Join Us at Temple Har Zion
Temple Har Zion is an inclusive and welcoming community. We welcome participation from all who seek a connection to Jewish life and want to be part of our community, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, ability, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
To learn more about our offerings and gain insight into our community, browse through the menus at the top of this page. The information linked below may be helpful in your decision to join us. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
- Mission
- Membership
- Interfaith Families
- Life Cycle
- Photo Gallery
- Bylaws
- Virtual Membership
Special Note for Interfaith Families: Non-Jewish spouses and/or non-Jewish parents of member children are welcomed as full members of our synagogue (with a few exceptions for religious committees and leadership roles). Har Zion adopted this change to our bylaws in 2015; this Tablet magazine article highlights Har Zion's leadership in the Conservative movement on this.
In order to better service the Jewish and non-Jewish community, there are three levels of membership/subscription to Temple Har Zion.
Full Membership in Har Zion
The goal of Temple Har Zion is to encourage connections with each other, our clergy, and with Judaism. Our services are available in person (when possible) and remotely, by Zoom and other means.
Full members of Temple Har Zion have the opportunity to participate the full range of Temple Har Zion services, including the following:
- All services, including Daily Minyan, Friday night and Saturday morning Shabbat Services, all holidays and festivals, and High Holy Day services.
- Access to clergy for pastoral care.
- Assistance with and the ability to use our spaces for life cycle events.
- All Har Zion services to raise your Jewish children, from preschool, primary, and secondary schools, child, youth, and family services, and programming for youth, including United Synagogue Youth (USY).
- Adult education programs.
- And full members have voting rights at temple meetings.
This is just a brief summary of the benefits of Har Zion full membership, see Benefits of Full Membership for a more complete list.
Please contact the temple office by email at office@wsthz.org or by phone at 708-366-9000 office for more information on our dues structure. Note, however, that one will turned away due to their financial circumstances. Finances are never a barrier to being part of our community at Temple Har Zion.
Click here to go to our Online Application form.
Contact the temple executive director, Charles Shapera, by email at cshapera@wsthz.org or by phone at 708-366-9000, if you have any questions.
Har Zion Limited Memberships
Har Zion Virtual Membership
Virtual Memberships are available for those who strictly wish to only have access to online, remote Har Zion content.
Virtual memberships may be of interest to those who live out of the Chicago area and would still like to be connected virtually to Har Zion and the Har Zion community, including:
- Members who have moved out of the area, and
- Relatives of Har Zion members who want to support the temple and join in for certain holidays and events.
The suggested dues for Virtual Members is $180 per year. No one will turned away due to their financial circumstances. Finances are never a barrier to being part of our community at Temple Har Zion.
Virtual members have access to all Har Zion online programming, including:
- Daily Minyan, Shabbat, holiday, and High Holy Day services;
- Online special programming for children; and
- All adult education programming.
- Children of virtual members may be enrolled in the Har Zion Koven Religious School (for an additional fee).
- Virtual members and their children may become bar/bat mitzvah at the temple.
There are additional benefits; visit the Virtual Membership page for a list of the benefits available to virtual members.
Contact the temple executive director, Charles Shapera, by email at cshapera@wsthz.org or by phone at 708-366-9000, if you have any questions.
Har Zion Jewish Journey Subscription
A Jewish Journey Subscription to Har Zion will give you an opportunity to learn more about Judaism, regardless of your religious background. You will have access to the following:
- Our Jewish Journeys curriculum and Jewish cultural events
- Introduction to Judaism class
- Spiritual/Kabbalah classes
- Meeting with the Rabbi:
For those interested in becoming a Jew by Choice, or
For those interested in becoming fan adult bar/bat mtzvah (additional fee for chanting lessons if needed) - $18 per month fee
Please contact the temple executive director, Charles Shapera, by email at cshapera@wsthz.org or by phone at 708-366-9000, if you have any questions.
