Despite being located more than 37 miles apart, the two far-flung suburbs of Libertyville and Schaumburg now have something in common, just in time for the Jewish new year: they are the homes of the two newest Chabad centers in Illinois.
"The state is now home to 53 Chabad centers, and that number is growing. Our goal isn't just growth in numbers, though, but impact," said Rabbi Meir Moscowitz, Regional Director of the Lubavitch Chabad of Illinois. "Chabad is building community in every corner of Illinois."
Libertyville
The new Chabad of Libertyville-a village of some 20,000 residents north of Chicago-is directed by Rabbi Levi and Mushka Krinsky.
Levi was born and raised in Vilnius, Lithuania's capital, where his parents run the Chabad; his first language was Russian. After his bar mitzvah, he studied in yeshivot (seminaries) in Detroit, Baltimore, New York, and Toronto, doing outreach during the summers in Oklahoma, Denmark, and the Faroe Islands.
Mushka was born and raised in Gurnee, where her parents, Rabbi Sholom and Feigel Tenenbaum run the local Chabad. After high school in Chicago, she spent a year studying in Israel. She has taught in multiple Hebrew schools and ran summer camps throughout the country.
"Our primary work is within Libertyville, but we are open to anyone-both those who live or work here," the rabbi said. "Libertyville is beautiful, and we're lucky to be here. It's very homey. The community feels like family."
The Chabad of Libertyville will offer both adult education and children's events. "We're here to expose Jews to their rich heritage," Levi explained. "We have already identified a need for holiday programs and Shabbat services. I've been meeting a lot of Jews, and have had many one-on-one interactions, and discussions about what it means to be Jewish. We've had people over for Shabbat meals. We're excited to get to know everyone."
Schaumburg
The new Chabad of Schaumburg-a northwestern suburb of Chicago with more than 75,000 residents- is directed by Rabbi Mendel and Miriam Greenberg.
Mendel was born in Shanghai, where his parents run the Chabad. His wife, Miriam, who grew up in Buffalo Grove, is the daughter of Rabbi Shmuel and Chanie Katz, who direct the Northwest Suburban Chabad. Miriam ran a summer camp in Detroit for many years, and spent a year teaching at the Chabad of the Virgin Islands.
When he was 13, Mendel left to begin his learning in yeshivot in Detroit, Morristown, N.J., Brooklyn, and Manchester, England.
Because the Jewish population of Schaumburg is small, Jews in the suburb sometimes feel isolated. "They feel like they are the only Jew in town, or one of very few," Mendel said.
Mendel aims to address this issue by making the Chabad a community hub. "The main thing is to have them feel that they have a place, a Jewish home, to feel part of-that, no matter where you come from, you can help build Judaism in Schamburg," he said. "I am trying to help them celebrate Judaism and create a Jewish community by transmitting essentials we share: Torah, mitzvahs, prayer. This is what unites us, the essence that gives us a feeling of home.
"When you become aware of a need, it creates an obligation," he said. "We have a commandment to love our fellow Jews-this means that what you love, you share. This is what makes the world a better place."
To reach the Chabad of Libertyville, visit
chabadlibertyville.com
. For the Chabad of Schaumburg, visit
chabadschaumburg.com
.
