Northwest Suburban Jewish Community
Addressing the needs of the northwest suburban Jewish community in collaboration with our partner agencies and institutions
The JUF/JF Northwest Suburban Coordinator provides a link between the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and the Jewish community that is in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Connections to the community include:
- A monthly e-mail newsletter with highlights of community programs and events of interest to the community.
- Resources to plan programs and events.
- Access to JUF/JF system-wide services.
- Direct programming for community building programs, such as JUF Book Buddies, a program for young families in the area.
For more information, contact:
Ronna B. Leibach, JUF/JF Northwest Suburban Coordinator
Ben Gurion Way – 30 S. Wells Street
Chicago, IL 60606-5056
Phone: (312) 444-2812
northwest@juf.org
Our History – Northwest Suburbs
Jews have been living in pockets of the northwest suburbs for over a century. A Jewish presence in the Fox River Valley dates back to the mid 1800’s. The first families were farmers, merchants and tradesmen. In 1892, a small group of Elgin residents organized the first synagogue west of Chicago. This community operated as an independent Federation until 2001 when they joined with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.
Today, there are over 18 synagogues that meet the needs and interests of a diverse and growing Jewish population stretching from northeast Kane, northwest Cook, McHenry, and west Lake counties. While this geographical area has shown tremendous growth in the last 30 years, it has also increased the size of the Jewish community, now comprising almost 20% of the Jewish households in the Chicago area. The largest concentration of Jewish families is in the areas of Buffalo Grove, Long Grove, Arlington Heights, Wheeling, Lincolnshire, and Vernon Hills with over 9 synagogues and many other Jewish institutions and services. Hoffman Estates and Elgin are home to four synagogues, McHenry County and the Lindenhurst/Grayslake area each have two synagogues.
Learn more about what’s happening in the northwest by viewing our newsletter.
