Rockford's Jewish Community Celebrates a Milestone

ROCKFORD - Although it's not the first Jewish house of worship in Rockford, Temple Beth-El is certainly the cornerstone of the small Jewish community that exists in the Forest City.  Friday the temple's congregants will gather for a special Shabbat service to commemorate 100 years of serving Rockford and Winnebago County.

Gerry Schaider moved to Rockford in 1949 with her husband Bud.  Like many of Rockford's Jewish community, they moved to town for work.  At the time, Schaider's husband ran a poultry dressing factory in town.  Moving from the west-side of Chicago, which at the time was predominantly Jewish, the Schaiders wanted a sense of community and sought out Temple Beth-El.

"First week we lived here we went over to Temple Beth-El.  It was right down the street," said Schaider.

At the time Temple Beth-El was located at the corner of North Main & Salem Streets.  The building still stands there today, but is now the Promise of Life Church.  The building still reads "Temple Beth-El" over the entrance and is still adorned with Stars of David.  But a growing Jewish community forced a move to Comanche Drive to create the current home of Temple Beth-El.

"The temple grew in size so fast in the 50's that they needed to have more space and that's when we bought the property here," said Hon. Brian Shore, the temple's 100^th Anniversary Committee Chair.

In 1963 the new temple building at Comanche Drive & Guilford Road was dedicated.  Since then, temple membership has fluctuated and the Jewish community in Rockford has never been big. 

"Yet despite that we have always maintained full-time rabbis," said Shore.  "We've always maintained this beautiful building and maintained programming that has enriched our community and we hope sometimes the general community."

One of those programs the temple has put forth is Food-A-Rama.  Last year Temple Beth-El celebrated 50 years of the program that has temple volunteers crafting hundreds of traditionally Jewish corned beef sandwiches to sell to raise money for the Rock River Valley Food Pantry. 

The temple is similar to any other reform synagogue with an active membership.  There's a Sunday School and Hebrew School; they celebrate bar & bat mitzvahs, weddings & confirmation classes.  How all of this is kept alive is by the people, says Shore.

"We have a tremendously involved and committed group of members," said Shore.

Having been a part of Temple Beth-El for over 50 years, Schaider says that commitment to the temple pours over into the greater Jewish community as well.

"The Jewish community has always been a close community in this town," said Schaider. 

"Whether they belong to Temple Beth-El or Congregation Ohave Shalom, anybody that needed help, they were helped."

Temple Beth-El will celebrate 100 years on Friday night with a special Shabbat service.  Public officials and dignitaries will be in attendance.  The service starts at 7:30 PM at Temple Beth-El, 1203 Comanche Drive, Rockford.