‘Jewish life is alive and well here’

Families from the Jews of Beverly gather to celebrate Rosh Hashanah. (Photo courtesy of the Jews of Beverly)

When many of us think of centers of Jewish life in Chicagoland, the North Shore often comes to mind. However, vibrant Jewish communities exist across Chicago’s southern and western sides.  

In 2017, Emily Lambert believed she was the only Jew living in Beverly, a neighborhood on Chicago’s far southwest side. When local leaders downplayed support for Art Jones, a neo-Nazi and Holocaust denier who had received votes in the 19th Ward, she wrote a letter expressing her concern to the editor of The Beverly Review, identifying herself as “probably the only Jew in the 19th Ward.” 

The letter had an unexpected result. Shortly after it was published, Lambert received a message from Arnie Bernstein, delighted to discover there was at least one other Jew nearby. The two met for coffee, became fast friends, and soon launched the Jews of Beverly (JOB) Facebook group. “We thought we’d get maybe 10 people if we were lucky,” Bernstein recalled. “And we were way beyond lucky.” 

From the beginning, they envisioned JOB as an inclusive space that would welcome Jews of all backgrounds, levels of observance, and family structures. What began with a Chanukah party attended by just four members and their families has grown into a thriving community of approximately 75 members. 

As word spread, JOB expanded its network through connections with local Jewish organizations, including KAM Isaiah Israel, Chabad, and 18Doors. The group now hosts regular gatherings in members’ homes and throughout the neighborhood, including Chanukah celebrations, Purim hamantaschen baking events, Yom Kippur break-fasts, and family outings.  

Community partnerships have also played a meaningful role in JOB’s development. For the past two years, a local church has provided space for a community sukkah in North Beverly. With support from Chabad, JOB has also organized two public chanukkiah lightings for Chanukah.  

“There’s no denying we’re here and proud to celebrate our Jewish heritage,” Bernstein said. 

Whether celebrating Tu B’Shvat at the Garfield Park Conservatory, or sharing bagels and conversation, JOB continues to foster meaningful Jewish connections in a corner of Chicago where many once thought they were alone.  

When Nicole Beckmann Tessel and her family moved from Chicago back to Downers Grove, she was excited to return to the community where she had grown up. At the same time, it was hard to leave behind Chicago’s highly resourced Jewish community for one with less infrastructure. But Tessel saw an opportunity to build Jewish community in her new home. 

Tessel became the sole west suburban organizer for JUF’s Young Families Division, coordinating PJ Library and jBaby programming throughout the area. What began as monthly jBaby playgroups in her home soon expanded into a steady calendar of family-friendly Jewish experiences, from matzah ball making and ceramic seder plate painting before Passover to visits to the Lyman Woods for Rosh Hashanah.  

Tessel also founded a Jewish Daisies Girl Scout troop to help her older daughter build friendships with other Jewish children while creating another avenue for Jewish life outside the synagogue.  

Adults found community as well, establishing a WhatsApp group, organizing Shabbat dinners and holiday celebrations in local homes, and gathering for events such as a private tour of Goldfinger Brewing Company—a Jewish brewery owned and operated by Tessel’s brother, Thomas Beckmann.  

Jewish visibility in the western suburbs is undeniably increasing, with dozens of families openly participating in Jewish life. Tessel also points to recent milestones such as the opening of a Chabad in Hinsdale, the mayor of Hinsdale’s proclamation of Jewish American Heritage Month, and the Downers Grove Public Library’s hosting of the national traveling exhibition “Americans and the Holocaust,” which attracted more than 2,000 visitors. 

“Jewish life is alive and well here,” Tessel said. She also hopes her community’s story will motivate other Jews living outside the metro area. “There are always ways to build community; each person can make a difference in this world.” 

Jenna Cohen is a marketing and communications professional living in Chicago.