Congregation Or Tzion is a Conservative Jewish synagogue of more than 450 families serving Scottsdale and the greater Phoenix Jewish community. The congregation was created in 2014 by the merger of two legacy Conservative synagogues, Congregation Or Chadash, and Har Zion Congregation, each of which had deep roots in our local Jewish community.
Har Zion Congregation was founded in 1960, and over its more than 50 years in existence, grew from 60 founding members to more than 400 member families. Rabbi Mark Bisman was welcomed as the spiritual leader in 1983 and led the congregation for 30 years before becoming Rabbi Emeritus. Rabbi Bisman remains an active member of our community and happily steps in to lead services at Congregation Or Tzion when needed.
Congregation Or Chadash was founded in 2001 by a group of 20 families looking to establish a congregation that was multigenerational, highly participatory, and offered innovative programs to observe and celebrate Jewish customs, rituals, heritage, and beliefs. This congregation also saw significant growth over its 13 years in existence, with Rabbi Micah Caplan, z”l, as its spiritual leader from July 2010 until his sudden passing in June 2020.
Realizing the impact that these two Conservative congregations could have on our local Jewish community collectively, they merged in 2014.
Today, Congregation Or Tzion is a warm, vibrant, and inclusive multigenerational community that has preserved the best of both Congregation Or Chadash and Har Zion Congregation to be a place where our fellow congregants become our friends, and our friends become our family.