Our Home in Amberley Village
In 2012, Congregation Sha’arei Torah purchased property in Amberley Village to establish a permanent home for what many affectionately call the Village Shul. The synagogue building, a one-story structure thoughtfully designed to blend into the property’s 6.4 acres of wooded and rolling terrain, reflects the community’s desire for a warm and welcoming place to gather for prayer, learning, and Jewish life.
The building itself was designed through the collaborative efforts of synagogue members, led by past presidents Howard Mayers and Norman Frankel, together with architect Michael Maltinsky and Jeff Epstein. This spirit of community involvement extended to many of the synagogue’s most meaningful elements. The Aron Kodesh was designed by a group of members led by architect Michael Maltinsky along with Cynthia and Bob Rosen and artist Shoni Golin-Cahn. The beautiful parochet was also designed and created by Shoni Golin-Cahn, adding a unique artistic touch created by a member of the community.
Our home at 2400 Section Road sits in the heart of Amberley Village, a location that is both geographically central and deeply connected to Jewish life in Cincinnati. Amberley Village offers convenient access to major roadways, including the Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway and Interstates 71 and 75, making it easily accessible from across the region.
The village is also home to many of Cincinnati’s central Jewish institutions. Within close proximity are six synagogues, the Mayerson JCC, Jewish Family Service, the Jewish Federation, the Cincinnati Community Mikvah, and Cincinnati Hebrew Day School. Kosher dining options and other Jewish resources are also easily accessible, allowing the community to remain deeply connected to Jewish life throughout the region.
Today, Sha’arei Torah continues to serve as a warm gathering place where families come together to celebrate Shabbat, learn Torah, and build a vibrant Jewish community.
Congregation Sha’arei Torah is a proud member synagogue of the Orthodox Union (OU).
Statement of Principles
While we are a diverse group of individuals, we share certain essential values:
We believe that, as Jews, our ultimate purpose is to transform ourselves and to work toward the perfection of the world through the observance of mitzvot, the study of Torah, and the pursuit of a life based on Jewish ethics and ideals.
We are firmly committed to the observance of the mitzvot, as codified in widely accepted codes of Jewish Law, and as interpreted by responsible and competent poskim.
We recognize the fact that Jews at every level of observance have made vital material and spiritual contributions to the advancement of the Jewish people. We believe that all Jews can play a key role in shaping our collective destiny.
We believe the State of Israel is a gift from the Almighty and is central to the future of our people. We have a sacred responsibility to support it.
We are loyal to the laws and institutions of the United States of America, and we are committed to its ideals, including religious freedom and
tolerance.We believe, in accordance with Jewish tradition, in the inclusion of women in Torah scholarship and communal leadership.
We are committed to the inclusion of those with disabilities and/or special needs by accommodating their involvement in our services, synagogue life and religious growth.
The human being was created be-tzelem Elokim – in the image of God. We believe that an important aspect of this attribute is human creativity. Therefore, the study and appreciation of the sciences, arts, and humanities is central to the actualization of our God-given potential. In addition, these areas of knowledge bring us closer to God by deepening our understanding of the Torah and His creation, and prepare us to meet the challenges of the contemporary world.
We believe that all of the above principles are in full consonance with Torah u-Mesorah– the letter and spirit of the Jewish religious tradition.
We are united in our commitment to creating a religious community where our members can cultivate these religious principles. We therefore intend that our tefillot (prayer services), our speakers and visiting scholars, our lay leadership, our rabbinic leadership, and our program of activities promote these values and ideals.
Ratified June 21st, 2012
Congregation Sha’arei Torah is a Modern Orthodox Synagogue in Cincinnati, Ohio. Our name, “Gates of Torah,” in the plural form, reflects one of our core beliefs: We all strive to follow the same Torah and are committed to halakhic observance. At the same time, we recognize that a life of Torah can be reached through many paths.