A letter from Rabbi Wright:

I write to you not simply with an update, but with a vision for the future of our sacred community.

From the very beginning of this journey, I have believed with absolute clarity that BJBE is not just a synagogue. It is the home and voice for Jewish life in Chicagoland, a center of meaning, and a place where we shape the future of the Jewish people. And, in this moment in Jewish history, that responsibility is not theoretical. It is real, it is urgent, and it is ours.

We are living in a time that demands Jewish strength, Jewish pride, and Jewish belonging. What I call the October 8th generation will not build itself. It must be nurtured, invited, and brought into the community with intention and courage.

It is in that spirit that we are launching a bold and hopeful initiative—one that I believe can be transformative for our congregation and for the future we are building together. We now introduce 36 for 36. Any individual or family under the age of 36 who is not currently a member and not affiliated with another congregation will be welcomed into BJBE as members for just $36 a year.
No barriers. No hesitation. No excuse not to walk through our doors.
This is not about lowering expectations; it is about elevating our vision. We recognize that younger Jews are not affiliating in the same ways previous generations did—not because they are indifferent, but because the doors have not always opened in ways that meet them where they are.
This initiative is our way of opening those doors wider than ever before. It declares, loudly and clearly: you matter, you belong, and we want you here.

Our tradition teaches, “Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh,” all of Israel is responsible one for another. The future of Jewish life does not sit with someone else. It sits with us. So I am asking something of you. I am challenging you. Go find them. Find the unaffiliated Jews in your life; your children’s friends or colleagues, or your neighbors. Find the young families who have never walked into a synagogue, or who have quietly stepped away.

Invite them. Bring them. Open the door for them.This is how congregations grow. Not through marketing alone, but through relationships, trust, and through one Jew saying to another, come with me.

And when they come, we will welcome them with warmth, with purpose, and with a Judaism that speaks to their lives. This is how we build something lasting. This is how we secure the future of BJBE.

And, let me be equally clear. This is not a program for them alone. This is a mitzvah for all of us. If you have someone that would be interested in our 36 for 36 initiative, please contact Paula Cooper, Membership and Engagement Director, at 847-940-7575, ext. 121 or [email protected].

If you want to talk to me, I am here. If you want to help lead this effort, I am ready.
Let’s build this future together. 

With gratitude and great excitement,
Rabbi Adam Wright

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