Atlanta’s first Sephardic congregation.

Congregation Or VeShalom was founded in 1914 by fifty-seven families who identified with Sephardic customs. The name, Or Veshalom, translates into English as congregation of Light and Peace. From 1920 to 1948 the Congregation had a permanent Keilah at Central and Woodward when a larger building was acquired on North Highland Avenue. Growth necessitated construction of a new synagogue, its current home, in 1971. The rotunda, designed to echo the Sephardic culture and an additional wing were added in 1998.

Architects Epstein & Hirsch were awarded the 1971 Honor Award for Excellence in Design for Or VeShalom’s striking and relevant design. According to architect Warren Epstein, “While the presence of the travertine arc implied the permanence of the First Temple of Solomon, the ethereal quality of light as cast upon the soft wood textures suggested the fragility of any edifice within a 5,000-year tradition.”

A member of the synagogue, the late Victor Benatar, designed and executed the artwork on the bimah. Another member, Sol Beton, designed all of the stained-glass windows. According to Beton “The stained-glass windows on either side of the Ark depict the burning bush intertwining with the Tree of Life. Together at the top of the panels, the bush and the tree form the Hebrew letters for the Almighty. Stained-glass on the ceiling represent the Twelve Tribes of Israel.”