FAQs

Monday – Friday: Services begin at 7:30 am in the Sager Family Beit Hamidrash (the chapel).

Sundays: Services begin at 8:45 am in the Sager Family Beit Hamidrash (the chapel).

We offer services daily services, morning and evening, every day of the year. Kaddish is said at each service. General times:

• Weekday mornings – 7:30 am
• Shabbat Friday evenings – 6:00 pm
• Shabbat mornings – 9:00 am
• Shabbat afternoon/Havdallah – Please check the website calendar
• Sunday mornings –  8:45 am

• Monday thru Thursday – 8:00 am until 3:00 pm
• Fridays – 8:00 am until 3:00 pm
• Sundays – 9:00 am until 11:00 am when Sunday school is in session

The office is closed on the following holidays:

Legal Holidays:

• New Years Day – January 1st 
• Memorial Day (last Monday of May)
• July 4th USA Independence Day
• Labor Day (first Monday of September)
• Thanksgiving Day and Thanksgiving Friday
• December 25 

If the legal holiday falls on a Saturday the office will be closed on that Friday.  If the holiday falls on a Sunday, the office will be closed the next day on a Monday.

Jewish Holidays:

• Pesach 1st, 2nd, 7th and 8th days (closes at 1:00 pm Erev Pesach if falls on a weekday)
• Shavuot 1st and 2nd days (closes at 3:00 pm Erev Shavuot if falls on a weekday)
• Rosh Hashana 1st and 2nd day (closes at Noon on Erev of Rosh Hashana if falls on a weekday or Sunday)
• Yom Kippur (closes at Noon on Erev Yom Kippur if falls on a weekday or Sunday)
• Sukkot 1st and 2nd Days (closes at 3:00 pm Erev Sukkot if falls on a weekday)
• Shmini Atzeret
• Simchat Torah

To reach our clergy, please call our synagogue office 847/432-8900 —

• Monday thru Thursday – 8:00 am until 3:00 pm
• Fridays – 8:00 am until 2:00 pm

You may also email them:

• Rabbi Michael Schwab: mschwab@nssbethel.org
• Rabbi Alex Freedman: afreedman@nssbethel.org
• Hazzan Jacob Sandler: jsandler@nssbethel.org 
• Hazzan Jenna Greenberg: jgreenberg@nssbethel.org 
• Rabbi Emeritus Vernon Kurtz: vkurtz@nssbethel.org

We offer a variety of Shabbat and Holiday services from traditional to informal, family-friendly, and lay-led. Our traditional services led by clergy and lay leaders combine pray, song, and study.  We have warm and inviting children’s services that are age-appropriate and responsive to the stages of child development.

Our religious schools are inclusive and accessible to students with disabilities. Our Halomdim Program created a resource room to support children with learning difference and/or social challenges. It offers shadow teachers, 1-1 instruction and summer tutoring.  Additionally, we employ an education specialist to support our initiatives.

Our teachers in the Cohen Religious School and the Sokol Hebrew High School are trained to accommodate and facilitate learning for all students and there is a system in place to support B’nai Mitzvah students who need additional support or different teaching styles to prepare them for their B’nai Mitzvah.

Rabbi Schwab collaborated with Cantor Steven Stoehr of Congregation Beth Shalom who recently started HUGS (Healthy, Understanding, Growing Spaces) to help expand HUGS with the goal of providing ritual programming for children and adults with special needs and their families.

Our main entrances hallways and restrooms are ADA compliant. Additionally, there is a gender-neutral bathroom.

We recognize that inclusion and accessibility are a constantly evolving process and our Committee on Accessibility and Inclusion remains committed to sustaining all these efforts and in continuing to be responsive and increase physical accessibility throughout our synagogue.

Yes, a preschool family who joins Beth El receives the first membership year free. For additional information please contact our Executive Director, Jeff Baden 847/432-8900 x224; jbaden@nssbethel.org.