The WOW Factor
By Emma Dixon
Before they became pillars of the Jewish community in Winter Garden, Adam Cohn and Randa Marder already had a lot in common.
Adam was born in Miami and moved around the country before coming to Winter Garden in 2015. Randa also moved around the country before settling in Central Florida in 1975. Both grew up in towns with small Jewish communities, and both their fathers stepped up to build and grow the community in each of their respective areas – a tradition they’re now both continuing in the Winter Garden area.
“There was no organized Jewish community in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, when I grew up, but I always attended services with my father at Eglin Air Force Base,” says Adam. “Around 1982 my father, as president of the brotherhood, built the first Jewish community center there.”
Randa Marder and Adam Cohn brought WOW Chavurah to life with the help of community partners like The Pargh Foundation and Shalom Orlando.
Randa grew up in a similar situation.
“Like Adam, I came from a small town, much like Winter Garden where we both now live,” she says. “I also took the lead from my parents, who helped build the first synagogue in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, where my father was the first president.”
Both have a sense of Jewish pride and community.
“In every place I’ve lived, I’ve been involved in the Jewish community,” notes Adam, “as a Hebrew school teacher, temple board member, temple president, etc.”
WOW Chavurah has created a welcoming community for Jewish residents of the underserved Winter Garden area.
For her part, Randa studied at the University of Michigan, spent time on a kibbutz in Israel, and worked with B’nai B’rith Youth in San Francisco.
“Wherever I have lived, I have helped to build Jewish community,” she says. “I was the first adult services director of the JCC in Maitland, director of Beit Hamidrash for teens, president of Congregation Beth Am… you get the picture.”
Both saw a need for a more structured Jewish community in the Winter Garden area, which was lacking in synagogues or formal services. After attending a community focus group at Shalom Orlando, Adam was introduced to Randa, and the idea of creating WOW Chavurah in Winter Garden was formed. WOW stands for Winter Garden, Ocoee, and Windermere – the areas the group serves. A Chavura is a small group of like-minded Jewish community members. Adam agreed to lead a small Reform-style service, if a location could be sourced.
Right place, right time.
“We planned our first event in July of 2023,” says Adam. “Typically summer is a bad time to organize, but we wanted to get started quickly.”
Adds Randa: “Shalom Orlando supported the initiative by paying for the space at Little Hall in Winter Garden and providing pizza and security. They also provided an email list for the area so with a combination of that and personal contacts, we filled the room to capacity for the first event.”
Randa Marder welcomes families to a recent WOW Chavurah Shabbat in Winter Garden
“It was great!” says Adam. “We had food, kids running around, a very short service, and some dancing. It was a very nice Shabbat. More importantly, there were a lot of connections happening between families with common interests.”
WOW Chavurah then received a generous grant from the Pargh Foundation and after outgrowing its original location was able to find another space where it now meets – the American Legion Hall in downtown Winter Garden.
To keep the members connected, the pair created a private Facebook group, which lists activities and meetups within its pages, keeping everyone informed and engaged. Vicki Ellsweig, a member of the group, is grateful for the connection.
“The birth of our WOW Chavurah was timely,” says Vicki. “With the increase of antisemitism and uncertainty surrounding us, I believe many Jewish couples and families like myself are seeking out renewed connection with other Jews.” Both Adam and Randa are committed to the Chavurah’s growth.
“There are so many churches in the area that provide people with support and social opportunities,” says Adam. “If you are Jewish, you don’t really have access to that in any meaningful way. This group can connect people with the pieces of Jewish life they are craving.”
Randa and Adam are encouraged by the enthusiastic response to WOW Chavurah and hope their group has a domino effect.
“There are a lot of challenges to the Jewish community now,” says Adam. “I would love to see more chavurot formed across the Orlando area. They can be a powerful tool to strengthen the community and provide people comfort in times of stress and support in times of joy.”
To find out more about WOW Chavurah, please email Adam Cohn at adamscohn@gmail.com
This story was originally published in print in Spring 2024.