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Welcome to Temple Beth-El!


           We are a warm and welcoming Reform Jewish congregation that has been serving the greater Rockford region for over 100 years.  It is a place in which Jewish values are lived and practiced.  We are a small congregation whose members are dedicated to maintaining a strong Jewish presence in their lives.  Our membership spans a broad spectrum of ages, professions, interests, and backgrounds.  We offer a wide variety of religious, educational and social opportunities for our members.  We join together through prayer, tzedakah, learning and celebration.  We welcome participation at all levels.  Our goal is for you to feel like part of our family and to be involved in the Temple Beth-El community.

       Mission Statement: Temple Beth-El is a congregation of Jews and their families building a community committed to participation in all aspects of Jewish life.  By community, we mean a group of diverse people who share a strong connection fostered by Temple Beth-El.  By participation, we mean that all members will partake in and support the spiritual, cultural, educational and social life of Temple Beth-El. 

Temple Beth-El, Rockford IL

From the Union For Reform Judaism / Reform Movement

For Some of Us the Holidays Are Just…Hard

For Some of Us the Holidays Are Just…Hard jemerman

Death and Mourning
star of david starry lights
As we head into the holiday season, I am acutely aware of how much different this year is going to be than previous ones. I will be celebrating without my mom for the first time. My mother died in January 2021, and I'm still dealing with the unexpected waves of grief that wash over me, sometimes out of nowhere. As I head into this first winter holiday season without her, I'm not quite sure I know what to expect, other than everything is going to be very different.

The Cost of Free Land

The Cost of Free Land jemerman

Secular Holidays
The author's Great-Great-Uncle Louie Sinykin posing with men in Dakota garb in South Dakota's Black Hills. Date unknown.
When I was a child growing up in the 1980s, the story I learned about Thanksgiving followed the classic script: it highlighted amity between the Pilgrims and their Indigenous neighbors. Due to this connection, the hunger of the European settlers was met with squash and turkey.

Ten Things We Say When We Talk About Antisemitism

Ten Things We Say When We Talk About Antisemitism sdolgov

Modern Day Issues in Antisemitism
star of david
URJ leaders have had thousands of conversations about antisemitism over the past years, especially after October 7th. The following list summarizes the ideas that arise most often in these discussions.

Putting the “Serve” Back in "Deserve"

Putting the “Serve” Back in "Deserve" sdolgov

Photo of a group of war veterans
As the Jewish community grapples with fears of our eroding security in post-10/7 America, nobody wants to consider the question of whether we have enjoyed that security up to this point by right or by debt.