| Ohev Sholom Congregation | |
|---|---|
 Ohev Sholom synagogue | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism |
| Rite | Nusach Ashkenaz |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership | Rabbi David Wolkenfeld[1] |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 1600 Jonquil Street,Shepherd Park, NWWashington, D.C. |
| Country | United States |
  Location in theDistrict of Columbia | |
| Coordinates | 38°59′03″N77°02′14″W / 38.9842°N 77.0373°W /38.9842; -77.0373 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Synagogue |
| Groundbreaking | 1958 |
| Completed | 1960 |
| Website | |
| www | |
Ohev Sholom Congregation (previouslyOhev Sholom Talmud Torah andOhev Sholom – The National Synagogue) (Hebrew for Lovers of Peace and Study ofTorah) is the oldestOrthodoxsynagogue in theShepherd Park neighborhood ofWashington, D.C., in the United States.[2]
The synagogue was formed from the merger of two earlier synagogues, Ohev Sholom and Talmud Torah.
Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah was formed in 1958 as a merger between Ohev Sholom Congregation, founded as Chai Adon Congregation in 1886, and Talmud Torah Congregation (the synagogue in which the father ofAl Jolson once served ascantor), founded three years later. Ohev Sholom was previously situated at 5th and I Streets,NW, while Talmud Torah was previously situated at 14th and Emerson Streets, NW, having moved there from E Street inSouthwest Washington.[3] Their combined Shepherd Park building opened in 1960. Membership fell in the late twentieth century as Jewish families moved to the suburbs. The synagogue opened a branch composed largely of younger families inOlney, Maryland, in 1994,[4] which became the separate congregationOhev Sholom Talmud Torah Congregation of Olney between 2002 and 2005.[5] Only a few, mostly older families, were left at the Washington DC location.
Early in the new century, a number of families who preferred urban life decided to attempt to revive Orthodox Jewish life inShepherd Park. Hiring a newrabbi,Shmuel Herzfeld who was formerly the associate rabbi at theHebrew Institute of Riverdale synagogue headed by RabbiAvi Weiss, was central to this effort.[6] The decision to rename the synagogue "The National Synagogue" in 2005 drew a good deal of criticism, not least from among other Jews, who felt that the name was a marketing label inaccurately implying a special position of leadership in theAmerican Jewish community.[2] Rabbi Herzfeld defended the choice on the grounds that the name makes clear that the synagogue is welcoming and open to everyone.[7] Herzfeld insisted that in spite of the copyright on the phrase, other synagogues should feel free to use the same label.[2]
Under Rabbi Herzfeld’s leadership, the synagogue was noted as a particularly vibrant and fast-growing institution.[8][9] It also took a number of unusual initiatives, including advertising its services with leaflets and television and radio spots, holding freeYom Kippur services, and the installation of ramps and elevators to ensure that the synagogue is genuinely open to everyone.[10]
Herzfeld left to found a yeshiva at the end of 2021. In 2023, the synagogue was renamed to simply "Ohev Sholom", dropping "The National Synagogue".[11]
Ohev Sholom Congregation advertises itself as a dynamic Orthodox community that values Torah, prayer, and good deeds. The congregation touts its location in NW Washington as easily accessible to surrounding neighborhoods in the District of Columbia andMaryland. The congregation counts in its membership a growing number of working professionals, families with small children, and others.[12]
| International | |
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| National | |
