Philadelphia Branch
July 1940
The Philadelphia Branch was opened on December 21, 1926, and was the first official branch of the Mission to
be opened outside of New York City. At the time, the Jewish population of Philadelphia was around 240,000,
which represented more than 70 percent of the Jewish population of the entire state. The Philadelphia Branch
was initiated by Harry Burgen, and he served there for more than forty-seven years. DECEMBER 2019 | 12