Chicago Sinai Congregation

{{Short description|Reform synagogue in Chicago, Illinois, United States}}

{{for|similarly-named synagoges|Temple Sinai (disambiguation){{!}}Temple Sinai}}

{{Infobox religious building

| name = Chicago Sinai Congregation

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| religious_affiliation = Reform Judaism

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| organisational_status = Synagogue

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| leadership = {{ubl|{{nowrap|Rabbi Michael A. Weinberg {{small|(interim)}}}}|Rabbi Amanda Greene {{small|(Associate)}}|Rabbi Rebecca Benoff {{small|(Assistant)}}}}

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| functional_status = Active

| religious_features_label = Notable artwork

| religious_features = Brian Clarke stained-glass windows

| location = 15 West Delaware Place, Chicago, Illinois 60610

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| country = United States

| map_type = United States Chicago Central

| map_size = 250

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| map_caption = Location in Central Chicago, Illinois

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| coordinates = {{coords|41.8989|-87.6287|region:US-IL_type:landmark|format=dms|display=it}}

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| architect = Dirk Lohan

| architecture_type = Synagogue

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| established = 1861 {{small|(as a congregation)}}

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| year_completed = 1996

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| website = {{url|chicagosinai.org}}

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Chicago Sinai Congregation{{efn|Also referred to as Temple Sinai or Sinai Temple.}} is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue located at 15 West Delaware Place, in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Founded in 1861, the current synagogue building was designed by Dirk Lohan and completed in 1996, inclusive of stained-glass windows by British artist Brian Clarke.

History

Founded in 1861, Chicago Sinai Congregation was the first Reform congregation to be established in Chicago.{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagosinai.org/chicago-reform-congregation/first-reform-synagogue-chicago |title=First Reform synagogue Chicago |work=Chicago Sinai |date= |access-date= }}{{self-published-inline|date=January 2024 }} During the nineteenth century, the congregation helped pioneer and promote the controversial ritual reform of the Sunday Sabbath (substituting Saturday for Sunday) for Jewish communities in America.{{cite journal |author=Olitzky, K. |author-link=Kerry M. Olitzky |year=1985 |title=Sundays at Chicago Sinai Congregation: Paradigm for a Movement |journal=American Jewish History |volume=74 |number=4 |pages=356–368 }}{{cite journal |author=Olitzky, K. |author-link=Kerry M. Olitzky |year=1982 |title=The Sunday-Sabbath Movement in American Reform Judaism: Strategy or Evolution? |journal=American Jewish Archives |volume=34 |number=1 |pages=75–88 }}

In the late nineteenth century, the congregation became the site of speculation concerning the possibility of a woman rabbi in the United States. In 1897, Hannah G. Solomon of Chicago was touted in the press as America's first woman rabbi following her preaching at the congregation.{{Cite news |date=16 March 1897 |title=The First Woman Rabbi |work=The Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, Vermont}}{{Cite news |date=18 March 1897 |title=The First Woman Rabbi |work=Brandon Mail |location=Manitoba, Canada}} Solomon later reported that the invitation to speak was offered by Rabbi Emil Hirsch and that Hirsch's practice to allow Jewish women to speak from the pulpit was later adopted by other congregations.{{cite book |author=Solomon, H. G. |year=1946 |title=Fabric of My Life: The Autobiography of Hannah G. Solomon |location=New York |publisher=Bloch Publishing Company |pages=111–112 |isbn= }}

Rabbis

The early rabbis to have served in the congregation include Bernhard Felsenthal (served from inception in 1861-1864), Isaac Leow Chronik (served from 1866-1871), Kaufmann Kohler (served from 1871 to 1880), Emil G. Hirsch (served from 1880-1923).{{cite encyclopedia |author1=Adler, C. |author2=Vizetelly, F. H. |year=1906 |url=https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/7728-hirsch-emil-gustav |title=Hirsch, Emil Gustav |encyclopedia=Jewish Encyclopedia |volume=6 |pages=410–411 |isbn= |doi= }}{{cite book |author=Heilbrunn, B. A. |year=2012 |title=Faith as motive for reform: Emil G. Hirsch and Chicago Jewish Progressives |publisher=University of Houston |pages= |isbn= }} Rabbis in the twentieth century include Richard C. Hertz (served from 1947-1953),{{cite web |url=http://collections.americanjewisharchives.org/ms/ms0675/ms0675.html |title=A Finding Aid to the Richard C. Hertz Papers Manuscript Collection No. 675 |work=American Jewish Archives |date= |access-date= }} and Philip N. Kranz (served from 1971-1980).{{cite web |url=https://archivesspace.thebreman.org/repositories/2/resources/304 |title=Rabbi Philip N. Kranz Papers |work=The Berman Museum |publisher= |date= |access-date= }}