Chicago’s only Reneweal (ALEPH) congregation is losing its home. The congregation, which has shared a home with other spiritual congregations in Printer’s Row at Grace Place for over a dozen years, has listed their need to relocate on craigslist.
With its departure, there’s no Jewish congregational space between Loop Synagogue (which is really more of a Kaddish shul) and Hyde Park, which is to say that thebooming Dearborn Park area, to whose high rise condos many young Jews have relocated in recent years. There’s also no real Jewish space between Divison and Belmont, i.e. Lincoln Park, where some many Jews live…
I remember Or Chadash met in a Church then found a home at Emmanuel. Shabbat Shirah meets at Moadon Kol Chadash. But I also remember Naor and Aytz Chayim ITC imploding after moving to Anshe Emet. I know Mitziut is thinking about space… I could use an office for KFAR, and there’s a need for a place for things to happen, instantaneous onegs, Makors, Kavanah or Shabbecky’s or whatever else we dream up, but there’s so few spaces where it can happen.
The issue of Jewish space is one I think that needs to be explored further. Where should, can Jews meet to meet, pray and program? Can enough of us band together to form our own JewCC? Some combination prayer room, meeting hall, social club? Where is it? What is it? What groups could contribute dollars and programs to a space coop?
No, really, I’m asking…
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