When Congregation Beth Judea formed 50 years ago in Long Grove, Illinois, our vision for the future was to become the “spiritual home away from home” for Conservative Jews in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Back in 1968, driving out to the northwest suburbs was almost like “taking a drive in the country.” Farms were abundant. There were few two-lane roads. New housing developments were just beginning to take root. Shopping centers were mostly small strip malls. The closest Conservative synagogue was more than 10 miles away.
As with most things, with time comes change. Starting with less than 30 members, Congregation Beth Judea now serves the needs of over 475 families. Most of our families reside in Buffalo Grove, Long Grove, Arlington Heights and Wheeling. Many also live in Prospect Heights, Palatine, Kildeer, Barrington, Algonquin, Hoffman Estates, Riverwoods, Vernon Hills, Mundelein, Lake Zurich, Wildwood, Grayslake, Libertyville, Inverness, Hawthorne Woods and Lincolnshire. Other members come from Elgin, Morton Grove, Skokie, Evanston, Wilmette, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Northbrook and even downtown Chicago!
Our synagogue is home to one of the pre-school center branches of the Board of Jewish Education. The Sager Solomon Schechter Day School is a 25 minute drive time in Northbrook and the Rochelle Zell Jewish High School is a 20 minute drive time in Deerfield.
Ours is a great community to raise and educate children. Many of the public schools are outstanding and some have been nationally recognized over the years.
There are now many very large shopping malls within 20 minutes of the synagogue, including Woodfield, Hawthorn Center, Deer Park and Randhurst; plus many mini-malls scattered throughout the area. Numerous nationally recognized gourmet restaurants in our area draws fine food connoisseurs from all over Chicagoland and around the country.
Located within 15 minutes of the synagogue is the Marriott Lincolnshire Resort featuring the largest subscriber-based live Theatre performances found anywhere in the country.
So, if you’re looking for a great place to live, the northwest suburbs offers almost everything you could possibly want. Moreover, if you are searching for a Conservative synagogue that can fulfill your family’s spiritual, educational, cultural and/or social needs, we would welcome you to Congregation Beth Judea.