OUR MISSION
To enhance Jewish pride, Jewish education, and Jewish connection in Kenosha. To provide a warm atmosphere where Jews of every background and affiliation find an accepting, engaging, personal Jewish experience through which we grow together. To create a space, a home away from home, where families & individuals can engage, discover, and learn more about their Jewish heritage in a non-judgmental environment.
In the 1880s Jacob Stern, a merchant, was the first Jewish settler to arrive in Kenosha. Others followed, including Rabbi Louis Lepkovsky who, in 1904, became the first Rabbi of Congregation Bnai Zedek. The Congregation met for services in his and other homes in the Columbus Park neighborhood. At the time, it was a predominantly Jewish neighborhood with a Jewish bookstore, kosher butcher shop and other Jewish establishments.
The community grew at a steady pace, and in 1910 the need for a permanent synagogue became evident. The Stern and Epstein families and other founding members generously donated to the building fund & made it happen. The building was completed in 1911. The congregation also established Bnai Zedek cemetery. The cemetery, now managed by an independent cemetery board, still serves Kenosha’s Jewish community.
As has been the case with other small-town Jewish neighborhoods and synagogues, Congregation B'nai Zedek declined in membership over the years. However, thanks to its 2007 affiliation with Chabad of Wisconsin the congregation and the community it serves have experienced unprecedented growth and revitalization.
In 2010, recognizing that the cost of near constant upkeep and repair of the original synagogue building was rapidly draining its treasury, the congregation took the decision to sell the building to a developer who would transform it into a Jewish museum and historical site. It is with thanks to G‑d that we found the perfect setting from which to serve the Jews of Kenosha and Racine counties and surrounding areas. It is our mission to serve as a warm home to Jewish people, regardless of level of religious observance, where they can attend services and live their heritage without stigma or judgment. We reach out to, and celebrate, every person on his or her own level. While donations are, of course, welcome, we do not have membership requirements or membership dues. In other words, there is no requirement to pay in order to pray.
Our new facility is the former Colergét Conference Center in Kenosha. The Center is famous for its beautiful, serene gardens and quiet, sumptuous facilities which serve as a perfect setting for spiritual growth and healing. We welcome inquiries from organizations wishing to utilize the conference center and grounds for corporate and service organization events and meetings. Of course, we would also love to be the destination site for Jewish lifecycle events like weddings and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.
It is our goal to be a source of pride for the Jewish community as we will serve as a resource for the entire Kenosha/Racine area. While the facility is new to us, we are not new to the area. We are proud to continue the tradition of service that started with our ancestor facility, B'nai Zedek Congregation, which has served the community without interruption since 1904. Following in the footsteps of our B'nai Zedek predecessors, we hope to be a source of light and inspiration and a home to future generations.