New Judaic ‘1-Stop Shop’ in Chicago’s E. Rogers Park

Rabbi Yoel Wolf and his wife Rivky started Chabad of East Rogers Park, on the far north side of Chicago, in August. Gonzalo Escobar, who lives in the building across the street, saw the couple moving in.

“I saw the rabbi, suspected it might be Chabad, and went and introduced myself,” says Escobar. Escobar had previously been involved with Chabad during his time as a graduate student at Harvard University, and says he hopes to see this Chabad continue to grow.

In Boston and abroad, Escobar has taken advantage of the chance to attend Shabbat dinners and lunches, and to get involved in Chabad activities. Likewise, he has been to all of Wolf’s events so far and looks forward to replicating his experiences, complete with the good food, good company and the chance to meet other young adults.

This Chabad is the latest to open in Illinois, which is home to 40 centers, several in areas experiencing a rebirth in Jewish life, according to Rabbi Daniel Moscowitz, regional director of Lubavitch Chabad of Illinois.

“We’re always looking at opportunities, and we always look at possibilities,” he says. “There’s much more work ahead of us, for sure, but step by step, we evaluate different areas. [The emissaries] are doing wonderful work.”

‘Resurgence in the Area’

Moscowitz, who grew up in East Rogers Park, says the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s proved the heyday of Jewish life in East Rogers. He cites a previous Chabad synagogue in the area, run by Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Hecht, who was sent by the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe—Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, of righteous memory—in 1942, and in the same breath notes a Jewish population that started dwindling in the late ’60s and early ’70s. The last synagogue closed down in 2002.

“Today, there’s a resurgence in that area, and there’s a lot of young people living there,” he says. “It’s a very up-and-coming neighborhood.”

East Rogers Park represents a diverse Jewish community, reports Moscowitz, including many young people who moved to the area because of the access to downtown—young people who are also looking for the opportunity to connect.

Upping Participants and Programs

The Wolfs have their operations underway, and are already welcoming those people in. They began by inviting guests to Friday-night dinners, learning one-on-one, and then hosting larger meals with services. Chabad’s first event was a Chanukah party in December that drew 25 people. They also just held a “Friday Night Live!” event on Jan. 3, a Shabbat experience for beginners, followed by dinner.

Rafael Bratman, 35 and a jeweler by trade, grew up in East Rogers Park and lives there now. He has eaten Shabbat meals at Chabad and attended the Chanukah party with friends.

“We all had a great time,” he says. “I met tons of people there, and I knew some people, too.” He recalled the jelly beans in glasses used to make a colorful menorah with style; the latkes and other outstanding food; dreidel games; and singing.

“I really hope the community will continue to grow,” says Bratman, adding that he looks forward to going back for Shabbat and other Jewish holidays in the future. “I really hope they continue to blossom, and that more and more people will come and celebrate together.”

The number of interested participants keeps growing—when the Wolfs arrived five months ago, they knew only one person in East Rogers Park. Now, they have a list of 65 contacts and expect to add students from nearby Loyola University to it.

The rebbetzin plans to add challah-baking and a women’s group this year; the rabbi is working on offering lectures, and Shabbat and holiday programs.

“We made sure to get a place with a big dining room and a big living room,” says Wolf of their condo, Chabad’s current base of operations. Their eventual goal is to be a full-fledged Jewish center where the community can spend Shabbat and holidays.

“We have to be that one-stop shop,” he says, explaining that he hopes to make the area into a Jewish destination in the city for those who want to live on Lake Michigan and along the train line. Rogers Park is bounded by the city of Evanston, Ill., one of Chicago’s North Shore communities and home to the prestigious Northwestern University.

“We got a resounding welcome; people are excited to see Yiddishkeit here once again, as well as people who find it meaningful to have a community here,” says the rabbi. “The interest is beyond what we expected when we got here—we’re very excited!”