A Base for belonging

Participants enjoy Silverstein Base Lincoln Park’s annual Singing in the Sukkah event. (Photo credit: Rav Sarah Mulhern)

Over 10 years ago our Jewish community gathered to solve a problem: Where will our young adults find Jewish life outside of a Jewish home?  

Today, thanks to Hillels on campuses across the country, parents can drop their students off with the confidence that their children can build lasting Jewish identities and connections.  

But what happens after college, or for students who have a non-traditional post-high school experience? As we always have in moments of need, a group of innovative volunteers and professionals gathered to figure out how to ensure that young Jews in Chicagoland have Jewish role models, and strengthen their own Jewish identities.  

To solve this problem, we turned to Pirkei Avot (Ethics of our Ancestors) and the exhortation to “Make for yourself a Rabbi/teacher.” (1:6).  

We realized that the Base model that had launched in New York could be a game changer in Chicago; we could offer 20- and 30- something Jewish young adults a chance to experience exactly what makes Jewish life so special. We knew that inviting them into a Jewish home to experience different versions of authentic, engaged, and accessible Jewish life would be transformative.  

We needed transformative partners to bring this vision to life. Thanks to the Silverstein family, Silverstein Base Lincoln Park was founded in 2016.  

Soon after, Abel (z”l) and Judy Friedman were inspired to invest in the Luba & Bernard Friedman Base Loop and the Anna & Fred Doppelt Base Andersonville. Only a few years later, the Silverstein family increased their investment, aptly naming the program Silverstein Base Chicago.  

Today, the program is home to four Bases, Base Logan Square, and engages almost 2,000 students and young adults annually.  

“As someone who chose Judaism, Base has been an incredibly special part of my young adult experience,” said Zoe Lewis Nielsen who frequents Base events. “Base has given me a community that welcomed my questions, celebrated my growth, and proved to me that belonging comes through relationships. I feel so lucky to have a community that encourages me to find my own connection to Judaism.” 

All of this has been possible not only because of our incredible volunteers, but also the people who make Silverstein Base Chicago possible every single day, our Silverstein Base Chicago rabbinic families: Rav Ezra Balser and Laura Elkayam; Rav Sarah Mulhern and Rabbi Will Friedman; Rav Jonathan Posner and Hannah Swirnow; and Rav Moshe and Ariana Webber.  

“For me, the 10-year anniversary of Silverstein Base Chicago means having the unique privilege and opportunity to be part of a legacy—a legacy of innovation, unparalleled rabbinic colleagues, and incomparable institutional support from JUF,” Webber said.  

“For 10 years, Basers have felt the impact of our care and have sat at our Shabbat tables. The beauty of Base has been in its simple formula. Everyone who wants to have a relationship with a rabbi should have one, and Base has allowed for that to become a reality for so many,” Balser added.   

Now, countless cohorts of young Jews in Chicago have learned Jewish cooking, wrestled with Jewish text, spoken up for those in need, and welcomed Shabbat. They have celebrated Baser weddings, shared the wisdom of our diverse community, have converted to Judaism, celebrated simchas, and commemorated our hardest moments like our October 7 memorials.  

“Over time, the aggregate impact of Base is significant—a generation of Chicago Jews who are excited to do Jewish, who have strong connections with their Jewish peers, who feel personally cared for and mentored by a rabbi, and who have gained the knowledge and tools to live as Jews and build the future of our community,” Mulhern said. 

As Posner added, “Silverstein Base Chicago represents a powerful and bold approach to investing in the future of the Chicago Jewish community.” 

Charles Cohen is the Executive Director of Metro Chicago Hillel.