasis on serious Torah learning (Daf Yomi, Foundations of Halachic Life) as a core activity and on accessible community-driven engagement.
• Beth Chayim Chadashim: Long-standing LGBTQ-affirming Jewish congregation in Los Angeles offering prayer, learning, and lifecycle services. Comparable to The Shtiebel as a small, community-driven synagogue prioritizing radical inclusivity alongside Jewish practice.

Broad incumbents

• Congregation B'nai Jeshurun: Large historic Manhattan synagogue known for progressive, community-driven worship and learning. Comparable to The Shtiebel in spirit as an inclusive, music-forward congregation drawing young families, though operating at much larger scale with professional staff.
• Congregation Beth Sholom: Established Conservative synagogue in the Philadelphia area where Rabbanit Dasi Fruchter previously served as Halachic Advisor and Assistant Spiritual Leader. Comparable as a Philadelphia-area Jewish congregation offering prayer, learning, and lifecycle services, though much larger and denominationally distinct.
• 92nd Street Y: Major New York Jewish community center offering extensive programming in Jewish learning, culture, and observance. Comparable to The Shtiebel as a hub for Jewish education, davening, and community engagement, though at vastly larger institutional scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/southphiladelphiashtiebel
• Instagraminstagram.com/southphiladelphiashtiebel/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-philadelphia-shtiebel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Shtiebel