4435 Oakton Street
Skokie, IL 60076-3222
(847) 677-3330
Questions? Email:
congbeneshalom@gmail.com
Meet
Congregation
Bene Shalom
We believe that all people should have access to G-d and prayer.
We believe that prayer heals. If you share our beliefs, please join us.
Established in 1972, Congregation Bene Shalom is an inclusive Reform synagogue welcoming Jew and non-Jew, deaf and hearing, individuals and families of various sexual orientations and gender identities, making it universally accessible.
At Congregation Bene Shalom we...
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Foster Healing Prayer Group
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Empower through Kabbalah meditation
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Celebrate religious holidays – Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Hanukkah, Tu B’shevat, Purim, Passover, Shavuot
Be authentic in all of life’s events – Baby naming, B’nai and Adult Mitzvah, Weddings, Anniversaries, & Funerals
Celebrating the 2nd Night of Chanukah
at Congregation Bene Shalom
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𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐇𝐢𝐭!
Thanks to all who attended 2024's Chicago Cabaret Week’s performance here at Congregation Bene Shalom! It was a full house! Pictured is performer and friend of CBS Carla Gordon with David Meulemans, who were joined by Kevin Wood, Becky Menzie, and our own Rabbi Charlene! We hope you can join us this year for "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah!
Photo credit Rachel Clinkman
(Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, then he will direct your paths.)
Proclamation from the Mayor George Van Dusen of the Villiage of Skokie to Congregation Bene Shalom Hebrew Association of the Deaf
Here is a link to the video of proclamation being issued.
https://youtu.be/PfskXxYhNCU
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From our Rabbi ~
Congregation Bene Shalom has lived for almost 54 years. For 50 of them, we were led by Rabbi Dr. Douglas Goldhamer. He was a Tzadik, a brilliant Rabbi, a healer, an author, a mensch, and my mentor.
It has been my honor to lead Shabbat, Kabbalah, and High Holiday services for almost four years now. I also officiate at weddings, and at funerals where I speak of the continuing soul of the loved ones being honored. I have been thinking about these final moments of Congregation Bene Shalom in terms of honoring our loss. I’ve been led to the obvious awareness that this congregation is not just a building, but a collection of the thousands of people who have prayed here that have become the soul of Congregation Bene Shalom.
Souls do not die; souls are forever. Souls are protected by angels and by God. The mission of this synagogue has always been inclusion, joy, and healing. The soul of this mission cannot die; the history, the memories and the love will never die. As we go forward, we must never lose sight that Congregation Bene Shalom will not only live on in our faith, but also our memories of the thousands of services, the countless simchas, joys, healing, the love and even the mourning.
This is our legacy. The memories I will carry with me making me smile, shed tears, and feel gratitude for the amazing experiences I have enjoyed on and off our bimah.
I want to share my email and website information so that you may contact me at any time. As I’ve said before,there are those who want to continue meeting as a Chavurah in our homes, and who knows what may happen!
While I am feeling the loss now, this is something I learned from Rabbi Goldhamer and want to share with you:
“Always remember, through your loss, your grief, there is always room for joy”.
We have entered a new year. May it be a wonderfully happy, prosperous, and healthy era filled with hope and peace.
Thank you all so very much!
Love,
Rabbi Char
Rabbi Charlene Brooks