Congregation Ohev Sholom

Congregation Ohev Sholom was formed in the 1920s when two congregations, Gomel Chesed and Shearith Israel, reunited. The congregation held services in a building at 7th and Sandusky until 1962 when the congregation moved to Prairie Village. Today their building, the shape of which is meant to evoke the image of Abraham's tent, is vacant after Ohev Sholom merged with Beth Sholom during the summer of 2022.

Congregation Ohev Sholom was formed from two Kansas Orthodox synagogues, Gomel Chesed and Shearis Israel. When the two merged in the 1920s, they called the new congregation Ohev Sholom, meaning "lovers of peace." Most congregation members at this point were immigrants to the United States, and many lived in the industrial downtown areas of Kansas City. The congregation kept their new synagogue close to where members lived, building their synagogue at 7th and Sandusky, near the junction of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers. Somewhere along the line, the congregation began to practice their faith according to the tenants of Conservative Judaism.

Ohev Sholom moved to its Prairie Village location in 1962 following Jewish migration from the center of Kansas City to suburban Johnson County. The new building was designed by Manuel Morris, the same architect who designed B'nai Jehudah's Holmes building and Beth Shalom's Wornall synagogue. These three structures share a triangular design over the sanctuary, a shape that is supposed to let in natural sunlight and evoke the image of a tent.

Congregation Ohev Sholom merged with Beth Shalom in 2022 following more than a year of talks. This was not the first attempt at uniting the two congregations, which had "virtually no distinction in terms of religious philosophy," according to a former rabbi. However, the previous set of talks in 2009 ended unsuccessfully but both congregations remained on positive terms. The 2022 merger was supported by the leadership and membership of both congregations in the hopes that the two synagogues could "create a stronger future together." Shortly before the merger was finalized, Ohev Sholom sold its 75th Street building, and it is still unknown what its new owners will use it for in the future.

The Hebrew Academy

It is typical for Jewish children to attend Sunday school, and they usually do so until they have their Bar or Bat Mitzvah, although some attend until Confirmation in tenth grade. However, a group of Kansas City parents believed these weekly lessons were not enough for their children. They founded the Hebrew Academy to provide them with "an exceptional foundation in both general and Jewish academics." Some of these founders included Carl Puritz, Blanche Sosland, Joan March, and Hyman Brand. They also had the support of community members such as Beth Shalom Rabbi Morris Margolies, and Jewish Federation member Sidney Deutsch. Many of these names are still recognizable to the Jewish people of Kansas City today for their contributions to the community.

In 1966, the Hebrew Academy, operating out of rented space inside Ohev Sholom synagogue, opened its doors to its initial student body of 33 students. The school added new grades each year until its first graduating class in 1976.

Today the school's full name is the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, or HBHA for short. Hyman Brand, a local clothing manufacturer, was a valued member of the Jewish community and a respected citizen of Kansas City. He was renowned for his work in Jewish and secular organizations, serving as president of the Kansas City Jewish Federation, Congregation Beth Shalom, the Kansas City Apparel Association, and the Kansas City Garment Manufacturers Association. However, today Brand is best known for his role in the founding of the Hebrew Academy, and it is considered his "proudest achievement." He was the school's first president and was so respected that they named the school for him just one month after his passing in 1977.

The school's enrollment grew dramatically over the next decade from the original 33 students. By 1979, the staff was ready to move out of Ohev Sholom to a new building. The HBHA had its home in a former Blue Valley School District elementary school on College Boulevard for the next few years. When the Jewish Community Center left its 82nd Street and Holmes Road building for a new one in Overland Park, the Hebrew Academy followed. It has been located on the Jewish Community Center Campus ever since. As of its 50th anniversary in 2016, more than 200 students were enrolled there.

Our History, Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy. Accessed November 13th, 2022. https://www.hbha.edu/about-us/#:~:text=Hyman%20Brand%20Hebrew%20Academy%20(HBHA,the%20children%20of%20Kansas%20City..

K0480 - Brand, Hyman (1891-1977) Papers, 1935 - Finding Aid, SHSMO. Accessed November 13th, 2022. https://files.shsmo.org/manuscripts/kansas-city/K0480.pdf.

Stern, Kimberly Winter. Overland Park’s Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy works to meld academics and social justice, Kansas City Star. April 5th, 2016. Accessed November 13th, 2022. http://web.archive.org/web/20160423184035/https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/community/joco-913/overland-park-leawood/article70116577.html.

HBHA celebrates 45 years of excellence, Kansas City Jewish Chronicle. April 1st, 2011. Accessed November 13th, 2022. https://kcjc.com/index.php/current-news/archived-news/305-hbha-celebrates-45-years-of-excellence.

Looking back: As HBHA celebrates its 50th anniversary, founders remember how it all began, Kansas City Jewish Chronicle. December 24th, 2015. Accessed November 13th, 2022. https://kcjc.com/section-blog/1819-news/archived-news/3523-looking-back-as-hbha-celebrates-its-50th-anniversary-founders-remember-how-it-all-began.

Kricsfeld, Sam. Conservative congregations Beth Shalom and Ohev Sholom merge, Kansas City Jewish Chronicle. July 7th, 2022. Accessed November 13th, 2022. https://www.kcjc.com/current-news/top-stories/8160-conservative-congregations-beth-shalom-and-ohev-sholom-merge#:~:text=Ohev%20Sholom%20was%20the%20oldest,prior%20to%20the%20congregational%20votes.

Cohen, Barton. First Synagogue in Wyandotte County. The Historical Journal of Wyandotte County. January 1st, 2005. 277 - 278. Obtained through Missouri Valley Special Collections.

Moore, Dennis. TRIBUTE TO CONGREGATION OHEV SHOLOM, Government Publishing Office. September 20th, 2007. Accessed October 29th, 2022. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CRECB-2007-pt18/html/CRECB-2007-pt18-Pg25137-2.htm

Bayer, Barbara. Wyandotte County Museum to host exhibit, Kansas City Jewish Chronicle, April 8th, 2011. Accessed October 29th, 2022. https://www.kcjc.com/current-news?id=1819:hbhas-program-book...to...&start=2330.

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Purpose and meaning imbue the images in Ohev Sholom’s new mural, Kansas City Jewish Chronicle. March 11th, 2015. Accessed November 18th, 2022. https://kcjc.com/section-blog/1819-news/archived-news/3055-purpose-and-meaning-imbue-the-images-in-ohev-sholom-s-new-mural.