Radically Inclusive Jewish Community
Mishkan is a spiritual Jewish community in Chicago reclaiming Judaism’s inspiration and transformative essence. Not bound by a particular location like a traditional synagogue, we create radically inclusive spaces for Jewish spiritual practice and community. We’re on a mission to engage, educate, and empower people across the spectrum of identity, background, age, and belief.
The Torah describes the Mishkan as a tent that the ancient Israelites carried with them through the desert, creating holy space whenever and wherever they stopped to gather in it. They brought God’s presence into its midst, where ever the people would set it up and bring the best of themselves – their hearts, their talents and their treasures. Likewise, we are brought together by our belief that through music, prayer, study and tikkun (repairing the world), we transform ourselves and the world.
Welcome to Mishkan. We’re glad you’re here.
Our 6th Graders planted parsley for Tu B'Shevat. Each pot should grow just in time for Passover! Did you do anything special for Tu B'Shevat?
A beautiful, bountiful spread at the latest Queer Shabbat Potluck. Have you attended a Small Group at Mishkan yet? It's a fun way to find your people.
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a 2nd & 3rd Grade Super Hero Havdalah! On February 10th at 4:00 pm, come dressed up as your favorite superhero and join us for dinner and a Havdalah service along with justice themed activities.
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Tomorrow! Join us for Saturday Morning Unplugged at Mishkan HQ from 9:30 am - noon. We will have Rise & Shine for kids 0-4 at 10:00 am and Mah Tovu for kids 5-8 at 11:00 am.
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Next Thursday, February 9th, join us for Reproductive Transparency Now Action. We will learn all about "crisis pregnancy centers" (aka "fake clinics") which pretend to be abortion clinics in order to to lure in people with unwanted pregnancies. We will also learn how to write impactful reviews of these clinics in order to combat their misinformation. Kick off Repro Shabbat weekend by taking action for abortion access!
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Our amazing 6th & 7th Grade families braved the cold to lend Mother Nature a hand at our Tu B'Shevat Winter Beach Cleanup.
POV: You are joining us for services tonight at Second Unitarian at 6:30 pm. Come in out of the cold, there's a seat here for you!
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Our latest Baby & Beyond cohort is feeling a bit more prepared for the next step in their parenthood journeys!
Last Friday, the MishTeens did a phenomenal job running services at our "Teen Takeover" Virtual Shabbat! Thank you to everyone who stepped up.
On February 9th following services, join us for a Winter Comfort Feast as we celebrate love and connection in all its forms on Valentine’s Day weekend! A delicious vegetarian dinner of winter comfort foods will be catered by Schmaltz & Vinegar.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/winter-comfort-feast-shabbat-dinner-2/
Check out these stunning tallitot our KBM students made with Rachel Ellison of Bat Sarah Press! Truly the collab of the century.
Happy Jewish Earth Day! Our KBM students and families celebrated Tu Bishvat with a seder. How are you celebrating?
Please join us on February 8th from 7:30 - 8:30 at Anshe Emet Synagogue for a night of service and learning with the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs in partnership with Anshe Emet YAD and Mishkan. We will be packing meal bags for the Night Ministry and engaging in discussions about housing justice and the Bring Chicago Home project.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/yad-housing-and-hot-cocoa/
This Thursday at 7:30 pm, celebrate Tu B’Shevat with a musically-themed seder led by Music Director Matthew Ellenwood, vocal coach and performance trainer. If you love music, singing, or playing, this is a great chance to sing in community with music of the season. Learn Mishkan’s music and technical music skills while meeting new friends. All music and singing levels welcome!
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Tonight is a Teen Takeover Virtual Shabbat! Rabbi Steven is taking a step back to let the Mishkan teens lead services. Join us at 6:30 pm for a night of poetry and learning — link in bio.
Tomorrow, we're on for Saturday Morning Shabbat at CJDS (3730 N California Ave) from 9:30 am - 12:00 pm, complete with our usual family programs: Rise & Shine for kids 0-4 at 10:00 am and Mah Tovu for kids 5-8 at 11:00 am.
Read the rest of Rabbi Steven's powerful sermon on the Mishkan Blog.
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On Sunday at 10:00 am, join us for On the Ground: Conversation with Standing Together. We will hear from co-directors Alon-Lee and Rula Daood, dedicated peace activists at the forefront of a grassroots movement uniting Israelis and Palestinians in pursuit of peace. Hear directly from the organizers on the ground as they share their perspectives on reshaping the current narrative and the path forward for achieving systemic societal change, and learn what you can do to help.
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Trans & Nonbinary Youth Group meets this Sunday, January 21 at 1:00 pm at Mishkan HQ. Come hang out with us!
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Today marks 100 days since the attacks of October 7. We continue to pray for the release of the 129 hostages still held captive by Hamas. We mourn the loss of too many innocent lives lost in Israel and Palestine. We refuse to compromise our hope — inspired by our sacred inheritance — for a future that promises safety and self-determination of all people who call that land home.
On January 21 at 10:00 am, in partnership with the New Israel Fund (NIF), join us for a virtual conversation with Standing Together co-directors Rula Daood and Alon-Lee Green. Alon-Lee and Rula Daood are dedicated peace activists at the forefront of a grassroots movement uniting Israelis and Palestinians in pursuit of peace, equality, and social justice. Hear directly from the organizers on the ground as they share their perspectives on reshaping the current narrative and the path forward for achieving systemic societal change, and learn what you can do to help.
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If you are interested in learning more about tahara, the Progressive Chevra Kadisha invites you to join a free training on January 21st at 1:00 pm. This opportunity is for Builders only.
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Are you in recovery from alcohol or other addictive substances? The next meeting of our Sobriety Journey group is January 23 at 7:00 pm at Maggie's Place in Mishkan HQ.
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Due to extreme weather, our service tomorrow will be online! Get cozy with cocoa and join us for a special "winter weather warning" edition of Virtual Friday Night Shabbat.
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Interested in the sacred work of tahara? Learn more at the Progressive Chevra Kadisha training on January 21st at 1:00 pm.
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Tomorrow! Join us for Saturday Morning Unplugged at Mishkan HQ at 9:30 am, complete with our usual Family Programs — Rise & Shine for kids 0-4 at 10:00 am and Mah Tovu for kids 5-8 at 11:00 am.
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Calling all 6th & 7th graders (and their grownups)! Join us on January 27 at 10:00 am as we celebrate Tu B’shevat — Jewish Earth Day — by cleaning up Montrose Beach. Following the clean up, we’ll gather at Everybody’s Coffee for hot chocolate (on Mishkan!) and learn more about the holiday.
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Learn more about Maggie's Place on the Mishkan Blog.
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Wondering how the Jewish calendar works? Join us for BluePrint, a back-to-basics learning program for those who want to explore the foundations of Judaism in an approachable and accessible way. Our second module is all about the Jewish calendar, holidays, Shabbat, and theology. We will meet virtually on Tuesday nights at 7:00 pm beginning on January 9th.
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Members of Mishkan's Davening Team had an incredible, powerful time at Hadar's 2023 Rising Song Institute.
What a year it's been! Thanks to your generosity, we've been able to grow Team Mishkan (seen here volunteering at Care4Real) and expand our programming to serve more people than ever before. Check out our donor appreciation page for the full list of this year’s supporters (as of November 13th), and consider making a donation of any size to help us continue our work in the new year.
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It's not too late to give! If you have extra gelt laying around this holiday season, we would appreciate your donation of any size to help Mishkan close out our annual campaign on a high note. Whether it’s a donation of $36 or $180, it takes a village to build and grow a community like ours.
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Did you know that December 31 is Rabbi Lizzi’s birthday? You’re invited to be part of a surprise community-wide birthday greeting card we are sending her! With any end-of-year donation of $18 or more, we’ll include your name inside.
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If you find yourself struggling during these dark months, please don't hesitate to reach out to [email protected] for more information on Maggie's Place and counseling resources.
Merry Christmas to all of our friends and loved ones — including our beloved partners at Second Unitarian — who are celebrating right now! We hope your day is full of warmth and light.
Tonight! Join us for "Twas the Shabbat Before Christmas," a laidback virtual candle lighting & kiddush with Rabbi Steven. Join us at 6:30 pm, just in time for us all to enjoy the traditional dinner of the season — Chinese takeout.
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For people in recovery, coming home around New Years can be tough. We hope these words of wisdom from Rabbi Zack — our Sobriety Journey group facilitator at Maggie's Place — are of help.
Twas the Shabbat before Christmas when all through the town, Jews were snagging Chinese takeout to chow down! This Friday, December 22nd, join Rabbi Steven for a casual virtual candle lighting and kiddush.
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Tonight! We are on for an inspirational Virtual Friday Night Shabbat at 6:30 pm.
Then, join us for a very special Saturday Morning Shabbat featuring a Mensch Academy Student Showcase! Services will be at CJDS (3730 N California Ave), and you can stick around to check out Mensch students' creative projects they've designed to “showcase” their own answers to big Jewish questions. For security purposes, please bring a photo ID.
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Read the rest of Rabbi Steven's statement on the Mishkan Blog.
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This Saturday is another Mensch Academy Student Showcase! Join us for services at CJDS (3730 N California Ave) at 9:30 am and stick around to explore all the incredible displays our Mensch students have been working on.
Our goal at Mensch is to empower students to ask big questions. This fall, students are studying the Talmud text Chullin 60b and forming their own interpretations and questions. Our learning will be expressed through creative interpretations of the text in students' showcase projects, which includes plays, puppet shows, sculptures, poster projects, and more!
For security purposes, please bring a photo ID.
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Hanukkah Hot Take — just because something isn't as old doesn't make it less important.
Thursday! Come jam with us at 7:30 pm at Mishkan HQ. If you love music, singing, or playing, this is a great chance to sing in community with music of the season. All music and singing levels welcome!
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"Hanukkah is an invitation to resist the urge to retreat from the world, to replace the locked door with an illuminated window. It is a bold statement that we, us Jews, are here — not as an admonition of our fear but to say that despite the hatred we might face, we refuse to disappear. It is an unwavering refusal to meet darkness in kind, but a commitment to create light instead."
You can read the rest of Rabbi Steven's sermon on the Mishkan Blog — link in bio.
How do you spell Chanukkah?
See you tonight at Second Unitarian at 6:30 pm for a special Hanukkah edition of Friday Night Shabbat! Reminder to bring along supplies for our Migrant Response Team's Winter Gear Drive as we pitch in to keep our newest neighbors warm. We are looking for sleeping bags, strollers, coats, yoga mats, and warm shoes and boots for both kids and adults.
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New to lighting the menorah? Rabbi Steven is here with a Hanukkiah How To on Hanukkah blessings!
Rabbi Ari Moffic, Mishkan's Director of Youth and Teen Experience, traveled to New York this week for the Jewish Education Project's teen summit on Israel + Jewish Peoplehood Education. Teen educators across the country gathered to discuss how to help teens and tweens fight antisemitism, how to talk about Israel with diverse audiences, and grow skills in facilitation, youth mental health, and more.
For more information about Mishkan's approach to Israel and Palestine, please see the link in bio.
Happy first night of Hanukkah! At least they tried.
Saturday! Your family is invited to Fry, Sing, Repeat: A Musical Hanukkah Party at Mishkan HQ. From 3:30 - 4:30 pm, children ages 4 and under will enjoy songs, fun activities, and lots of donuts. From 5:30 - 7:30 pm, kids in grades K-5 can expect singing, games, and a DIY fried potato bar. We are holding another Winter Gear Drive on Saturday as well, so check out the event for more info.
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Happy Hanukkah! Learn how to set up your hanukkiah with Rabbi Steven.
We're holding another Winter Gear Drive at services on Friday! Join us for a Hanukkah-themed Friday Night Shabbat at Second Unitarian at 6:30 pm, and simply bring along the supplies our Migrant Response Team has verified is needed by our new neighbors: sleeping bags, strollers, coats, yoga mats, and warm shoes and boots for both kids and adults.