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OUR SHUL AND OUR MEMBERS
Congregation Rodfei Zedek is an egalitarian conservative synagogue offering a timeless yet contemporary approach to Jewish worship, study and living, and unlimited opportunity for personal growth.
Founded by shopkeepers in 1874, in a Canaryville storefront, Congregation Rodfei Zedek today is located in a unique synagogue-community center complex that fronts on Lake Shore Drive and teems with activity . From daily prayer services to annual Israel events, from Jazzercise classes to classes in Jewish thought, from film festivals to concerts, from morning until night.
Our congregational family includes a diverse urban mix of singles, couples, families, and older adults from downtown, South Loop, Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, and the suburbs in addition to Hyde Park and the University of Chicago.
An egalitarian congregation, we welcome both men and women to participate equally in religious ritual by being counted in the minyan, an assembly of ten or more adults who convene for prayer, and by reading from the Torah.
Thanks to an inspired partnership with the Hyde Park JCC, a shared campus with Akiba-Schechter Jewish Day School, and collaborative activities with civic and ecumenical groups, Congregation Rodfei Zedek offers to the community a wellspring of religious, educational, and cultural opportunities to satisfy the questing Jewish soul and spirit.
Our Hoffman Religious School at Congregation Rodfei Zedek and Moadon Kol Chadash, in Lincoln Park teach boys and girls to value their Jewish identity as they prepare to become b'nai mitzvah and fully participating members of the Jewish People.
Activities for children and families feature monthly Shabbat dinners, Tot Shabbats, Junior Congregation, holiday events and special programs.
Activities geared to adults, spanning Jewish and secular interests, include fiction and non-fiction book groups, topical seminars, scholarly lectures, cultural programs, volunteer opportunities, graduate-student and young-adult activities, Sisterhood and Men's Club projects, and much more. We invite you to learn more about us from our members and to visit us at our home, which is closer to your home than you think.
Sparking an Interest
"Aaron's questions sparked an interest in me," said Dan, whose son attended Congregation Rodfei Zedek's Moadon program to prepare for becoming bar mitzvah. Dan's curiosity about Judaism deepened at Moadon holiday celebrations, which are held at Congregation Rodfei Zedek, so he started attending the Rabbi's Wednesday-night classes for adults on thinkers like Abraham Joshua Heschel and Mordechai Kaplan. Though his travel schedule doesn't allow much time for religious services, he finds that the learning satisfies a spiritual need. "I've gained a Jewish connection," said Dan, "and my teenaged son is proud and happy to be Jewish."
Encouraging Individual Expression
"My bat mitzvah was a wonderful community experience," said physician Halina, who grew up in a non-observant, Yiddish-speaking family. Preparing to become bat mitzvah as an adult, Halina decided to personalize her service by chanting the haftorah in Yiddish. To help her realize her dream, a fellow Congregation Rodfei Zedek member transposed the traditional cantillation from the Hebrew text to the Yiddish translation. "It's a congregation that encourages people to be themselves, with an atmosphere that says, it's okay to not know everything about religious practice in order to participate."
Offering Authentic Judaism
"I wanted authenticity to the religious experience," said Ed, who joined Congregation Rodfei Zedek as a college student, twenty years ago. Today a semi-retired CFO, Ed continues to attend daily minyan as well as Shabbat morning services and is particularly engaged by the full Torah reading and weekly rabbinic sermons. "It's a warm and accepting place," said Ed. "It's not cliquish, and it takes being Conservative and egalitarian seriously."
Developing a Community Bond
Sara believes the emphasis on Torah reading helps to bring the congregation together. At bi-weekly Family Shabbat morning services, pre-bar/bat mitzvah religious-school students do the Torah reading. At weekly Shabbat morning services in the main sanctuary, adult volunteers read the Torah and small children carry the Torah ornaments in the procession. Then everyone comes together to sing Adon Olam and enjoy kiddush. "By the time most kids are bar/bat mitzvah, they're experienced Torah readers," said Sara, "and this shared skill creates a strong bond between adults and young people."
Here for You
Susan was a single, self-described "twice-a-year Jew" when her mother passed away. To her surprise and comfort, she experienced a sense of acceptance and welcome when she began attending the daily minyan as a mourner. Suddenly, she found herself with invitations for Shabbat and holidays and a deep appreciation of what it means to be a Jew. Now, her husband, who had never been affiliated with a synagogue, shares her feeling of belonging, as well as her eagerness to put up a sukkah and invite guests. "If you want to participate twice a year, that's fine," said Susan, "but if you want more, it's here for you."
Fostering Learning and Friendships
Gradually increasing attendance at Shabbat morning services and the experience of peace and joy in the liturgy led Judy to improve her rudimentary knowledge Hebrew. Her increased mastery of Hebrew allowed her to understand and follow the service more fully. Study over one summer with other women in the Congregation became a turning point, leading to a change in adult Hebrew instruction at Rodfei Zedek and to Judy’s adult bat mitzvah. After early retirement from the University of Chicago, she rejoined the Congregation’s Board of Directors. The Sisterhood Board also recruited Judy, giving her new friends and support for developing evening programs. "When someone has an idea, the next thing you know we’ve developed a program or a solution," said Judy, "and I appreciate the warm friendship of congregants and the opportunity to contribute to our shared experience."
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