Very progressive Conservative Congregation with…read moreaward-winning youth program. Members of all ages, new and sincere female rabbi, and daily services. Great cantor. Offers catering and facilities for special events. Suggest coming as a guest to experience services especially on Holidays.

Rabbi Annie Tucker and Rabbi Michael Cohen do a phenomenal job of leading this progressive…read morecongregation. People of all ages and demographics are welcome and encouraged to join. They go above and beyond other local congregations inspire families to come together to foster community. The talented Cantor Roytman has brought a new music program to the school for all ages to enjoy/participate. We feel very fortunate to be members of this synagogue. They are a breath a fresh air!

Beautiful synagogue. Warm congregants. Very family oriented. Top clergy. A holy space to connect…read morewith something bigger.

Brilliant rabbi. Karen Kedar is a blessing. An incredibly gifted speaker. She is engaging,…read moreinspiring, and a wonderful person. Gorgeous building. The facilities are luxurious. Best in the country.

Devar Emet is a MESSIANIC synagogue for people who grew up Jewish and came to believe in Jesus…read moreChrist. Some congregants come from a mixed background, like myself, where one parent is Jewish and the other is Protestant Christian. Others are Jews who were saved by faith later in life. The synagogue attempts to preserve Jewish life and traditions, mixed with new testament teachings. I really like Devar Emet because everyone I've met there has a genuine faith. About 1/3 of the congregation is college and high school-aged. They are all very involved with enriching the community experience of being a member there.

Devar Emet is a legitimate Jewish congregation. I visited in September 2022. It seems small, but…read morethey are clearly committed to creating a strong community. I think people who have been offended in the past misunderstood the purpose of the synagogue. It isn't about being different from other places of worship. It's about giving Jewish people who accept Yeshua as their Messiah a place and a community to live every part of their lives as Messianic Jews.

I attended the Bat Mitzvah of the daughter of my best friend from the University of Iowa on this…read moreThanksgiving Day. This trip to stand with my friend for this key life cycle event was a mitzvah (good deed) I was happy to perform. Beth Judea is housed in a handsome building and seems to be an active and welcoming Conservative congregation. Many friends and family from near and far had come for this occasion, including all of the Bat Mitzvah girl's teenage buddies in the back corner. Norm's daughter was impressive in chanting her Torah portion (Toldot) and the entire Haftorah. Her drash (sermon) was pretty good too. I also thought that Rabbi Gamer and Cantor Weisberg were especially kind and helpful to the Bat Mitzvah girl and the other folks (including me) who come up for an honor. In my particular situation, I had the Hagbah honor. This consists of lifting up the Torah and turning it around so that the congregation can see the actual writing on the parchment. The Hagbah occurs after the Torah reading is completed and before the Haftorah takes place. This requires a certain amount of strength in the arms, as Torah scrolls are heavy and in this case disproportionately weighted on the left side. And despite that required strength and balancing act and the fear of actually dropping the Torah, this honor remains one of my favourites. Afterwards, another person dresses the Torah and I then sat with it on my shoulder as Norm's daughter read the Haftorah. It was great to witness her chanting and the congregation watching from this vantage point. And as the weight of the Torah rested on my shoulder, I thought of the ying and yang of my Jewish-related burdens and enrichment, especially as it related to my son. Gayle is right, it is time to do something positive about that. Afterall, this is Review #613 and maybe a few more mitzvot are in order.

I have been a member of Congregation Beth Judea since 1979…read more Keeping Conservative Judaism alive and flourishing in the NW suburbs of Chicago is of extreme importance to me and my family. Every friendship that we have made since our move from Philadelphia has been started at Beth Judea. Recently Beth Judea has employed New Clergy. Rabbi Zimbalist and Hazzan Ezring have made our Jewish Community even stronger. Not every thing we do at CBJ is religious oriented, our social, education, and youth programs are second to none. I strongly recommend you try us out. Arnie G

Temple Chai is a wonderful place to bring and raise your family. We have been members for roughly…read more14 years and have had both of our children Bar/Bat Mitzvah'd here and love the staff and clergy. It is a very warm place for all and we enjoy attending High Holiday and Shabbat services, as well as many other events throughout the year. We are very good friends with many of the congregants and are honored to be affiliated with such a terrific group of people. In addition to being very active overall at the Temple, we feel that the Temple's Chai Guys Brotherhood and the Women of Temple Chai are enjoyed by all involved. Keep up the great work!

I have been a member of Temple Chai for about 8 years. Shabbat services on Friday nights are…read moregrounding, spiritually moving, full of song -- and are very well attended by regulars and newcomers alike. There is a great Torah study group on Saturday mornings. The staff who guide and educate the B'nai mitzvah students are well respected within the temple community and do a tremendous job in educating our young people. There are many adult education opportunities. The Israel committee of the temple organizes amazing congregational trips to Israel every two years and this December is the fourth or fifth one, I believe. I went on the 2013 trip and I am going on this year's trip as well. My first trip was packed with sights, experiences, and activities that I will never forget and I can't wait to be part of this year's. I am very happy to be part of the Jewish community at Temple Chai.

The Mass felt like a Baptist service. It was horrible. At least the priest did the consecration…read morecorrectly. I was the only one wearing a veil. People dressed in clothing like they were going to the beach or a picnic. There was nothing traditional about it. It was just horrible. Very upsetting.

Warm, welcoming and passionate about Jesus! We have had a great experience with their faith…read moreformation and The staff. Too bad someone with such a hurt and sour heart chose to take it out on such a wonderful program. God is at work here and doing great things!!

Landmark Review: I recently attended a wedding here, so this…read moreis only a review of the facility. The parking lot in the back is quite spacious. The actual sanctuary is modern and has lots of seating room along with side room for smaller chapel worship. Great location for a wedding!

The wife and I went to Lakeview Church today. I had to sing with my Job's choir…read more So what the ethnicity of 99.9% of all attendees are (Korean). It was wonderful , the people were great and God is there. I love the lord even more for showing us a glimpse of how heaven will be. We have food , i don't know what that meat was but it tasted like spaghetti and BBQ chicken and sugar meat. We really enjoyed ourselves and will be returning.

This has been a second home to my three boys their entire lives. The learned, volunteered, and was…read moresupported there

Is kindness not important in a rabbi?…read more Does compassion not factor into intelligence? How about empathy? Commitment? Tikkun Olam?   None of these factored into the rabbinic counsel before me: Rabbi Michael Siegel sitting on a couch glancing at his watch.  Does a good rabbi focus on the negatives and dismiss one as a piece of "coal" ?  How is it possible for him to be in denial about rabbi assault?  "I cannot help," he said. A more truthful response would have been: "I have no will to help."     Are his pockets too well padded for his hands to feel comfortable taking the hand of another?  He does charge money for people to hear him speak about subjects like "truth". I noticed this on my way out after I grabbed a flyer.  Is Siegel's rabbinic calling all about, then, "conviction" ? As in convicting another human being, that is....