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Congregation Ohav Sholom of Merrick, New York is a vibrant, innovative, and growing modern Orthodox synagogue. Founded in 1962 under the leadership of Rabbi Emeritus Jeremiah Wohlberg from 1963-2010 and currently under the spiritual guidance of Rabbi Ira Ebbin, our shul emphasizes ritual, education, youth, chesed, Jewish culture, and community involvement. We are open to Jews of all backgrounds.

We hold daily morning and evening minyanim and we encourage participation by our members, as we do not have a regular chazzan. Members are asked to lead services; daven shacharit and musaf, lain, chant the Haftorah, daven mincha and maariv. We have a very popular women's tefillah group, which is under the guidance of the rabbi and remains within strict halachic confines. also We have a periodic beginner's Hebrew reading class for adults.

Education is the byword of Ohav Sholom. We begin with our nursery children. Many of our families send their children to Jewish day schools, notably Hebrew Academy of Five Towns and Rockaway, Hebrew Academy of Nassau County, and the Solomon Schechter School. Other families take advantage of our fine JFI Stone Family Hebrew School program. We encourage these students to continue their studies in our community Hebrew high school.

Adult members can take advantage of a myriad of continuing education opportunities. The Rabbi Jeremiah Wohlberg Institute of Adult Jewish Studies sponsors many guest lectures and scholars-in-residence including Rabbi Avi Weiss, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Professor Stephen Berk of Union College, Rabbi Berel Wein, author John Loftus, and many others. The Merrick-Bellmore-Wantagh community offers a very well subscribed rabbinic lecture series followed by guest lecturers who have included notables such as Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Jewish Week editor Gary Rosenblatt, Malcolm Hoenlein, Deborah Lipstadt, Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, humorist-Rabbi Jack Moline. Rabbi Ebbin also teaches classes throughout the week as well on Shabbat afternoons. He also holds holiday institutes.

We provide weekly Shabbat junior congregation programs with our youth director, Yoni Goldenberg. The younger children are offered appropriate supervision with qualified Hebrew teachers or nursery care. The youth leader also offers many activities during the year on weeknights and Sundays.

Our chesed committee is always planning and executing various functions, including toy drives, blood drives, clothing drives, food drives, hospital visits, and our annual senior citizen Hatzilu luncheon where we host residents of various senior homes. We raise funds for a variety of organizations including UJA, Yesha, Israel Bonds, Yeshiva University, and Hebrew Academy for Special Children.

Our members are continuously involved in synagogue functions including Sisterhood, Men's Club, "social" club (Chaverim), and various PTAs. 

Orthodoxy is alive in Merrick. Our community is thriving. We have a community mikvah, several kosher establishments including a bagel store with eat in, take out, and catering. Merrick is also host to one other orthodox synagogue, a conservative synagogue, and a reform synagogue. Our "sister" community of Bellmore has an orthodox shul and two conservative shuls. When people mention yiddishkeit on Long Island, Merrick is on the map along with West Hempstead, Plainview, Great Neck, and the Five Towns.

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