Caretakers Congregations Introduction

CARETAKERS: CONGREGATIONS Introduction
Throughout the centuries, congregations have fostered Jewish life, learning and continuity. It is where Jews teach their children the heritage and traditions and where they celebrate major life-cycle events in times of joy and sorrow, a place to find friendship and a sense of belonging.

A person does not have to be an observant or practicing Jew to be Jewish. Jews can pray alone, but certain prayers do require a minyan (ten people). Clergy are not required to conduct a service. But, as Jews arrived from larger cities where they had experienced congregations (group of people) and synagogues (the buildings), they began to organize.

The first Jewish congregation in Florida was in Pensacola in 1876. The ninth known in the state was Congregation Ohev Shalom (Conservative) in Orlando in 1918. Central Florida’s first Jewish congregation was the epicenter of Jewish social and religious life for 34 years. With growth, diversity and the postwar baby boom, new congregations were founded to meet the religious needs of the Jewish community.

In the 1950s, Congregation of Liberal Judaism (Reform) and Temple Israel (Conservative) were chartered. For the next 25 years, these three congregations served Central Florida’s, Jewish residents.

In the 1970s, as building and construction boomed, so did congregational life in Central Florida. More congregations began to take root in newly developed areas of a sprawling Orlando. By 1998, 12 congregations were serving the community. Today there are 19 congregations, large and small, scattered around the four county area.