When a new Skokie synagogue opens near Church Street and Crawford Avenue, it’ll be the first in Chicago to offer services to both Ashekanzi and Sephardic Jews, who share the same basic beliefs but have variations in culture and practice, Pioneer Local reported.
“Our congregation noticed that we were not adequately tending to the needs of the entire Jewish community,” Rabbi Gelman told TheJewishBusiness.com. “Jews from Morocco, Iran and other middle eastern countries who came to the United States to escape religious persecution have been challenged to fully integrate into a largely Ashkenazic community.”
The 31,000-square-foot facility, which features two sanctuaries side by side, will offer Orthodox prayer services and programs to each group and shared spaces for the entire community, and is set to host a grand opening on at 9:30 a.m., Aug. 18, at 9220 N. Crawford Avenue, according to the website.
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