If the neighborhood you live in has you believing that most people in Northeast Ohio are either Christian or Jewish, you need to get in your car and explore your town a bit more. A drive through any of the inner-ring suburbs or city neighborhoods will show that only a few other northern industrial cities match the religious diversity of the Cleveland/Akron area.
Bringing new faiths to Northeast Ohio
As immigrants settled in Northeast Ohio from countries all over the globe, they brought their faiths with them. Often, it was the first social connective tissue they established in their new towns. What’s fascinating to me is just when I think I know a bit about every religion, Executive Arrangements will have a candidate who opens my eyes a bit wider.
As we woo recruits and onboard newcomers to our region, they ask us about the things that are important to them. And while many studies show that Americans who are involved in organized religion is on the decline, we answer questions weekly about religious diversity and houses of worship, some that have us exploring the relatively modern Bahá’í religion, Jainism, and Sihks with roots in India. The Eruv Zone in Cleveland’s east side suburbs provides a safe zone for Orthodox Jews who observe Shabbat, walking to and from synagogue. There’s the Islamic Center of Cleveland, the very first stake of the Latter Day Saints in Kirtland, the Hindu Temple in Parma…the list goes on.
Look at the number of congregations represented in Cleveland Heights alone (where our office is located): Episcopal, Assemblies of God, Baptist, Catholic, Christian Science, Disciples of Christ, Greek Orthodox, Jewish synagogues, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Unitarian Universalist, Bahá’í, Methodist, and more.
Architecture steeped in history
I live in Cleveland’s historic Tremont neighborhood. There are more churches in one square mile than most places in our country. It’s so densely packed with churches that there are church tours at least once a year for those who love the architecture and history of these immigrant-built neighborhoods. While its true that many of these churches don’t have the parishioners they once had (due to outward migration to suburbs), they do offer a litmus test of how religiously diverse our region is, and the loyal congregants still gather weekly to worship.
If belonging to a house of worship is important to you, you will be able to find your group in Northeast Ohio. That can’t be said of a lot of Midwestern cities of our size, but it’s true in Cleveland.
The Executive Arrangements team’s main goals are to share our love of Cleveland with your top job candidates and make them feel welcome. Whether they’re looking for a place of worship or simply architecture enthusiasts, there are plenty of religious organizations in Northeast Ohio. If you have any questions about our relocation services process, please feel free to contact us here or give us a call at 216.231.9311.