“To be part of a community is the most urgent historic obligation facing a Jew…” – Elie Wiesel

Kehillah means a Jewish community in Hebrew. Our Kehillah is the Jewish community of Orange, Seminole, Lake and Osceola counties, but our deep roots tie us to Jews throughout the world.

To tell a history of Orlando’s Jewish community is to tell the history of Orlando itself. From the days of the city’s infancy, Jewish settlers became pioneers of business and industry entwined in the development of our region. In celebration of Congregation Ohev Shalom’s centennial, we invite you to explore photographs and artifacts and learn how our Kehillah enriched the community we share while keeping Jewish ties, causes and traditions alive.

Jews are a people—a family of less than ¼ of 1 percent of the world’s population. The family descended from Sarah and Abraham about 4,000 years ago. They arrived in the Land of Israel about 3,700 years ago. When the Romans took control in 135 C.E., Israel remained their spiritual homeland. As a result of exile and expulsions, most Jews became a migratory people for 1,800 years until the modern State of Israel was founded in 1948.

One is born into the family or adopted through conversion. Like any family, there are rules or traditions to follow, some perhaps more than 3,000 years old. Through all the migrations, Jews have carried their traditions and passed them down through the generations—all the way to Orlando more than 150 years ago.