Congregation Or VeShalom

What Congregation Or VeShalom does

Congregation Or VeShalom is a Sephardic synagogue and member-supported religious nonprofit headquartered at 1681 North Druid Hills Road in Brookhaven, Georgia. Founded in 1914 by refugees from the Isle of Rhodes and Turkey who traced their lineage to Jews expelled from Spain in 1492, it is the only Sephardic congregation in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the oldest continuously operating Sephardic congregation in the Southeast United States. The congregation serves Sephardic Jewish families (particularly those of Rhodesli and Turkish heritage), the broader Atlanta Jewish community, and children ages 2-12 through weekly Shabbat services, daily minyan, High Holiday programming, lifecycle event officiation (Brit Milah/Brit Bat, B'nai Mitzvah, weddings, funerals, Tahara), the Building Blocks Sunday School, Adult Education, and Sisterhood-led cultural programming including a 50-year-old annual Hanukkah Bazaar.

The organization's service delivery relies on a small full-time staff of six (Head Rabbi Joshua Hearshen, Director of Ritual Life Rabbi Adam Mayer, Director of Education Chana Mayer, Program & Engagement Manager Talya Wittenberg, Executive Assistant Nicole Feldman, and Operations/Administrative Assistant Matty Perry) supported by a volunteer Board of Directors and active auxiliaries (Sisterhood, Golden Ladies, Chesed Team). The technology backbone is the ShulCloud SaaS platform (ovs.shulcloud.com), which powers membership management, online donations, event registration, bureka ordering, and the member directory; supplementary integrations include Hebcal for Shabbat/calendar computations and Kroger Community Rewards for donation-linked grocery spend. The 1971 sanctuary, rededicated in 1998 with the Victor D. Maslia Wing and a Jerusalem Stone rotunda housing six Holocaust memorial spheres, constitutes the primary physical asset.

The revenue model is a hybrid of recurring membership dues, voluntary donations/Tzedakah, Building Blocks tuition ($549 per member child, $875 per non-member child, $90 first-year new-student rate), event sponsorships and participation fees (Golf Tournament tiers from $360 to $2,500; Mitzvot Celebration dinner at $25 per adult), and one-time lifecycle memorial products (Tree of Life leaves at $360, Bronze Memorial Plaques at $750, Yizkor Book donations starting at $36). Marketing and member acquisition are community-led through word-of-mouth, social channels (Facebook, Instagram), email, and event-driven engagement, with no external parent organization, no subsidiaries, no funding rounds, and no disclosed revenue.

Name

Congregation Or VeShalom

Legal name

Congregation Or VeShalom

Website

https://orveshalom.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Congregation Or VeShalom is a Sephardic synagogue in Brookhaven, Georgia, founded in 1914, serving the Atlanta Jewish community with religious services, lifecycle officiation, religious education, and Sephardic cultural preservation programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Congregation Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

Keywords

• Religious services
• Jewish education
• Lifecycle events
• Sephardic congregation
• Religious school

Headquarters

HQ city

Brookhaven

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues providing access to religious services, High Holiday tickets, education programs, and synagogue facilities. Membership dues schedule available via PDF document.
2. Donations and Tzedakah: Voluntary donations including general donations, sponsorship opportunities, Yizkor book memorial donations, Tree of Life leaf purchases, memorial plaques, and Kiddush contributions.
3. Religious School Tuition: Building Blocks Sunday School tuition: Members $549 per child, Non-members $875 per child. New students pay $90 first-year special rate.
4. Event Sponsorships: Golf tournament sponsorships at various levels (Ace $2,500, Eagle $2,000, 19th Hole $1,000, Par $500, Hole $360) and event participation fees.
5. Memorial and Lifecycle Products: Tree of Life leaves at $360 each for births, anniversaries, deaths. Bronze memorial plaques at $750 for members. Founders map and booklet available for $54.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Congregation Or VeShalom is a Sephardic synagogue providing religious services (Shabbat, High Holidays, daily minyan), lifecycle event officiation (Brit Milah, B'nai Mitzvah, weddings, funerals), Jewish education (Building Blocks Sunday School for ages 2-12 and Adult Education), and community programming including Sisterhood cultural events. The congregation preserves Sephardic heritage, Ladino language, and Ottoman Empire Jewish traditions for its members in the Atlanta metro area.

Product overview

Congregation Or VeShalom is a Sephardic synagogue offering a comprehensive suite of religious, educational, and community programs. The core offerings include weekly religious services (Erev Shabbat, Shabbat Morning, and Sunday Minyan), lifecycle event services (Brit Milah/Brit Bat, B'nai Mitzvah, weddings, funerals), and the Building Blocks Sunday School for children. Additional programs include Adult Education, Sisterhood activities, High Holidays services, and community events. The organization uses the ShulCloud platform for membership management, donations, and event registration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekly Services
• Building Blocks Sunday School
• High Holidays Services
• Adult Education
• Brit Milah and Brit Bat Services
• B'nai Mitzvah Program
• Wedding Services
• Death and Funeral Services
• Sisterhood Programs
• Membership Program
• Tahara Prayers and Chevra Kadisha Resources
• Community Events

Quantifiable outcome

• 50th Annual Hanukkah Bazaar & Food Festival held
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• KrogerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKroger Community Rewards program allows Kroger shoppers to link their loyalty card to OVS, enabling the synagogue to earn donations from everyday grocery purchases (Organization Number: GW313).
• Breman Jewish MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe OVS History Committee's Founders Map research materials (including addresses of over 150 OVS members from 1906 and 1934 family roster) are available for research at the Breman Jewish Museum.
• Atlanta History CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOVS History Committee's Founders Map and accompanying booklet are available for research at the Atlanta History Center.
• Georgia State University History DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOVS History Committee's Founders Map research materials are available for academic research at Georgia State University's History Department.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Congregation Bene Israel (Atlanta): An Atlanta-area Jewish congregation serving a parallel community segment with similar religious services, lifecycle officiation, and educational programming. Comparable in geography and target market though differing in denominational orientation.
• Greenfield Hebrew Academy (Atlanta): Atlanta-area Jewish day school offering K-12 religious education. Comparable to OVS's Building Blocks Sunday School as a competing provider of Jewish religious education for children in the same metropolitan market.
• Congregation Or Shalom (Atlanta): Atlanta-area Jewish congregation offering comparable Reform/egalitarian religious services and lifecycle programming. Direct regional competitor for general Jewish community members and lifecycle event families in the same metro.
• Congregation Etz Chaim (Atlanta): An Atlanta-area Jewish congregation offering comparable religious, educational, and lifecycle programming. Direct regional competitor for member families and lifecycle events in the same metropolitan market.
• Temple Sinai (Atlanta): A large Reform Jewish congregation in the Atlanta metro area. Comparable as a competing Jewish congregation for the general Atlanta Jewish community segment, with broader programming, larger facility footprint, and substantially larger staff.
• Ahavath Achim Synagogue (Atlanta): A historic Orthodox/Conservative congregation in the Atlanta area serving a comparable Jewish community with religious services, lifecycle events, and educational programs. Competes for the broader Jewish community segment beyond OVS's Sephardic-specific base.

Others

• Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta: Regional umbrella organization coordinating services and fundraising for the Atlanta Jewish community. OVS likely participates as a constituent agency; comparable as an ecosystem partner governing shared community resources and donor pipelines.
• Sephardic Brotherhood of America: National organization supporting Sephardic Jewish communities across the United States. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler serving the same Sephardic demographic, though structured as a membership association rather than a single congregation.

Direct peers

• Congregation Mikveh Israel: Historic Sephardic congregation in Philadelphia founded in 1740. Directly comparable as a Sephardic synagogue preserving Spanish-Portuguese Jewish heritage with religious services, lifecycle officiation, and cultural preservation programs.
• Congregation Shearith Israel: The oldest Sephardic congregation in the United States, founded in 1654 in New York City. Directly comparable as a historic Sephardic synagogue preserving Ladino language, Spanish/Portuguese Jewish customs, and offering full lifecycle religious services to a similarly minority Sephardic community.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/or.veshalom
• Instagraminstagram.com/orveshalom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/congregationorveshalom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Congregation Or VeShalom