Orlando Torah Center
ORLANDO – An Orthodox synagogue in Orlando has filed a federal lawsuit against Orange County and its board of county commissioners alleging the entities unfairly denied its application to expand.
The Orlando Torah Center, or OTC, filed its lawsuit July 31 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division.
The synagogue, in Orlando’s Sand Lake Hills neighborhood, was founded in 2011. According to its website, it offers educational programs, youth activities, and “spiritual guidance for individuals and families at every stage of observance.”
Located along South Apopka Vineland Road in an area locally known as “Church Row” for its concentration of more than a dozen churches, the OTC has served a walkable congregation since 2015.
“As part of Orlando’s thriving Torah infrastructure, OTC plays a central role in supporting Jewish life and continuity in the region,” its website states.
The OTC’s lawsuit seeks to defend its rights under the First Amendment, the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, or RLUIPA, and Florida’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
“Defendants have intentionally targeted OTC’s religious exercise and speech within the County, enforcing the County’s unconstitutional zoning ordinance to frustrate OTC’s attempts to expand its existing synagogue as necessary to effectuate its religious mission,” the 83-page complaint states.
The OTC’s counsel claims the case is about ensuring that minority faith institutions are not held to a different standard and that religious freedom is fully protected under the law.
“Religious freedom is not optional; it is a constitutional guarantee,” Roman Storzer of Storzer and Associates said in a statement. “OTC has every legal and moral right to exist, expand, and serve its community without undue burden or discrimination.”
The synagogue, in its filing, points out that numerous churches, a public school, and a daycare center all received similar zoning approvals in similar zoning districts.
However, its request to expand for its religious use faced intense public opposition, including antisemitic remarks during public hearings.
The request was denied by the Board of County Commissioners on July 1, 2025, according to the complaint.
“Individuals of all faiths have a right to worship without outside interference,” Storzer said. “OTC members have been part of their neighborhood for more than a decade. They have operated peacefully and built lasting relationships with families of all faiths.
“Disappointedly, they were denied the same rights routinely granted to others.”
The OTC seeks to expand its facility to accommodate increased attendance, children’s programs, and enhanced safety measures – in light of the rise in antisemitic attacks targeting Jewish institutions across the country, it noted.
Its congregation has more than doubled in the last five years, the OTC noted.
According to its filing, synagogue members face “severe hardship” due to lack of space, including families having to participate in religious activities outdoors in the Florida heat; children being unable to attend holiday programs; and attendees being exposed to safety risks due to the inability to secure the building.
Congregants, the OTC explained, cannot drive to synagogue on the Sabbath and many Jewish holidays; therefore, it must provide a synagogue that is close to its congregants’ homes.
“The result of the significant spatial constraints is a noisy, stressful, and chaotic atmosphere that detracts from these important religious activities, which are an important part of OTC’s Sabbath programming,” the complaint states.
The synagogue seeks an order reversing the defendants’ decisions on its 2024 application and an order granting the application.
It also seeks preliminary and permanent orders enjoining the county and its board from applying land use regulations; an award of compensatory damages; and other costs and attorneys’ fees.
The Washington, D.C., law firm of Storzer and Associates and Florida law firm Gunster Yoakley and Stewart are representing the OTC in the action.
