With fewer than 145,000 Jews, the state’s importance to Jewish life exceeds the size of its Jewish population. There are several reasons: one is the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, the other is the Jewish community of Cleveland. Hebrew Union College is the oldest American rabbinical school, housing the American Jewish Archives and one of the most important Jewish libraries in the world. As one of the model American Jewish communities, Cleveland has excelled in providing leadership to American and world Jewry, the best known example being Abba Hillel Silver, the rabbi and Zionist leader who played a crucial role in the establishment of Israel. Rabbi Solomon Goldman and Rabbi Arthur Lelyveld also served in Cleveland while providing leadership to world Jewry. Rabbi Eliezer Silver in Cincinnati was a world leader of Orthodox Jewry.

Jews first settled in Ohio in the early 19th century, but the first influx