Why A Chamber?
There are numerous outlets for Judaism in Orlando.
The many synagogues and religious centers are great resources for the religious aspects of Jewish life.
The JCC is fabulous for families and education.
The Federation is excellent for Israel.
CYP and YJP bring young Jewish professionals together.
However, there was nothing for business professionals who are either Jewish or who want to network and do business with the Jewish community. There’s no one organization that aims to enhance relationships within the community. There are organizations and programs that do this for segments of the community, however none for the entire Jewish community.
Our community is so diverse religiously. The community ranges from Orthodox to reform to not-at-all religious but cultural. It is the cultural connection that unites us.
Therefore, we say, the Chamber is Culturally Connected, Business Minded.
We respect the many organizations that already address religion and religious aspects of life, and we honor the range of practices within the community. Therefore, we typically steer away from religion. However, we do avoid shellfish and pork (including bacon) at our events when we provide food.
The founders realized that the Jewish Community was missing a seat at the table and a voice. The Chamber was established to serve another purpose beyond uniting and fostering relationships. It builds bridges and supports dialogue within the greater Central Florida community.
The Jewish Chamber hosts events that are open to all members of the community and we frequently have members and leadership both minority and majority Chambers at our events. We set up and hosted the first Jewish-Muslim co-Chamber event in the history of Florida, which was a beautiful dialogue. We have connected numerous professionals.