Jewish Community Zurich

The Israelitische Cultusgemeinde Zürich was founded by 12 men on March 29, 1862, then still known as the "Israelitischer Kultusverein", after the legal restrictions for Jews in the canton of Zürich had been lifted. Previously, Jews were only allowed to live in the Surbtal communities of Endingen and Lengnau. In 1880, the name of this association was changed to "Israelitische Cultusgemeinde". In 2005, the law on recognized Jewish communities granted the ICZ (Israelitische Cultusgemeinde Zürich) and the Jüdische Liberale Gemeinde (JLG) public-law status and placed them on an equal footing with the national churches. In 2010, Israelitische Cultusgemeinde Zürich was the largest Jewish community in Switzerland with just under 2,500 members.