Am Shalom
Temple Am Shalom is an independent Reform Jewish congregation in Mentor, Ohio, and the sole synagogue in Lake County. It serves Jewish families, interfaith families, converts, and spiritual seekers with Shabbat and High Holy Day worship, lifecycle ceremonies, and education from preschool through adult, funded by member dues and donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersMentor, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Am Shalom does
Temple Am Shalom is an independent Reform Jewish congregation operating from a single site at 7599 Center Street in Mentor, Ohio, and is the sole synagogue serving Lake County, Ohio. Its constituency comprises Jewish families, interfaith families, converts, and spiritual seekers drawn from Mentor, Concord, Kirtland, Willoughby, and the broader Cleveland area spanning Cuyahoga, Geauga, and Ashtabula counties. Service offerings include bi-weekly Shabbat services, High Holy Days observances, lifecycle events (b'nai mitzvah, weddings, funerals, confirmations, consecrations), Hebrew and religious education from preschool through eighth grade, adult education including conversion instruction, youth group programming, and pastoral care. Ritual and instructional delivery occur in person at the Mentor temple; the organization has no proprietary technology platform, with its digital footprint limited to a WordPress website and a Facebook page.
Temple Am Shalom's business model rests on four revenue streams: recurring Fair-Share membership dues (paid annually, in three installments, or monthly via PayPal), voluntary donations supporting upkeep and programming, fees for education programs and one-on-one instruction (youth group at $100 per youth per year), and one-time charges for memorial plaques ($225 each) and cemetery plots in a consecrated section at Western Reserve Memorial Gardens in Chesterland, Ohio (via partnership). Distribution is exclusively direct, delivered through in-person worship, classes, and community events at the physical temple; acquisition is community-led via word-of-mouth, member referrals, and outreach to displaced Jewish households in neighboring communities. Educational reach has been deepened through partnerships with the URJ Retreat Institute (retreat programming) and the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland (grant funding for congregant education).
Governance is exercised by a volunteer Board of Directors comprising President Andrew Kenen, Vice President Janet Evangelista, Secretary Sharon Whitney, Treasurer Ron Cooper, Past President Steven Blau, and Members at Large including Bob Sobol, Mark Obenour, Pene Obenour, Emily Matz, and Patricia Lyon. Spiritual leadership is shared between Renee Blau (Spiritual Director and Lead Cantor; Kent State University and Tel Aviv University background; 20-year cantorial soloist; retired Cleveland Metropolitan School District teacher) and Elise Aitken (Assistant High Holiday Coordinator; previously Youth Group Advisor, Ritual Committee Supervisor, Shabbaton Director, and Adult Education Chair). The congregation is privately held, nonprofit, and unfunded by external capital; no revenue, headcount trend, or funding data is publicly disclosed.
Am Shalom firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Am Shalom
- Legal name
- Temple Am Shalom
- Website
- https://amshalom.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Temple Am Shalom is an independent Reform Jewish congregation in Mentor, Ohio, and the sole synagogue in Lake County. It serves Jewish families, interfaith families, converts, and spiritual seekers with Shabbat and High Holy Day worship, lifecycle ceremonies, and education from preschool through adult, funded by member dues and donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Am Shalom industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Reform Jewish Congregation Services
- NAICS
- Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (813110), Religious Organizations (81311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)
Keywords
Where Am Shalom is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mentor
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Am Shalom business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual Fair-Share dues paid by members. Dues can be paid in full, in three payments (due September, January, and May), or as monthly payments. Payment accepted by check or credit card through PayPal.
- Donations: Voluntary donations from members and supporters to support temple upkeep, youth and adult programs, and community visibility.
- Education Program Fees: Separate fees assessed for enrollment in education programs and for one-on-one instruction services. Youth Group requires a membership fee of $100 per youth per year.
- Cemetery and Memorial Services: Sale of cemetery plots at Western Reserve Memorial Gardens and memorial plaques ($225 each) for placement inside the temple.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Fair-Share Membership Dues |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Youth Group Annual Fee |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Memorial Plaques |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Am Shalom product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Am Shalom (Temple Am Shalom) is a Reform Jewish congregation that provides in-person worship services, religious education, and lifecycle event officiation for Jewish families, interfaith families, converts, and spiritual seekers in Lake County and greater Cleveland, Ohio. Its core offerings include bi-weekly Shabbat services, High Holy Days and festival observances, preschool-through-confirmation Hebrew and Judaic education, youth group programs, adult education and conversion instruction, pastoral care for lifecycle events (b'nai mitzvah, weddings, funerals), and memorial services including cemetery plots and memorial plaques.
Product overview
Temple Am Shalom is a Reform Jewish congregation in Lake County, Ohio, offering religious worship services, educational programs, and community services. The organization provides Shabbat and holiday worship services, Hebrew and religious education for children (pre-school through 8th grade including Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation), youth group programs, adult education including conversion instruction, and lifecycle event observances (weddings, funerals, consecrations, confirmations). Additional offerings include a memorial garden with cemetery plots at Western Reserve Memorial Gardens, memorial plaques, and a monthly newsletter called 'The Kibbitzer'. The congregation is led by co-spiritual leaders Renee Blau and Elise Aitken.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Shabbat Worship Services Weekly/bi-weekly Friday evening Shabbat services for adult congregants and families, held at Temple Am Shalom in Mentor, Ohio.
- High Holy Days and Holiday Services Annual High Holy Days services and seasonal festival observances for members and the wider Jewish community in Lake County, Ohio.
- Lifecycle Event Officiation Officiation of Jewish lifecycle events including b'nai mitzvah, confirmations, weddings, funerals, and consecrations for congregants and their families.
- Hebrew and Religious School (K-8) Structured Hebrew and Judaic education program for children ages 3 through 8th grade, including Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation and Shabbaton/Confirmation.
- Youth Group Program Annual youth group program for Jewish youth from member families, with a $100-per-youth-per-year fee covering activities, retreats, and social engagement.
- Adult Education and Conversion Instruction Adult education seminars, retreats, and one-on-one instruction for adult learners, including formal conversion instruction for individuals pursuing Judaism.
- Fair-Share Membership Annual congregational membership with Fair-Share dues providing access to all worship, education, and lifecycle services, with flexible payment options and hardship adjustments.
- Cemetery Plots at Western Reserve Memorial Gardens Sale of consecrated cemetery plots at Western Reserve Memorial Gardens in Chesterland, Ohio, available to Am Shalom members and non-members.
- Temple Memorial Plaques Memorial plaques priced at $225 each for placement inside the temple, available to members and congregants.
Companies that use Am Shalom
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Am Shalom technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Am Shalom partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Western Reserve Memorial GardensminorProvides cemetery plots for Am Shalom members and non-members in a consecrated section of WRMG in Chesterland, Ohio. Offers burial privileges and memorial services for congregants.
- Frank's Hebrew Book StoreminorLocal bookseller at 14425 Cedar Road, South Euclid, OH 44121. Recommended to congregants for purchasing prayer books (Mishkan T'fila and Gates of Repentance). Temple receives referral acknowledgment.
- Grand JudaicaminorLocal bookseller at 1873 S. Taylor Road, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118-2161. Recommended to congregants for purchasing prayer books. Temple receives referral acknowledgment.
- East Shore Unitarian Universalist ChurchminorWelcoming institutional neighbor in Kirtland, Ohio where Shabbat services rotated before the temple acquired its own building. Historic community partnership.
- URJ Retreat InstituteminorStaff collaboration with Temple spiritual leadership for conducting retreats. Retreats range from one-day programs to 48-hour weekend programs addressing spiritual and informational themes.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Am Shalom competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Park Synagogue: Reform Jewish congregation in Cleveland Heights, OH, serving the eastern Cleveland suburbs. Renee's prior affiliation and overlapping catchment make it the most directly comparable area Reform synagogue peer to Temple Am Shalom.
- Congregation Anshe Chesed: Reform congregation serving the Cleveland Jewish community. Renee Blau's prior participation in Judaic studies and adult education here places it as a comparable regional Reform peer in northeast Ohio.
- Temple Israel-Ner Tamid: Reform synagogue in the Cleveland area with comparable programming (Hebrew school, lifecycle events, adult education). Direct peer in faith/movement affiliation serving an overlapping northeast Ohio market.
- Brith Emeth Congregation: Reform congregation in northeast Ohio affiliated with the same movement. Directly comparable as a regional Reform peer serving the broader Cleveland-area Jewish population.
- Congregation Bethaynu: Small-to-mid-sized Reform congregation in the greater Cleveland region. Renee Blau's educational background here makes it a comparable Reform peer in scale and mission to Am Shalom.
- Temple Beth Shalom (Hudson, OH): Reform congregation in Hudson, OH where Renee Blau served as cantorial soloist. Comparable Reform peer serving a northeast Ohio suburban market adjacent to Lake County.
Broad incumbents
- B'nai Jeshurun Congregation (Pepper Pike, OH): Large, established Conservative (movement-adjacent) congregation serving the east-side Cleveland Jewish community. Functions as a broader incumbent in the regional Jewish congregational market that Temple Am Shalom competes against for member retention.
- Fairmount Temple (Beachwood, OH): Major Reform congregation in Beachwood, OH serving the eastern Cleveland suburbs. Larger, resource-rich incumbent that competes with Am Shalom for Jewish families relocating within northeast Ohio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Am Shalom social profiles
Digital presenceAm Shalom financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Am Shalom leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Am Shalom funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Am Shalom M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Am Shalom
What does Am Shalom do?
Am Shalom (Temple Am Shalom) is a Reform Jewish congregation that provides in-person worship services, religious education, and lifecycle event officiation for Jewish families, interfaith families, converts, and spiritual seekers in Lake County and greater Cleveland, Ohio. Its core offerings include bi-weekly Shabbat services, High Holy Days and festival observances, preschool-through-confirmation Hebrew and Judaic education, youth group programs, adult education and conversion instruction, pastoral care for lifecycle events (b'nai mitzvah, weddings, funerals), and memorial services including cemetery plots and memorial plaques.
Is Am Shalom a public or private company?
Am Shalom is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Am Shalom founded?
Am Shalom was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Am Shalom based?
Am Shalom is headquartered in Mentor, United States, in the North America region.
How does Am Shalom make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are donations, education Program Fees and cemetery and Memorial Services.
Who are Am Shalom's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Park Synagogue, Congregation Anshe Chesed, Temple Israel-Ner Tamid, Brith Emeth Congregation, Congregation Bethaynu and Temple Beth Shalom (Hudson, OH). Broad incumbents are B'nai Jeshurun Congregation (Pepper Pike, OH) and Fairmount Temple (Beachwood, OH).
Does Am Shalom have an API?
No public API is recorded for Am Shalom.
What industry is Am Shalom in?
Am Shalom's product category is Reform Jewish Congregation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAJAA, Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues), with a secondary code of BPAGAJAL, Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites). Its NAICS code is 8131.