May 19, 2024
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Joliet Jewish Congregation invites community to open house

By Denise M. Baran-Unland
Joliet Jewish Congregation at 250 N. Midland Ave. in Joliet is seen on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023.

Joliet Jewish Congregation at 250 N. Midland Ave. in Joliet is seen on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. (Denise Unland)

Joliet Jewish Congregation is offering two opportunities to learn more about the Jewish faith, tolerance and inclusion.

On Sunday, the congregation will host an open house from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the synagogue, 250 N. Midland Ave. in Joliet.

Rabbi Jenny Steinberg-Martinez said the congregation is open to interfaith families. So anyone looking for a faith home in the Will County area is welcome to stop by.

Attendees will tour the synagogue, learn about the Sunday school program and the holiday services, and meet members of the community.

On Aug. 29, Steinberg-Martinez and Kathleen Szwed, congregation member and Sunday school teacher and docent at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, will host “Evening Tea Time with Rabbi Jenny” at the Joliet Public Library, 150 N. Ottawa St. in Joliet.

[ Holocaust-era Violins of Hope coming to Joliet library ]

Steinberg-Martinez and Szwed will discuss the Violins of Hope exhibit at the library through the library’s partnership with the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago.

“They’ll talk about the exhibit and tolerance and inclusion and what that means,” said Mallory Hewlett, communications manager at the library.

Steinberg-Martinez said attendees will be able to view the violins and ask herself and Szwed questions about the violins, the Holocaust and Judaism in general.

The Violins of Hope, Holocaust-era violins and other stringed instruments, are the private collection of Israeli violin makers Amnon and Avshalom (Avshi) Weinstein. Some like this one feature the Star of David on the back.

The Violins of Hope, Holocaust-era violins and other stringed instruments, are the private collection of Israeli violin makers Amnon and Avshalom (Avshi) Weinstein. Some like this one feature the Star of David on the back. (Photo provided by Jewish Community Centers of Chicago)

She stressed the importance of education and “accurate historical reflection.” She said Jews “carry the torch” for genocide in that they “always remember the human capacity for pain and the human capacity for resilience.”

“Because we lived through a lot,” Steinberg-Martinez said.

Steinberg-Martinez said the Jewish people “have a groundedness in who we are” while continuing to speak out on injustice.

“And that is something all faiths can learn from us,” Steinberg-Martinez said.

An “Evening Tea Time with Rabbi Jenny” is also a good opportunity to view the “Violins of Hope” exhibit that the public may view through Sept. 17. Hewlett said the exhibit “seems to be doing well.”

“We had a really good turnout on opening night,” Hewlett said. “I’d say about 100 people were there. And we’re getting a lot of questions about it.”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Open house

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Joliet Jewish Congregation, 250 N. Midland Ave.Joliet.

ETC: Tour the synagogue, learn about the Sunday school program and the holiday services, and meet members of the community.

INFO: Call 815-741-4600 or visit https://www.jolietjewishcongregation.com/

IF YOU GO

WHAT: “Evening Tea Time with Rabbi Jenny”

WHEN: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 29

WHERE: Joliet Public Library, 150 N. Ottawa St. Joliet

ETC: Jenny Steinberg-Martinez, rabbi at Joliet Jewish Congregation and Kathleen Szwed, congregation member and Sunday school teacher, and docent at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, will discuss the library’s Violins of Hope exhibit, the Holocaust and Judaism.

INFO: Call 815-740-2660 or visit https://www.jolietlibrary.org/