TJM is a welcoming Jewish Reform temple for adults and children. The Clergy, one day a week…read morereligious school, monthly family Shabbat services and youth events are wonderful. Everyone is always so nice at TJM!! I highly recommend checking out one of our services if you're looking to join a temple/synagogue in the area.

If you're looking for a friendly, caring community, this is a terrific synagogue. The one day a…read moreweek religious school is convenient for families and offers a fun, personalized learning environment that will meet your kids at their level. The synagogue holds Jewish values dear and does a lot of social action programming. Holiday events from Hanukkah to Simchat Torah to Purim are always fun and special.

TBI is a wonderful community of warm, friendly and interesting people. I'm happy to be an active…read moremember for 15 years.

It is an honor and a privilege to serve as the Music Director of Temple Beth Israel. TBI is our…read morehome away from home, our family and our community. We are a down-to-earth, hamishe congregation. We have world-class adult education and family programming thanks to Lori Sagarin, our Director of Congregational Learning. Rabbi Michael Weinberg is our spiritual leader, gently guiding our congregation with wisdom, kindness, and humor. Music is infused in everything we do, and we are very serious about having fun.

There is an amazing group of leadership, the congregants are welcoming and the sermons always tie…read moreinto something relevant and current.

Rabbi Ari Moffic, of Sukkat Shalom, is officiating at my wedding. Since my fiance and I aren't…read moremembers of a temple, she let us know that we could get tickets to Sukkat Shalom's high holy day services by contacting the executive director. Since they don't sell their tickets, like most temples, they do ask for a donation in exchange for the tickets. But, giving what you can seems much more reasonable than being asked to pay a set price. (I don't even want to get started at why temples sell tickets for services on the holiest holidays . . .seems so . . . not right). Anyhoo, we went to their Rosh Hashanah service this past Saturday and over all we had a positive experience. For some reason, I was expecting it to be more of a diverse congregation and so I was really disappointed to see that my fiance was the only nonwhite person in the room. In terms of looking for a congregation to join, that is a major issue for us. But, I guess they are diverse in that they are very accepting of interfaith families. I guess it just depends what sort of diversity is most important to you. But, over all, the service was very nice. The rabbi gave an interesting sermon on biblical and modern parent child relationships. He used the example of Paul in Chorus Line. While he didn't come right out and argue for gay rights, there was definitely a message that parents should accept their children no matter their sexual orientation. I definitely appreciated that. There was lots of music and the shofar blower was awesome.

I came for a religious ceremony this morning. The building is absolutely stunning both inside and…read moreout. Staff working at the event were polite and friendly. Parking lot is behind the building and can be accessed via Keystone Avenue. There are plenty of street parking along Keystone as well.

I'm writing this 'review' for a couple reasons, especially to express my experiences with this…read moresynagogue. The person who wrote her review about their preschool program (of which she was not even able to be associated) should save her vitriol for some other forum; not a review of a synagogue itself. What I can say about this shul is that it's many things at once. I've never been a member but I had a cousin much older than me who was (until his death). What's especially interesting about this synagogue is it has multiple avenues of prayer opportunities. Sounds like a complicated description as I try to be general, but I will give a quick but significant example. Apparently a lot of modern Chicagoland Jewish families who focus on the celebration of bar and bat mitzvot have clouded the waters for those others who wish to pray on Shabbat. When this synagogue has a bar mitzvah, for example, it holds it in the main sanctuary. Otherwise, there is typically no Saturday Shabbat morning service. Only a Friday Shabbat service. However, every Saturday, regardless of whether there is a bar or bat mitzvah, there is a downstairs, less formal but quite engaging Shabbat morning service as an "alternative". I have attended these alternative downstairs Shabbats much more frequently and enjoy them tremendously. The fact that a synagogue is able and willing to provide such multiple approaches to meeting the needs of the community (spiritually, educationally, civilly, etc.) indicates that it's a place that I recommend at least investigating. As for why someone's kid can't get in to a good preschool, that's another set of stories for some other place.

One of my parents died and I called them after hours and the woman who answered chewed me out for…read moredisturbing her after hours. I could not quite state my grief all i heard was her shrill defensive sounds.

Very friendly and warm membership. We like the children's religious school b/c the kids get…read morepersonalized instruction rather than classes of 20+. The new Rabbi has young (3) kids of his own and is very approachable and personable. They make going to shul fun rather than drab.

JRC is a welcoming community of open-minded people. It's a great place to belong when you have…read morechildren, and we are very happy with the religious and Hebrew education our child is receiving. The building is beautiful, and very accessible. The Torah ark in the main sanctuary is a gorgeous work of art. Our whole family is very happy there.

So many memories from JRC, from bug juice and mediocre challah in the basement and gruff Israeli…read moreHebrew School teachers to Saturday morning minyan and Midrasha. I mostly resented my parents for making me go to Sunday School and then Hebrew School for so many years, but I guess I'd rather have grown up a JRC member than the children of Lubovitchers or something. Now all grown up, I haven't been to any synagogue in years. I'm an atheist, flagrantly anti-religious, and I'm gay. But I love corned beef sandwiches and chicken livers, and I'm a pretty big leftist, so I guess my parents got what was coming to them. And, although I haven't been inside, the new building (the only Platinum LEED Certified house of worship in the US, if I'm not mistaken) looks pretty cool.

I have often attended services at this most welcoming and egalitarian conservative synagogue. I…read morewould commend Rabbi Schechter the spiritual leader of Kol Emeth as a most engaging and intelligent man who combines a deep feeling for tradition with a delightful sense of humor. Having trained as a cantor his chanting of the service provides an inspiring musical experience which so enhances the intrinsic beauty of the traditional service. The congregants are of diverse background but are all soon made to feel at home by Rabbi Schechter's warmth and sincerity. I would recommend this congregation to anyone wishing a liberal yet traditional Jewish experience. This synagogue is the best kept secret in Chicagoland. Warm, friendly congregation, Shabbat morning services with erudite humorous Rabbi Barry Schechter (who is also the Cantor, lovely voice) at 9.30 a.m. Elementary Hebrew classes & more. The charm of Kol Emeth is that it's a small congregation with a very intimate feel. People actually know each other. A real feeling of community.

The most recent review of this congregation is from 12 years ago. Kol Emeth's current state of…read moreaffairs is far more dire. Rabbi Schechter is checked out and is with the synagogue for the sole purpose of collecting a salary. Active membership fails to form a minyan on most, if not all, Shabbat services. Membership and Marketing meetings present no viable plan forward for this aging congregation and seem content to let it die with the current membership. Kol Emeth is completely hostile to children and young families and has been for some time. In a recent conversation I had with a board member he openly bragged about ignoring Jewish law in making guiding decisions for the congregation. The woman who works in the front office has no respect for privacy and will gossip about any congregant to any one else who will listen. My family's final straw, although hardly the only one, was the careless disposal of items donated in memory of my grandfather without informing us until years after the fact. I say this as a (formerly) third-generation member and (former) member of the Marketing and Membership committee: There are better Conservative synagogues out there. Like all of them.

If you're looking for a traditional Egalitarian or Conservative synagogue in the Chicago Rogers…read morePark/West Rogers area, look no further! As a Mah Tovu member myself, I do confess a bias (!) but yes, this is a wonderful synagogue. Traditional liturgy (with few exceptions), entirely lay-led, and very participatory. Lovely people, with a tight-knit communal feel. Many different flavors of religious practice represented; whatever you do or don't do, you'll be welcome. As of this writing, there are daytime Shabbat services each week, and daily weekday services on zoom for Shaharit, Mincha and Maariv. If you're interested in learning to lead services or leyn, this is a great place to do it-- and if you're shy and would rather not, there's no pressure. Note that the synagogue now goes by its new name, Mah Tovu, and is located at its new home on 7315 N Western, 60645.

I have been away from my jewish religion for so long. I was told a relative of a friend went here…read moreso I checked it out. This place has rekindled my faith in Judaism . I attend just about every shabbat and have been here for holidays. Being here on first two days of passover has brought out more spirituality and faith in me. I love the fact that women lead certain parts of the service. Such great voices. Thanx to mah tovu I have rekindled my faith