Congregation Etz Hayim (CEH) has deep roots in Arlington. Organized as Ohev Shalom Congregation in 1940 for High Holy Day services, CEH met in the Jones Building on Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon. In June 1947, ground was broken on a single-floor structure on Arlington Boulevard. In 1952, the synagogue became the Arlington-Fairfax Jewish Center, and its physical structure was expanded between 1954 and 1955 to accommodate its growing membership.
From 1880-1920, Eastern European Jews began immigrating to the United States to escape anti-Semitism and oppression. By 1900, a few of them moved to Alexandria County (now Arlington). The majority were small shopkeepers who eked out a modest living. Focused more on economics than religion, they did not build a synagogue or place of worship in Arlington.
