by William Crum
Recently, congregation Ohev Shalom held its Kosher Fest, celebrating a healthy lifestyle and heritage, and sharing its cultural heritage with the community.
Ohev Shalom is definitely a part of the area’s cultural history. Congregation Ohev Shalom started in downtown Kansas City, Kan.
According to historians, in the early 1900s a synagogue, Golm Hessen, started in the West Bottoms. From there it moved to 925 Stateline, and was there for 10 years. After the flood of 1900, it moved to 700 Central Ave.
In 1922 it merged with a synagogue by the name of Sharis-Israel to form what is now known as Ohev Shalom. Many will remember Griff’s Burger Bar that was located right across the street from Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. This is where the Ohev Shalom synagogue first started.
Back in the 1950s the synagogue decided to move to Prairie Village, Kan., where it is still located, said Phil Braverman, the synagogue’s historian. The synagogue leased the land to Griff’s Burger Bar for 15 years after it moved to Prairie Village, Kan.
To this day, a lot of members still live in Wyandotte County, making its cultural diversity stronger.
