Congregation Ohev Shalom

CONGREGATION OHEV SHALOM
Beginning around 1913, when there was a minyan in Orlando, religious services were held at the citrus grove of Moses Levy and then in private homes. They had not, as yet, become an official congregation. In 1917, before the United States entered WWI, Orlando hosted a patriotic parade and rally to sell Liberty War Bonds. After it was publicly noted that the Jews were not represented, Pauline Berman gathered a group at the home of Harry Kanner and said, “Orlando Jewry needs to organize.” Congregation Ohev Sholem [Shalom] (COS) bought a building in 1917, was chartered by the state in 1918 and became the center of religious and social life.

Throughout the century, COS has been a steady anchor for the community. Its rabbis have participated in civic, military, interfaith and Jewish community activities. Many members have been leaders in other community organizations. Today, COS continues to grow and serve not only its 650 member families,but also the entire community.

The Charter of Congregation Ohev Sholem [Shalom] had 22 signatories on August 30, 1918.
Although the spelling of its name changed over the years, the original guidelines, purpose and principles of the congregation continue today. A traditional congregation, its name means “lovers of peace.” The mission is to sustain Jewish continuity, maintain a place for religious worship and promote actions that reflect the congregation’s convictions and ethics. The original dues in 1918 were $1 per month.
Congregation Ohev Shalom Archives

Congregation Ohev Shalom (COS) deed for Terry Street synagogue, April 11, 1917.
Congregation Ohev Shalom Archives

COS has had four houses of worship shown clockwise beginning with top left, 1918–2015.
For its first spiritual home, the congregation purchased a former church, located on Terry Street and Central Avenue. By 1926, the membership of COS had grown and the building was sold for $25,000. They built a larger facility on Church Street and Eola Drive (where the Sanctuary Condo building is located today). By the 1970s, the three Jewish congregations were all located off of Lee Road, with COS on Goddard Avenue. In 2011, COS moved into its current modern building in Maitland.
Congregation Ohev Shalom Archives

Cornerstone dedication for the Ohev Shalom synagogue, 1926.
By the late 1920s, the membership of Congregation Ohev Shalom had outgrown the small Terry Street building. Funds were raised and George Miller (front left) designed a new building, which was the first synagogue built in Central Florida. Miller, who had arrived around 1921, was a congregation member and the son-in-law of Rose and Israel Shader. The new location on Church Street and Eola Drive housed the congregation until 1967. Others in this photo are Harry Stahlberg (back left), Orlando Mayor L. H. Conroy (back right) and Al Roth (front right).
Collections of the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, originated by Marcia Jo Zerivitz, LHD, Founding Executive Director

COS President Albert Raffeld (left) and Rabbi Benjamin Safer lead the cornerstone dedication, 1926.
Rabbi Benjamin Safer, originally from Lithuania, was a circuit rabbi in Florida and mohel. He and his wife Frieda had 12 children. He came to Orlando for the milestone occasion of breaking ground for the new synagogue. It has been noted that Rabbi Safer had a good sense of humor. It was not unusual for him, when conducting a service, to lean over the rail from the bimah and tell a joke to help make his point. To the dismay of the children, he told them in Yiddish and only the adults understood.
Edward Safer

The entire Jewish Community participates in the dedication, 1926.
Members of the congregation turned out for the dedication ceremony of the new synagogue at Church Street and Eola Drive. This was the only synagogue, so three types of services were often scheduled Orthodox, Conservative and Reform—to accommodate the needs of the entire community. The various levels of Jewish observance became very interesting at times. The Orthodox service separated the women from men and the Reform ritual included more English reading and discussion than the majority’s Conservative practice. Today, COS remains a mainstream Conservative congregation.
Collections of the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, originated by Marcia Jo Zerivitz, LHD, Founding Executive Director

COS established the first Jewish cemetery in Orlando in 1924, c. 2000.
Originally called Mt. Neboh and purchased for $1,575, COS’s cemetery is located on Old Winter Garden Road. On January 27, 1925, the court-approved cemetery charter was signed by Ben Salomon. J. Meitin, B. Salomon, A. E. Wolfe, H. Lieberman and H. Kanner were authorized “to control and conduct the affairs of the cemetery until the first regular meeting of the corporation.” Improvements made over the years include an open-air pavilion constructed in 2014. A volunteer board maintains the cemetery with perpetual care and improvements. The first Torah the Shaders brought to Orlando is buried in this cemetery.
Congregation Ohev Shalom Archives

COS religious school, 1933.
As “people of the book,”education, religious and secular, has always been important to the Jewish community. Some of the older students like Ruth Esther Rosen [Wittenstein], Tybe Wittenstein [Kahn] and Margie Frankel [Pariser] taught Sunday school to the younger children. Abe Meer was a volunteer teacher. Hebrew and ritual were taught by the rabbi or cantor. Noted by Bea Ettinger, “My family joined the congregation in 1933 when there were about 35 families.”
The children are front row L-R: Leon Shapiro, Frank Sigal, unknown, Margie Frankel, Pearl Haimowitz, Billy Jacob, Adele Hillman, Stanley Becker, Sheldon Wittenstein, Mary Blattner, unknown, Hasha Levine, Edwin Safer, unknown, unknown, Morty Cohen, unknown, Zelda Berman, Marilyn Hoffman, unknown, unknown; second row L-R: Ruth Wolly, Ruth Esther Rosen, Marilyn Ottenberg, Norma Wittenstein, Gertrude Haimowitz, unknown, George Wolly, unknown, Elaine Ebenstein, Jack Hoffman; back row L-R: Rose Claire Shapiro, unknown, ? Ebenstein, unknown,unknown,
unknown , Ansel Wittenstein, Orwin Lieberman, Sol Wittenstein. Collections of the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, originated by Marcia Jo Zerivitz, LHD, Founding Executive Director

The congregation welcomes Rabbi Morris Skop (center) and his wife Rachel (holding rabbi’s arm), 1937.
Morris Skop was the first seminary-ordained full-time rabbi engaged by COS. His first bar mitzvah at COS was Oscar Tetenbaum’s. Well respected for the 12 years he served, he soothed tensions between traditionalists and reformers and kept the congregation from splitting. He encouraged the start of Hadassah, began a congregational bulletin, Oraynoo, and increased synagogue activities. He was a community leader, serving Rotary and Red Cross. Rabbi Skop commented that he had all kinds of animals in his congregation—Wolfs, Behrs and Foxes. Rabbi Skop and Rachel moved to Coral Gables in 1949.
Collections of the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, originated by
Marcia Jo Zerivitz, LHD, Founding Executive Director

Sunday school model seder in the Vestry Hall, 1946.
Here the children of the congregation are learning the meaning and traditions of the Passover seder, which is customarily observed in their homes.
Roz Ettinger Fuchs

Religious-school children in front of the new school building when it was dedicated, 1948.
In the postwar baby boom, the congregation grew to 194 members and classrooms were needed. New member Harry Walker offered two lots across the street from the synagogue, and the huge sum of $5,000 to help build an Educational Center. Classrooms, offices and an auditorium were part of the facility that was named for him.
Roz Ettinger Fuchs

Linda Morrell had the first bat mitzvah in Orlando, 1951.
Traditionally, Jewish boys observe their bar mitzvah at age 13. In the 20th century, the non- Orthodox branches of Judaism introduced bat mitzvah for girls. The earliest ceremonies for bat mitzvah were quite unusual and different from the bar mitzvah. Morrell remembers all things were not equal. She wasn’t allowed to read Torah and there are no photos that captured the celebration, but it was a beginning. Today, at age 13, boys and girls at COS lead the service in English and Hebrew and all are counted as full participants in religious practices.
Collections of the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, originated by Marcia Jo Zerivitz, LHD, Founding Executive Director

Morris Wittenstein blows the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, 1955.
Wittenstein was a charter member of Ohev Shalom,and was frequently given the honor of blowing the shofar on the High Holidays. According to the famous Jewish philosopher Maimonides, the sound of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is meant to wake up the soul and turn its attention to the important tasks of repentance, selfexamination and improvement in the new year.
Nancy Wittenstein

Joan Lippton marries Stuart Kimball at COS, 1966.
The Kimball’s wedding was the last one held at the Church Street synagogue. Even though a snowstorm threatened to keep the New York and Boston guests from arriving, this December 24 wedding was a beautiful event. The kosher caterer came from Jacksonville and arranged for the food to come from New York to accommodate the dietary traditions. The simcha was memorable for this multigenerational Orlando family that actively continues today.
Joan and Stuart Kimball

Clergy and congregants carry Torahs to be placed in the ark for the dedication of the COS Goddard Avenue synagogue, 1974.
Many families were relocating from the downtown area to the “suburbs” of College Park and Winter Park. COS was then approximately 230 families. It was a new beginning and a big celebration for the congregation to participate in the transfer of the Torahs. Ernest Wolfman, the architect, said the building would cost $400,000; the final cost was $647,771. Rabbi Rudolph Adler, busy with his regular duties of a growing congregation, was also principal of the school. He visited those in the hospital a few times a week.
Congregation Ohev Shalom Archives

Congregation Ohev Shalom presents Jacob and Sons, 1983.
More than 100 members of the congregation were involved as cast and crew in the performance at the Edyth Bush Theater in Loch Haven Park. It was based on the Broadway musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, produced by congregation leader and Past President Arnie Sager and directed by Faye Jeser.
Congregation Ohev Shalom Archives

Joseph’s coat worn by Mark Glickman, cast member of Jacob and Sons, 1983.
Handcrafted in about 100 hours by Joan Kimball, this costume was used for the congregation’s play. The story is based on the biblical story of Joseph in Genesis. The fabrics came from Arnie Sager’s store Good Stuff Cheap on Primrose Avenue. The circle of colors around the name on the back included twelve sections of fabric for the historical 12 tribes of Israel.
Congregation Ohev Shalom Archives

Since 1987, COS has been preparing meals for the homeless, 1997.
Ma’asim Tovim is a program established to prepare and serve food at the Coalition for the Homeless. Congregants volunteer in every aspect from gathering the ingredients at local groceries, preparing, cooking and transporting the food as well as serving. In 1991, the congregants began donating food items into a grocery cart in the lobby and they were donated to Jewish Family Services. L-R: Meyer Pollack, Saul Zatz, Lea Zatz, Rietta Gebaide and Joan Foreman
Congregation Ohev Shalom Archive

Congregation’s first adult b’nai mitzvah class, 1987.
The women’s studies with Education Director Moshe Elbaz (4th from left) culminated with this celebration. This is the formal acceptance of practice and participation in the responsibilities and customs of Judaism. Janet Weidmann said, “Having grown up without a strong Jewish background, I now felt I could really ‘own’ Judaism.” Many adult group b’nai mitzvah have followed, giving more congregants the opportunity to become proficient in conducting and participating in Sabbath services. L-R: Judy Shujman, Dolly Shoff, Janet Weidmann, Susan Arkin and Stephanie Engelberg
Collections of the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, originated by Marcia Jo Zerivitz, LHD, Founding Executive Director

Volunteers prepare Men’s Club breakfast, 1985.
The COS Men’s Club began in 1950, when it was called the Brotherhood. Today it continues to sponsor many interesting community and social events. At their famous breakfasts for the congregation, they host guest speakers, Super Bowl events and the World Wide Wrap. This is a day of teaching the mitzvah of putting on tefillin. The proceeds from these breakfasts support the religious school. Standing L-R: unknown, Mark Stone, Alan Harrison, Allen Saft, Wayne Meyers, Carl Rubin, Marc Feuerman, and seated Irwin Bellenkoff
Congregation Ohev Shalom Archives