Jewish immigrants from Turkey and the island of Rhodes, began meeting in Portland around 1910. They were descendants of Jews who had fled the Spanish Inquisition. In 1916 they formally founded Ahavath Achim (Hebrew for brotherly love (, Oregon’s first Sephardic congregation.The congregation dedicated its first building in 1930 and in 1966 moved to the Barbur Boulevard synagogue with its iconic round design. The eye-catching building was designed by renowned architect John Storrs who also designed the Oregon College of Art and Craft as well as Portland’s Central Catholic High School. Storrs explained that the unique dome design “also allowed for services to be conducted without amplifying speakers’ voices, in keeping with Orthodox rules.”

As of this writing in early 2017, it appears the congregation will once again be moving to a new building as an application has been filed to construct an apartment complex on the Barbur Boulevard site.